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An Empty Embrace
Submit. Repent. Obey.
Celest was raised to follow. Trained from an early age to be a cleric, the elf has lived his life fully devoted to the goddess of the sun and the doctrine of his citadel. Newly paired with his teammates, Sable, a quick-witted halfling witch, and Viktor, a bull-headed half-orc warrior, the three are swallowed into a dark city, long forgotten by the world from which they came. There, they find a family wracked by fear. A man of unquenchable thirst haunts the rain-soaked nights, preying off the living. But, when his interest is piqued upon first meeting the considerate Celest, all else seems unimportant. Armed with unnatural beauty, a silver tongue, and a wicked smile, the vampire begins his intimate pursuit to cage the cleric's heart.
AN EMPTY EMBRACE is a chilling tale of queer love and twisted intentions.
Celest was raised to follow. Trained from an early age to be a cleric, the elf has lived his life fully devoted to the goddess of the sun and the doctrine of his citadel. Newly paired with his teammates, Sable, a quick-witted halfling witch, and Viktor, a bull-headed half-orc warrior, the three are swallowed into a dark city, long forgotten by the world from which they came. There, they find a family wracked by fear. A man of unquenchable thirst haunts the rain-soaked nights, preying off the living. But, when his interest is piqued upon first meeting the considerate Celest, all else seems unimportant. Armed with unnatural beauty, a silver tongue, and a wicked smile, the vampire begins his intimate pursuit to cage the cleric's heart.
AN EMPTY EMBRACE is a chilling tale of queer love and twisted intentions.
- GenresFantasy
265 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2024
10 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 5, 2024
The Curse of Strahd if Strahd was bisexual (as he should be)...
March 29, 2025
THIS BOOK ENDS ON A CLIFFHANGER.
Urg, this was rough. I had a glimmer of hope toward the end, but the last paragraphs left me feeling like a f*cking clown. I would have appreciated being warned that this is the start of a series. 💀
On to the review: the writing was a major issue for me. It uses too many adjectives, often feeling like the author randomly picked words from a thesaurus. Some sentences are choppy and the dialogue flows unnaturally. The POV (omniscient third-person, present tense) makes the book feel amateurish.
I had problems with the "plot" from the start. You're thrown into action right away without a chance to connect with the characters or get familiar with the setting, there's no introduction to what's happening. The lack of setup made it difficult for me to become emotionally invested. I didn't care about any of the characters, who are just there, without any real depth or development.
Now, as for what made me Big Mad™️ : the main "romance" is disgusting. Both the main character (MC) and love interest (LI) are supposed to be men, but the book is another one of those M/F romances filled with cishet clichés disguised as M/M. The cover should have warned me off. The rest of the LGBTQIA+ representation felt forced to me too, like the book was going through a checklist of identities, making them the main traits of their respective characters.
What was even worse was the dom/sub dynamic between the MC and LI. I didn't know this would be a "Dark Romance" going in, and the book contains NO trigger warnings. I thought every interactions between the MC and LI were uncomfortable to read. The LI is abusive and degrading, both in and out of the bedroom (every sex scene feels like [TW] ).
(BIG SPOILER AHEAD, but honestly who cares)
None of that matters anyway. Because the big twist happens, triggering the final showdown, which drags on forever (it's about 1/4th of the book). As soon as the final battle ends, we learn in the span of a few lines that
Kidding, I don't care, I won't be reading the sequels.
This is a mean review, but I was truly enraged by the book. Nail in the coffin for me was the use of THRICE as an insult. When is using misogynistic slurs ever okay?!
Don't get me started on the fact the LI calls the MC "little mouse" either, probably as a nod to Haunting Adeline...
I wish I could wash this out of my brain with soap.
Urg, this was rough. I had a glimmer of hope toward the end, but the last paragraphs left me feeling like a f*cking clown. I would have appreciated being warned that this is the start of a series. 💀
On to the review: the writing was a major issue for me. It uses too many adjectives, often feeling like the author randomly picked words from a thesaurus. Some sentences are choppy and the dialogue flows unnaturally. The POV (omniscient third-person, present tense) makes the book feel amateurish.
I had problems with the "plot" from the start. You're thrown into action right away without a chance to connect with the characters or get familiar with the setting, there's no introduction to what's happening. The lack of setup made it difficult for me to become emotionally invested. I didn't care about any of the characters, who are just there, without any real depth or development.
Now, as for what made me Big Mad™️ : the main "romance" is disgusting. Both the main character (MC) and love interest (LI) are supposed to be men, but the book is another one of those M/F romances filled with cishet clichés disguised as M/M. The cover should have warned me off. The rest of the LGBTQIA+ representation felt forced to me too, like the book was going through a checklist of identities, making them the main traits of their respective characters.
What was even worse was the dom/sub dynamic between the MC and LI. I didn't know this would be a "Dark Romance" going in, and the book contains NO trigger warnings. I thought every interactions between the MC and LI were uncomfortable to read. The LI is abusive and degrading, both in and out of the bedroom (every sex scene feels like [TW] ).
(BIG SPOILER AHEAD, but honestly who cares)
None of that matters anyway. Because the big twist happens, triggering the final showdown, which drags on forever (it's about 1/4th of the book). As soon as the final battle ends, we learn in the span of a few lines that
Kidding, I don't care, I won't be reading the sequels.
This is a mean review, but I was truly enraged by the book. Nail in the coffin for me was the use of THRICE as an insult. When is using misogynistic slurs ever okay?!
Don't get me started on the fact the LI calls the MC "little mouse" either, probably as a nod to Haunting Adeline...
I wish I could wash this out of my brain with soap.
February 28, 2024
2.5
I think this book had a lot of potential, but I think it could have used some more editing, primarily with the characters. I had a good sense of Celest and Julian, but I found that the side cast of characters often sounded alike, and it was hard to tell the differences between them or keep up with who was who. However, I do think Celest was a good character, and I think his flaws and strengths were clear for the reader, and we know what the stakes are in regard to him. I am interested in reading more in the future, but I think to create a more well-rounded novel, the side characters, who seem to have a large part of the series, need to be fleshed out more.
***I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.***
I think this book had a lot of potential, but I think it could have used some more editing, primarily with the characters. I had a good sense of Celest and Julian, but I found that the side cast of characters often sounded alike, and it was hard to tell the differences between them or keep up with who was who. However, I do think Celest was a good character, and I think his flaws and strengths were clear for the reader, and we know what the stakes are in regard to him. I am interested in reading more in the future, but I think to create a more well-rounded novel, the side characters, who seem to have a large part of the series, need to be fleshed out more.
***I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.***
March 9, 2024
An Empty Embrace by Cyril Mezden is an ambitious dip into a fantasy world filled with vampires, lust, and murder. I recommend this story for anyone who wants their vampires brooding, their priests corrupted, and their worlds easy to understand.
This story is set in a standard medieval-inspired fantasy world of magic and peasants. Fans of Dungeons and Dragons will find the setting and story somewhat familiar as it seems heavily inspired by the classic Curse of Strahd module. Spell casting and the roles of characters fall into typical DnD-style archetypes (cleric, wizard, fighter, etc.) so the roles of each character are well established from the get go.
In the beginning, we find our party consisting of an elven cleric, halfling wizard, and half-orc fighter (maybe barbarian? multiclass?) running from the great giant of the forest. Don’t worry too much about trying to figure this out because we quickly are transported to an alternate setting, possibly dimension, where almost the entirety of the story takes place. Washing up on the banks of a river, the party finds themselves to the local village where they pick up a few side quests and learn a little more about where they are. The region of Markovia seems plagued with a mysterious past, an atmospheric darkness, and at least one lusty vampire who has already preyed on the youngest of a family.
Agreeing to help the family and protect the girl, the party continues to the large town of the area where they, of course, must find the tavern and ask around for rumors. The townsfolk seem to understand that the cursed darkness of the region is tied to the spooky castle and legacy of the once-noble family that lived there, but haven’t had anyone brave enough to investigate.
It is at this point where our sweet, chaste cleric, Celest, is plagued with the first appearance of the Wet Dream from Hell that is our vampire, Julian. Being such a good little boy, he tries to fight the seductions of big bad vampy, but ultimately is overcome with lust.
Following the standard DnD pattern, the party sets off the next day to investigate the mysterious temple ruins outside of town, finding a temple to Celest’s Goddess and one very snarky Deva. Here they learn more about the area’s history, gain a very important mousekatool for later, and the wizard gets to seduce her apprentice.
It is here I want to point out that the sex scenes of this book are very well-written. They’re dynamic in a believable way and the action flows smoothly with little awkward jumping around that can pervade this sort of writing. The whole book is written in a third person present perspective, which I found typically a bit uncomfortable, but it works well in the spicier scenes. As a whole, I wish the writing reflected that capacity better.
Rinsed and refreshed, the party returns to the tavern to report back about what they learned. Overnight, however, Celest is taken by Julian to participate in the spiciest scene of the book, an extensive orgy featuring them and three other vampire spawn created by Julian. However, once all fun and games are had, Celest accidentally flashbangs Julian with the stone that the party had found at the temple, which sends Julian into a blind rage. Celest escapes just to crack his head on the road leading away from the castle and Julian teleports back to the tavern to kidnap the little sister who he believes to be the reincarnation of his dead lover.
At this point, the rest of the party is spurred into action, scrapes the cleric off the cobblestones, and lays siege to the castle. Through a solid mix of brawn and magic, they’re able to defeat the vampires and kill Julian, freeing Markovia from its curse. The little sister is safe and they all live happily ever after… right? Well, we will have to see in the next installment, as the party has been transported back to their own plane by Julian’s death.
As a whole, this story had a few really strong elements. I like the queer representation, as it was natural and profound throughout the story. As I mentioned before, the writing of the sex scenes was particularly strong. Perhaps it’s because I’m a DnD nerd, but I found the plot a little predictable, but for those who are unfamiliar with this type of story, it will be a nice little adventure. I feel like some parts of the world building could have taken more space and been fleshed out (ha) a bit more, but I’m interested to see where the party goes in future endeavors.
This story is set in a standard medieval-inspired fantasy world of magic and peasants. Fans of Dungeons and Dragons will find the setting and story somewhat familiar as it seems heavily inspired by the classic Curse of Strahd module. Spell casting and the roles of characters fall into typical DnD-style archetypes (cleric, wizard, fighter, etc.) so the roles of each character are well established from the get go.
In the beginning, we find our party consisting of an elven cleric, halfling wizard, and half-orc fighter (maybe barbarian? multiclass?) running from the great giant of the forest. Don’t worry too much about trying to figure this out because we quickly are transported to an alternate setting, possibly dimension, where almost the entirety of the story takes place. Washing up on the banks of a river, the party finds themselves to the local village where they pick up a few side quests and learn a little more about where they are. The region of Markovia seems plagued with a mysterious past, an atmospheric darkness, and at least one lusty vampire who has already preyed on the youngest of a family.
Agreeing to help the family and protect the girl, the party continues to the large town of the area where they, of course, must find the tavern and ask around for rumors. The townsfolk seem to understand that the cursed darkness of the region is tied to the spooky castle and legacy of the once-noble family that lived there, but haven’t had anyone brave enough to investigate.
It is at this point where our sweet, chaste cleric, Celest, is plagued with the first appearance of the Wet Dream from Hell that is our vampire, Julian. Being such a good little boy, he tries to fight the seductions of big bad vampy, but ultimately is overcome with lust.
Following the standard DnD pattern, the party sets off the next day to investigate the mysterious temple ruins outside of town, finding a temple to Celest’s Goddess and one very snarky Deva. Here they learn more about the area’s history, gain a very important mousekatool for later, and the wizard gets to seduce her apprentice.
It is here I want to point out that the sex scenes of this book are very well-written. They’re dynamic in a believable way and the action flows smoothly with little awkward jumping around that can pervade this sort of writing. The whole book is written in a third person present perspective, which I found typically a bit uncomfortable, but it works well in the spicier scenes. As a whole, I wish the writing reflected that capacity better.
Rinsed and refreshed, the party returns to the tavern to report back about what they learned. Overnight, however, Celest is taken by Julian to participate in the spiciest scene of the book, an extensive orgy featuring them and three other vampire spawn created by Julian. However, once all fun and games are had, Celest accidentally flashbangs Julian with the stone that the party had found at the temple, which sends Julian into a blind rage. Celest escapes just to crack his head on the road leading away from the castle and Julian teleports back to the tavern to kidnap the little sister who he believes to be the reincarnation of his dead lover.
At this point, the rest of the party is spurred into action, scrapes the cleric off the cobblestones, and lays siege to the castle. Through a solid mix of brawn and magic, they’re able to defeat the vampires and kill Julian, freeing Markovia from its curse. The little sister is safe and they all live happily ever after… right? Well, we will have to see in the next installment, as the party has been transported back to their own plane by Julian’s death.
As a whole, this story had a few really strong elements. I like the queer representation, as it was natural and profound throughout the story. As I mentioned before, the writing of the sex scenes was particularly strong. Perhaps it’s because I’m a DnD nerd, but I found the plot a little predictable, but for those who are unfamiliar with this type of story, it will be a nice little adventure. I feel like some parts of the world building could have taken more space and been fleshed out (ha) a bit more, but I’m interested to see where the party goes in future endeavors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2024
"An Empty Embrace" reads a lot like a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign, with all the side quests, loot and NPC interactions.
Instead of a horny bard, we do have a horny warrior half-orc. The cleric, while cute and magically powerful, is a total clutz and would definitely benefit from a lot of therapy. Not to mention help getting out of the cult that seems to be his religious order.
Julian reads like a narcissistic, gaslighting stalker which should not have been a surprise, since this is a dark romance, however I didn't expect him to be basically only toxic. Poor Celeste needs to stay as far away from him as possible.
To be completely honest, "An Empty Embrace" didn't live up to my expectations. I like the premise and adore the three main characters, even enjoyed some of the side characters, however some aspects of the books just didn't develop like I'd have liked to. It is a very subjective view though, and I'm sure many others will absolutely love the story.
Seeing as the book ends with a bit of an open end or rather a lot of unanswered questions, I will probably read the sequel as well, should there ever be one.
[Spoiler-y parts follow]
Sadly, Julian seemed very bland to me. He had no redeeming or remotely likeable qualities. His whole backstory reeked of nice guy turned murderer and immortal stalker. I didn't quite get the deal with Damion and the angel. Why did he hate them so much? I feel like the story just scratched the surface of this backstory. Not to mention the whole Katya issue.
How Celeste was dumb enough to trust a word Julian said is beyond me. Without any proof of his innocence or good intentions! No one truly trying to fix his mistakes would act that shady. But that's probably dark romance for you?
The thing that probably annoys me the most is the disappearance of Briar. It didn't feel like the party was actually looking for her. And then, in the last few chapters we find out she's dead, but not how or why it happened. And Celeste didn't even confront Julian with his lie of never having killed anyone as a vampire.
It was quite satisfying to see Celeste stab him in the heart though.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Instead of a horny bard, we do have a horny warrior half-orc. The cleric, while cute and magically powerful, is a total clutz and would definitely benefit from a lot of therapy. Not to mention help getting out of the cult that seems to be his religious order.
Julian reads like a narcissistic, gaslighting stalker which should not have been a surprise, since this is a dark romance, however I didn't expect him to be basically only toxic. Poor Celeste needs to stay as far away from him as possible.
To be completely honest, "An Empty Embrace" didn't live up to my expectations. I like the premise and adore the three main characters, even enjoyed some of the side characters, however some aspects of the books just didn't develop like I'd have liked to. It is a very subjective view though, and I'm sure many others will absolutely love the story.
Seeing as the book ends with a bit of an open end or rather a lot of unanswered questions, I will probably read the sequel as well, should there ever be one.
[Spoiler-y parts follow]
Sadly, Julian seemed very bland to me. He had no redeeming or remotely likeable qualities. His whole backstory reeked of nice guy turned murderer and immortal stalker. I didn't quite get the deal with Damion and the angel. Why did he hate them so much? I feel like the story just scratched the surface of this backstory. Not to mention the whole Katya issue.
How Celeste was dumb enough to trust a word Julian said is beyond me. Without any proof of his innocence or good intentions! No one truly trying to fix his mistakes would act that shady. But that's probably dark romance for you?
The thing that probably annoys me the most is the disappearance of Briar. It didn't feel like the party was actually looking for her. And then, in the last few chapters we find out she's dead, but not how or why it happened. And Celeste didn't even confront Julian with his lie of never having killed anyone as a vampire.
It was quite satisfying to see Celeste stab him in the heart though.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2024
An Empty Embrace by Cyril Mezden is an Adult Fantasy story with heavy D&D Vibes and a healthy dashing of sex scenes, hence the subtitle of "An MM Erotic Fantasy Romance". The story follows a gang of D&D heroes including an Orc, an Elf and a Witch going on various missions and helping people all the while being pursued by a shadowy vampire (who is the Elf's love interest).
I found the writing style of this story to be very accessible and easy to follow, never falling into dense fantasy jargon as some fantasy stories can. The D&D vibes were enjoyable and I think D&D players will definitely get a lot of joy out of recognising the tropes and familiar situations.
The characters were a diverse and interesting group, and definitely the highlight of the story.
The erotic elements of the story were well written and didn't feel overdone. There are a lot of them, but it never felt like the author was bending the story in unnatural ways to force a sexual situation, which some erotica can. There's also a diverse range of sexuality combinations throughout the story when it comes to the erotica from MLM to MLF to an multi-gender orgy situation. So, you'll find what you're looking for.
The overall narrative of this story was a little lacking for me, but I enjoyed the erotic elements, queer romantic elements and the fantasy vibes enough to carry me through the book.
I found the writing style of this story to be very accessible and easy to follow, never falling into dense fantasy jargon as some fantasy stories can. The D&D vibes were enjoyable and I think D&D players will definitely get a lot of joy out of recognising the tropes and familiar situations.
The characters were a diverse and interesting group, and definitely the highlight of the story.
The erotic elements of the story were well written and didn't feel overdone. There are a lot of them, but it never felt like the author was bending the story in unnatural ways to force a sexual situation, which some erotica can. There's also a diverse range of sexuality combinations throughout the story when it comes to the erotica from MLM to MLF to an multi-gender orgy situation. So, you'll find what you're looking for.
The overall narrative of this story was a little lacking for me, but I enjoyed the erotic elements, queer romantic elements and the fantasy vibes enough to carry me through the book.
February 2, 2025
Content warnings: Explicit sexual content, dubious consent, blood, death, gender dysphoria (discussion), manipulation, coercion, blood, fire
My next non-The Fealty of Monsters project is still in its outlining and discovery phases, and that means I’m taking time to do some research reading. I wanted to do a foray into more traditional fantasy that fucks hard, and this book fits the bill. The thing that got in the way of my reading it in one sitting was having to deplane.
A party consisting of a warrior, a cleric, and a witch encounter a disappearance in a strange town living in fear of an ancient vampire. What ensues is an adventure full of danger, mystery, and sex as the villain wants more to do with Celest, the cleric, than he is prepared to accept.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the only thing that got in the way of me reading this in one sitting is the fact that I had to deplane and make my way home. It is so well-paced. Every scene comes with the promise of a new twist, new information, or a sex scene, and it genuinely excited me to turn the pages and find out which treat was coming next.
While the structure and basis for this story might stem from Dungeons and Dragons, An Empty Embrace does not need that context for full immersion. I enjoyed how fleshed out the characters were and that the story itself had a focus on more than Celest and his terror, though the promise on the cover is absolutely delivered from the get-go. When it came to the sexual focus of the work, I liked that each character had a scene or two to shine with their desires and compulsions.
Fucky and well-paced, definitely recommend this if you’re looking for something adventurous and sexy full of familiar fantasy lore and compelling twists.
My next non-The Fealty of Monsters project is still in its outlining and discovery phases, and that means I’m taking time to do some research reading. I wanted to do a foray into more traditional fantasy that fucks hard, and this book fits the bill. The thing that got in the way of my reading it in one sitting was having to deplane.
A party consisting of a warrior, a cleric, and a witch encounter a disappearance in a strange town living in fear of an ancient vampire. What ensues is an adventure full of danger, mystery, and sex as the villain wants more to do with Celest, the cleric, than he is prepared to accept.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the only thing that got in the way of me reading this in one sitting is the fact that I had to deplane and make my way home. It is so well-paced. Every scene comes with the promise of a new twist, new information, or a sex scene, and it genuinely excited me to turn the pages and find out which treat was coming next.
While the structure and basis for this story might stem from Dungeons and Dragons, An Empty Embrace does not need that context for full immersion. I enjoyed how fleshed out the characters were and that the story itself had a focus on more than Celest and his terror, though the promise on the cover is absolutely delivered from the get-go. When it came to the sexual focus of the work, I liked that each character had a scene or two to shine with their desires and compulsions.
Fucky and well-paced, definitely recommend this if you’re looking for something adventurous and sexy full of familiar fantasy lore and compelling twists.
April 3, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.25 / 5🌶️
This was a really solid spicy dark fantasy romance read with a super inclusive cast of characters. 🖤
I thought the book was well-written in general, but the spice scenes, specifically, were really nicely done. 🥵 I liked how the manipulation, toxicity, and abuse in this story were not overly romanticized - Julian is flawed to an almost irredeemable standpoint and the characters acknowledge that. I loved the LGBTQ representation as well as the realistic interactions around gender identity that were woven in (e.g., Victor initially needing to wrap his head around "they/them" pronouns). I also liked the DnD influences and the general quest-like storyline with different team roles.
A couple things I would call out: the POV (third person omniscient, present tense) took some getting used to and at times was used in a slightly confusing way (like during the more action-packed fight scenes, where I felt it jumped around a bit too much). The spice is concentrated towards the first two thirds of the book. And, like I mentioned before, you can feel the DnD influences - which I enjoyed, but might not feel as natural to people not familiar with DnD.
Overall I would totally recommend this book if you're looking for a dark fantasy, LGBTQ (mostly M/M), er0tic romance with a vampire. 🧛🏻🌶️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.25 / 5🌶️
This was a really solid spicy dark fantasy romance read with a super inclusive cast of characters. 🖤
I thought the book was well-written in general, but the spice scenes, specifically, were really nicely done. 🥵 I liked how the manipulation, toxicity, and abuse in this story were not overly romanticized - Julian is flawed to an almost irredeemable standpoint and the characters acknowledge that. I loved the LGBTQ representation as well as the realistic interactions around gender identity that were woven in (e.g., Victor initially needing to wrap his head around "they/them" pronouns). I also liked the DnD influences and the general quest-like storyline with different team roles.
A couple things I would call out: the POV (third person omniscient, present tense) took some getting used to and at times was used in a slightly confusing way (like during the more action-packed fight scenes, where I felt it jumped around a bit too much). The spice is concentrated towards the first two thirds of the book. And, like I mentioned before, you can feel the DnD influences - which I enjoyed, but might not feel as natural to people not familiar with DnD.
Overall I would totally recommend this book if you're looking for a dark fantasy, LGBTQ (mostly M/M), er0tic romance with a vampire. 🧛🏻🌶️
April 1, 2024
Hey there fellow tabletop gaming enthusiasts! Are you a fan of the exciting world of Dungeons & Dragons, but find yourself wishing there was a novel version with a little extra spice added in? Well, look no further because this book is just what you've been searching for! Join the thrilling journey of three dynamic adventurers - Victor the fierce half-orc (who may or may not have a touch of Barbarian in him), Sable the enchanting witch Halfling, and Celest our wise cleric elf. Together, they embark on a daring quest that leads them to a cursed land under the control of a powerful Vampire. Will they succeed in their mission to free the town from its dark grasp? Come along for the ride and find out!
March 4, 2024
DNF at 26%
Not quite the book for me - I think I would have enjoy it more if I was more into pen&paper fantasy worlds. I liked the pace though, it was relaxed and took enough time to describe smaller details.
I could not really connect to the characters and I downright hated Julien. He had nothing aluring in my opinion. I could not understand why Celeste was hooking up with him, the cleric seemed content with not fucking people for his religion and has a good relationship to his goddess.
I also for some reason though it would be mostly MM, but so far there has been two characters making out quite explicitly on page that were MF?
Not quite the book for me - I think I would have enjoy it more if I was more into pen&paper fantasy worlds. I liked the pace though, it was relaxed and took enough time to describe smaller details.
I could not really connect to the characters and I downright hated Julien. He had nothing aluring in my opinion. I could not understand why Celeste was hooking up with him, the cleric seemed content with not fucking people for his religion and has a good relationship to his goddess.
I also for some reason though it would be mostly MM, but so far there has been two characters making out quite explicitly on page that were MF?
March 8, 2024
3.5 stars
Before you read my review please remember that just because this is my opinion does not cast any negativeness on the book or author.
I had a hard time wanting to continue with this book. While I enjoyed the quests and how it was like D&D, it just didn't hook me as much as I thought that it would have. The spice was on point though! The characters are funny, witty, courageous (sometimes too much), and overall great dynamic characters within a diverse group. The writing was very good and I was able to imagine all the details and locations that were described! I would absolutely recommend this to friends and those wanting something similar to a smutty D&D campaign novel!
Before you read my review please remember that just because this is my opinion does not cast any negativeness on the book or author.
I had a hard time wanting to continue with this book. While I enjoyed the quests and how it was like D&D, it just didn't hook me as much as I thought that it would have. The spice was on point though! The characters are funny, witty, courageous (sometimes too much), and overall great dynamic characters within a diverse group. The writing was very good and I was able to imagine all the details and locations that were described! I would absolutely recommend this to friends and those wanting something similar to a smutty D&D campaign novel!
November 30, 2024
As a story about raunchy sex and villains, this wasn’t it. There were some great queer representation and different varieties of sex including an orgy.
However, it was better as a DND campaign book. I was more drawn to Sable and her affair but I thought the book was solely about Celest and his bad boyfriend. It was not just that and therefore I had a hard time rating it.
I think this book could be someone’s 4 or 5 if they’re looking for DND like stories and characters. If you’re looking for fantasy romance erotica, this isn’t that type of book.
However, it was better as a DND campaign book. I was more drawn to Sable and her affair but I thought the book was solely about Celest and his bad boyfriend. It was not just that and therefore I had a hard time rating it.
I think this book could be someone’s 4 or 5 if they’re looking for DND like stories and characters. If you’re looking for fantasy romance erotica, this isn’t that type of book.
March 1, 2024
Fantasy meets erotic smut in this incredible book that released TODAY!! I love fantasy and I love smut but this was the first book that it really had the two mesh the way it did. && boy oh boy did it do it really well!! Easy four star from me and will definitely be a five star for those who are into these two genres meshing together. Beautiful written characters with a wonderful plot allows for the reader to fully immerse themselves into this gem. Definitely check it out asap!
June 11, 2024
Such a wonderful magical and dark story. I loved the three main characters that didn't seem to fit together. There was sweet love and very dark and spicy love. The quest they were on was interesting and kept the pace of the story going. Definitely looking forward to the next part of this journey.
February 17, 2024
The book was well written. But was maybe just darker than I usually read. It has all the tropes I usually love but for some reason I had a hard time getting into it. It wasn't a bad book by any means though.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 23, 2024
Vampires 🧛
Witches
Orcs
Found family
M/M
Spicy 🌶️
The pacing of this book was great. It kept me wanting to read until the final page. Celests character arc was wonderful and I loved seeing how things played out for him in the end.
Without giving any spoilers if you like fantasy with an amazing plot, tons of spice, and a fun group of characters you’ll love this book 📚
Witches
Orcs
Found family
M/M
Spicy 🌶️
The pacing of this book was great. It kept me wanting to read until the final page. Celests character arc was wonderful and I loved seeing how things played out for him in the end.
Without giving any spoilers if you like fantasy with an amazing plot, tons of spice, and a fun group of characters you’ll love this book 📚
March 10, 2024
I love a good queer romance but add in a great plot which was phenomenal in An Empty Embrace with some good twist and turns. And listen let's not talk about the ending that upset me because I wish there was more!!! When is book 2?? I need it like now!!!!
February 22, 2025
This book absolutely blew away all of my expectations. What is more captivating then toxic first love with the hope you can fix them? Mix in religious guilt and fantastic smut, and you got yourself this page turning masterpiece
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