A Kiss of Healing & Honor

Darkstone Academy #4

by Bliss Devlin

Betrayed and held captive, I must call upon my forbidden Dragon blood to save everyone and everything I love.

When the treacherous Duke de Norhas kidnaps me from the Darkstone Academy for the Magical Arts and holds me captive aboard his flagship, I'm reunited under grim circumstances with my mother. She's the lost heir to the throne, abducted and placed under a forbidden magical compulsion to love her captor.

Back on land, Lord Ilhan of Parrish, my steadfast and reluctantly soul-bonded ally, devises a daring rescue plan. He joins forces with my other soul-bonded protectors: Lord Tama of the Sea People, the Dark Fae Prince Gwydion, and the Dragon Prince Boreas.

As we go on the run from our enemies, my heart finds its anchor in Ilhan. But I'm only half human, and Ilhan is heir to a powerful nobleman. Even if we survive the Duke de Norhas' attempts to overthrow the government, our love is forbidden by law and custom. As our magical bonds strengthen, I am torn between duty and desire, my kingdom or my heart.

In a realm where love and magic are fatally intertwined, will my newfound strength carve a path to peace, or will the inferno of war devour everything I cherish?

Unveil the power of healing and honor in the exhilarating finale of the Darkstone Academy series.

Genres: Fantasy

388 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2024

About the author

Bliss Devlin works in high tech, likes sushi (and sashimi), and doesn't much care for modern art.

Readers have praised her work as "...a sizzling combination of hot sex and super sweet romance."

She draws inspiration from a childhood spent reading fairy tales, myths, and legends, and an adulthood spent living and traveling overseas. When not writing tales of erotic adventure, she travels, bakes gourmet delights, and hangs out online with an amazing group of smart, funny, sophisticated people.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh

I wanted to love this series and I just couldn’t get into it. I like the characters. I like the storyline. But the flow and writing style just threw me off.

[Whitney Cooksey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a good series. There’s way more story and adventure than I thought there would be.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book in this series. I don't like giving away spoilers, but I would highly recommend this book especially if you have already started the Darkstone Academy series. I would also recommend the whole series even if you haven't.

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

[Kristen Van Reymersdal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the overall series. However, I feel like this last book skipped too many important things in order to wrap things up quickly . I felt like there was more mention of the available foods and the lavishness of the capital city’s decorations and furnishing then things that Actually mattered to the story. I normally don’t go on a tangent, especially because I enjoyed the rest of the books in this series…but this book left me feel absolutely un-fulfilled.



Spoilers and opinion below:
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


A brief mention of perhaps marrying Ilhan but no follow up afterwards? WTH, she has 4 mates.

Gwydion, Ilhan, and Jacinthe become a part of Boreas new aerie (with a new brand) but unless I missed it (and I went back and re-read it twice), they just left Tama out?!
He wasn’t even mentioned during that part other than him physically doing things with Jacinthe while it happened.

It seemed like Ilhan and Gwydion were involved in the beginnings of their own relationship and there was brief mention early on in the series about Gwydion’s attraction to them all. But during the re-branding, Gwydion and Boreas kiss (thoroughly) and Jacinthe is worried about Boreas’ reaction (which he’s totally cool with it and kisses him back) but then there is NO FURTHER MENTION of the changed relationship between the two ?!

Jacinthe doesn’t say anything to her grandmother, the Domina Regent about her four soul bounds whom she all loves? Even after she was welcomed as a human/dragon hybrid and her mother’s relationship to the dragon king was accepted??

The death of Duke de Norhas was very underwhelming and he deserved worse. Bare minimum, Jonquil or Menelaus should have killed him in retaliation for everything he put Jonquil through in the prior year while under compulsion.

I don’t know…This was a romance story over everything else and I felt like things could be tied up much better. The author neglected important details regarding their relationships and just glazed over things in the end.

[BreakingtheEpigraph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Satisfying End to the 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚 Series!

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final book in the 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚 series by Bliss Devlin, and I’m thrilled to say it was worth the wait! Kicking off my 2025 reading year with this one was a fantastic choice. The world-building in this series has been outstanding, and this book didn’t disappoint in that department. The attention to detail and the immersive world Devlin has created kept me hooked from the first page to the last.

This book is truly Lord Ilhan’s story, and I am beyond happy for him. His character arc has been one of my favorites in the series, and seeing his growth was fulfilling. That being said, I do wish we could have had more of him. While his journey was well done, I couldn’t help but feel like there was a bit more to explore.

Without giving away spoilers, I can say that certain events were incredibly impactful, but I’m holding back on sharing my full thoughts, as I want to let readers experience it for themselves. Suffice it to say, I finished this book the same day I started it, I just couldn’t put it down!

Overall, this was a strong conclusion to the series, and I’m satisfied with how things turned out. I can’t wait to see what Bliss Devlin writes next!

4.5 stars

[Rex Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first picked up a copy of a Kiss of Salt and Sea, I did so thinking I was delving into merman romance. I never imagined how capturing and enthralling this series would be. I was impressed with the twists and turns of all four books, and a Kiss of Healing and Honor made the perfect finale.

Adventure, excitement, bravery, boldness, and love are five words that fully captivate the experience when reading this book. Many twists and turns are brought forth early on, only to fade away into a wonderful sense of comfort, peace, and solidity which brings a heartwarming end. I could only hope that Bliss pushes further and goes beyond extending this series further. Not to give too much away but, a spin-off of life at Darkstone after the proclamation at the books finale would be something I feel myself and many readers may fall into. Perhaps a certain De Norhas had a hidden agenda after all, and we need a new femme fatale to save the day?

Whether Bliss goes beyond this book or not, it is truly worth the read. I will say that I picked it up six hours ago, and forty chapters later, I'm sad to see it over!

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This conclusion to the Darkstone Academy series was everything I was hoping for. It has the battle scenes a high fantasy series needs, it provides closure on the remaining plot points and it ends in a satisfying HEA with our main characters and even some of our more prominent side characters. I also love the fact this story ends in a bit of an atypical epilogue, making it clear happiness can be found in so many ways. I truly loved it.

I liked Jacinthe as a main character in this series; she shows bravery, a strong personality and she’s the kind of woman I would love to see as a queen some day. Her mates may all be supernatural characters, but they represent real men: sometimes you adore them, at other times they deserve a bombastic side eye and at others you wish they would just listen instead of being know-it-alls. But we still love them anyway…

All in all, this was a great series, especially for those who love high fantasy romance stories with a why choose relationship at its center.

[ReverseHaremMuse · Rating 1 out of 5]

Darkstone Academy – 1/5 Stars

I genuinely struggled to get through this series—not just once, but twice. First, I tried reading it. When that failed, I gave the audiobooks a shot once the full series dropped. I did make it further with audio... but honestly, reading it? Near impossible.

The concept had promise. Djinn and Mermen? Yes, please. I was excited for something unique and darkly magical. But what I got felt more like a watered-down young adult novel awkwardly pretending to be an adult paranormal romance. It didn’t work. At all.

The writing was rough—repetitive and juvenile. And let’s talk about the word “friend.” If I had a dollar for every time it was used, I’d have funded a better editor. That word is officially banned. You’ve used up the lifetime quota—for both of us.

The FMC? She’s officially on my “Worst Female Leads of All Time” list. Painfully frustrating and utterly unrelatable.

So yes, I got my refund on the audiobook. And no, I won’t be revisiting this one. Ever.

[Ravenluna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and had followed it from the beginning. Jacinthe is so much like how I would be at her age is hilarious. The way that you can feel how her adventures are both exciting, confusing, scary for her and can relate to all the relationship feelings is just a testament to how the writer draws you in. This is a steamy series but also you end up truly loving all the characters with her. Tama is my favorite and so is Boreas because even though they are different personality wise to each other, they have this love for her that you get jealous of as a reader that they will just go to the ends of the earth for her to do any for. Which I think we all want! I love all these books and I could see myself following it forever if there are more. Get it! You will not regret it!.

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

[Jewell Urbano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing !

Honestly I loved this series so much! It had such a great storyline & well established characters. I’m so glad it also had the POVs of the villains a bit! I truly felt captivated the whole series. Plus the spice was magical & woofff so utterly hot! I’m also really happy about the addition of one of the MMCs & the way this book actually decided to display his insecurities & how he was able to overcome them. He was the MMC that I was worried would be left out or like set as a stepping stone for FMCs story, so I’m truly glad that he was kept & able to flourish in his role. I truly recommend this series if you’re looking into reading it. It has the sweetest love, harsh betrayals, spicy scenes of course, and awesome action sequences as well.

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many emotions!!! Omg! So much happened! I love the way this series ended! It was exactly what it needed. Jacinthe's mom is amazing and so poised and everything the Heir to the imperial throne should be. Jacinthe is a worthy heir and successor as well, but it worked out that one of her sisters will take that honor. All the wind walkers and supernatural now having a place makes me so incredibly happy. Her imperial highness was smart to listen to her daughter and granddaughter. Darkstone academy rising up from the ashes is amazing! After all the pain and torture the academy is known for, it will be amazing for them to change. Im so happy Jacinthe is happy and that her mom and sisters are happy too. It all worked out the way it should. Love this series

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for free from the author.

I'm so sad to be leaving the world of Darkstone Academy! I absolutely loved having more Ilhan, and seeing his insecurities and the growing bond between him and Jacinthe. My only complaint is that I wish they'd had more time together, just the two of them, the way she did with the previous three bonds. I understand why that couldn't happen with everything going on, but I was glad they were able to carve out what time they could together.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really well done romance novel from Bliss Devlin, it was written in a realistic way and worked with the characters of the story. This uses the conclusion that the Darkstone Academy series that I was looking for and thought the characters were wonderfully. I was engaged with what was happening and enjoyed the overall package of the story. It was everything that I wanted and was glad I got to read this.

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

[Lakisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Adventure

This series is a wild ride of sensuality and fantasy. It has mermaids, dragons, the fae, djinn and so much more Jacinth has found out she is a princess and a traitor is on the loose to over the I the government. Can Jacinth and her lovers save the kingdom she just found out belongs to her? These reads were not too long and they have enough spice to keep you on your toes.

[stacigracefullylovesreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was not as happy with this book as I was with the other 3. Everything seemed rushed. The abduction, the love between her and Ilhan, the fights and how all 5 of them seem to come together. It just didn't flow as well. There were a lot more misspelled words, some characters were left out, some characters replaced in some scenes when some characters weren't even there. I would go back and re-read the first 2 books maybe the third but this one I would leave out.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so very excited to return to Darkstone Academy! I was not disappointed at all. The soul bond strengthens, the matings continue and finally Ilhan gets to play.!
The battle scenes were well thought out and executed. Such fun with Wind-Walkers toasting up the bad guys!
Very happy with all the threads of story woven in and a fine tapestry finished!

[Diamond Hawkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

i was being held against my will until i finished the book

By me. For no reason either. I thought finishing the series would be good even though i didnt like any of them. Like all the reading would lead up to a climax that made the rest of the bad writing and plot and characters and development and “plot twists” worth it. I was wrong lmao

[Deanna Wemitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing!

Such a fun and enjoyable read and a perfect finale. Seeing Boreas and Tama in their natural elements, and Ilhan discovering his confidence was exciting. Epic battles, teary reunions, and passionate romance made an unforgettable adventure that I will not soon forget.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

I liked the series, but this book seemed rushed. There was a lot of grammatical errors. Another thing I noticed that bothered me was the constant repeating of a word or phrase. I did, however, enjoy the HEA ending. It wrapped up the series beautifully.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 43%
I enjoyed the other 4 books. I would equate them to a B rated movie and I do enjoy those, on occasion. I was excited to read this to see how the story ended. However, this was painful to read and it got to a point where I didn’t care how it ended. I had to call it quits.

[T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Kiss of Healing and Honor, the fourth book of the Darkstone Academy series, is an ebook I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (KU). Once again, this author delivers a rollercoaster ride of surprises and plot twists. A great series.

[Kara De3th · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a kind of unremarkable finish to a highly anticipated series for me… I loved the characters but then the end was just kind of meh

[Geeky Fangirl Next Door · Rating 2 out of 5]

The second half of this book was SO rushed and it was completely unnecessary. The pacing wasn’t great. I’m glad we finally got things wrapped up at least.

[Salliewt]

Good ending for this series.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a good ending for the story and I liked it way better than that last book. I enjoyed it.

[Whittleton. Adventures · Rating 2 out of 5]

the series was ok....
the first one was ok
I'm glad I've finished it