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The Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows #2
A Crown of Victory and Vengeance
He shattered my heart on our wedding day. Now we must set aside our heartbreak and join forces to save our world from the brink of chaos.
Betrayed at the altar by the man I love, I don’t have the luxury to mourn my broken heart. The Blood Brotherhood Clan is under attack and dark secrets from my past begin to claw their way to light.
Now I must fight beside the man who almost destroyed me.
As the merciless prince leads his army on the battlefield, I wage my own war in the treacherous court, where smiles are sharper than blades and words can change the fate of a dynasty. If either of us falters, both of our Clans will be doomed.
With my trust in pieces, despite his groveling and promises, I’m torn between vengeance and forgiveness. But the blood oath silencing his tongue cuts deeper than any betrayal and mercy is a weakness I can’t risk.
The fierce bond between us doesn’t care about human heartache, though. It tightens its grip and brings us closer than we thought possible. We’re cursed to rise and fall together–if one of us dies, the other will follow, and the darkness hounding us will destroy everyone and everything I love.
A Crown of Victory and Vengeance is book 2 in the first duology of the A Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows series and completes the story of Evie and Zandyr. It’s a slowburn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where banter is a love language and secrets can kill. The series starts out hot and only gets hotter as the mystery grows.
In the War of the Clans, which side will you choose? Protectorate VS Blood Brotherhood.
Betrayed at the altar by the man I love, I don’t have the luxury to mourn my broken heart. The Blood Brotherhood Clan is under attack and dark secrets from my past begin to claw their way to light.
Now I must fight beside the man who almost destroyed me.
As the merciless prince leads his army on the battlefield, I wage my own war in the treacherous court, where smiles are sharper than blades and words can change the fate of a dynasty. If either of us falters, both of our Clans will be doomed.
With my trust in pieces, despite his groveling and promises, I’m torn between vengeance and forgiveness. But the blood oath silencing his tongue cuts deeper than any betrayal and mercy is a weakness I can’t risk.
The fierce bond between us doesn’t care about human heartache, though. It tightens its grip and brings us closer than we thought possible. We’re cursed to rise and fall together–if one of us dies, the other will follow, and the darkness hounding us will destroy everyone and everything I love.
A Crown of Victory and Vengeance is book 2 in the first duology of the A Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows series and completes the story of Evie and Zandyr. It’s a slowburn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where banter is a love language and secrets can kill. The series starts out hot and only gets hotter as the mystery grows.
In the War of the Clans, which side will you choose? Protectorate VS Blood Brotherhood.
688 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2025
418 people are currently reading
1023 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
February 24, 2025
**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑨 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑽𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝑹𝒂𝒚𝒆 (𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔 #2)
Release Date: February 25, 2025
5⭐️4🌶
This book has landed Vera Raye as one of my must read authors. This is the second book in The Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows series, and I cannot get enough! The first book ended on a cliffhanger of epic proporations. Evie has called into question everything she knows and loves due to the betrayal in the first book. Zandyr did what he had to, but now things he should have done everything differently. The conflict between these two is so FIREY!
The Blood Brotherhood Dynasty is preparing for war against the Serpents. But when Zandyr leaves for war, he leaves his new wife to try and keep the capital safe from the underhanded, cold-hearted advisors that have done nothing for the common people of Pheonix Peak. Banu and Valuta have convinced the Blood Brotherhood Court that they only want the best for them, but they're really spinning everything to their own advantage. Including, defaming Evie to the point that all the common people believe her to be nothing more than a shallow gold digger that just wants Zandyr for his title.
The political machinations in this book, plus the spicy tension, plus the battles and training sequences! I ate up every crump and was not hungry afterwards. I highly recommend this series for Jennifer Armentrout, Sarah Maas, Danielle Jensen, and Elise Kova fans!
Themes/Tropes:
🍁Enemies-to-lovers
🍁Arranged Marriage
🍁Fated Mates
🍁Rival Kingdoms at war
🍁Political backstabbing
🍁Grumpy-grumpy
🍁Hidden princess
TW:
✨Murder
✨Battle sequences
✨Gore
✨Political betrayal/slander
✨Indifferent parents
✨Parental Abandonment (past)
Release Date: February 25, 2025
5⭐️4🌶
This book has landed Vera Raye as one of my must read authors. This is the second book in The Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows series, and I cannot get enough! The first book ended on a cliffhanger of epic proporations. Evie has called into question everything she knows and loves due to the betrayal in the first book. Zandyr did what he had to, but now things he should have done everything differently. The conflict between these two is so FIREY!
The Blood Brotherhood Dynasty is preparing for war against the Serpents. But when Zandyr leaves for war, he leaves his new wife to try and keep the capital safe from the underhanded, cold-hearted advisors that have done nothing for the common people of Pheonix Peak. Banu and Valuta have convinced the Blood Brotherhood Court that they only want the best for them, but they're really spinning everything to their own advantage. Including, defaming Evie to the point that all the common people believe her to be nothing more than a shallow gold digger that just wants Zandyr for his title.
The political machinations in this book, plus the spicy tension, plus the battles and training sequences! I ate up every crump and was not hungry afterwards. I highly recommend this series for Jennifer Armentrout, Sarah Maas, Danielle Jensen, and Elise Kova fans!
Themes/Tropes:
🍁Enemies-to-lovers
🍁Arranged Marriage
🍁Fated Mates
🍁Rival Kingdoms at war
🍁Political backstabbing
🍁Grumpy-grumpy
🍁Hidden princess
TW:
✨Murder
✨Battle sequences
✨Gore
✨Political betrayal/slander
✨Indifferent parents
✨Parental Abandonment (past)
December 16, 2025
This series is so underrated its criminal ❤️❤️
March 13, 2025
This was SUCH A GOOD BOOK! I adored the audio narration! This would make for such a good Graphic Audio edition. I loved the characters, the story, and the intrigue. Things are far from completely resolved by the end, but the overall story will continue in the next duology. The redemption arc the hero went through with this one was an interesting one. Can't wait to see what happens next!
September 11, 2025
ok that was goooood. just too much “ugh i can’t forgive him poor me” in the first half. like gurl be so fkin forreal pls
October 6, 2025
Well this was a disappointment. This was so full of plot and schemes that you barely have interaction between the two until the end of the book. And even then, it’s assassination attempt and assassination attempt. There’s no building back of trust so much as just eventually she gets over it despite being like “I’m not just gonna let myself get over it without proof of actions.”
And the most egregious thing here was I was catfished with the spice. Book one was pretty mid, but the synopses said the spice increases with each book. Well I’d say there was even less spice here since they barely have time together. When they do finally do it, it’s one quick fade to black scene at the very end. Let’s be real, I’m not reading romantasy trying to find the best world-building and dense plots, that’s what epic fantasy is for. If there’s barely any romance and you market this as spicy, I’m gonna leave bitter.
🌶️: 2/5
And the most egregious thing here was I was catfished with the spice. Book one was pretty mid, but the synopses said the spice increases with each book. Well I’d say there was even less spice here since they barely have time together. When they do finally do it, it’s one quick fade to black scene at the very end. Let’s be real, I’m not reading romantasy trying to find the best world-building and dense plots, that’s what epic fantasy is for. If there’s barely any romance and you market this as spicy, I’m gonna leave bitter.
🌶️: 2/5
May 21, 2025
It was good, but felt it was a lot more underwhelming than the first book. A few things really grinded my gears.
1) how does she remember everything grandpa Constantine said when she was five years old. 😑😑😑 my five year old barley remembers to put on clothes.
2) the ending felt so rushed and that’s what really disappointed me.
1) how does she remember everything grandpa Constantine said when she was five years old. 😑😑😑 my five year old barley remembers to put on clothes.
2) the ending felt so rushed and that’s what really disappointed me.
September 12, 2025
For some reason I didn’t remember reading the first book in this series and I did not check on goodreads what review score I gave it because I gave the first book a terrible review but wound up reading the second book months later after it was recommended to me on audible.
The writing is so incredibly sloppy it is a brutal read. There are SO MANY things that are briefly mentioned and then never explained:
-old gods and new gods- what’s the story here? Who are the old gods and who are the new gods?
-Xamor the god- Zandyr used his name a lot but we never get any backside into why he is so important. Is he alive? Why did they use incantations to ward off his presence if he is the person they praise?
-Evie’s power: we barely get an explanation for it. All we learn is she has some sort of blue fire tendrils. We don’t know where it comes from or how the magic works. Evie also sometimes spoke an ancient language that even she couldn’t decipher, and turned into this thing that would bite people- no explanation on that, ever.
-The Vhageara bloodline- why were they such a big deal? Why are they so powerful? Why did the unknown group want Evie dead even at a young age? We needed more backstory.
-The serpents power- why do they bleed green? We know their power is dark but WHY is it dark? Where does it come from? Where do the runes originate?
-The blood brotherhood power- what is the secret ritual that Zander can do to make people live longer? What did he do to his soldiers during the battle with the serpents? If he and his clan are fueled by blood why wouldn’t they be vampires and bite their enemies? Surely that would be easier than waiting for enemies to die and leak blood onto the floor, no?
How one author could leave out so much is honestly mind boggling. And to make matters worse the reveal of the oath was infuriating. It wasn’t a powerful enemy that forced him to make the oath.. no it was his own dumbass. Needless to say I will not be continuing with this series.
(Narration- the narrators were wonderful but I will always be unsatisfied with duet narration. How am I supposed to take a spice scene seriously when it’s a male voicing the MMC and the same male voicing the FMC with a high pitched cringy woman voice? Duel narration should be the gold standard in audiobooks because there is way too much cringe in duet.)
The writing is so incredibly sloppy it is a brutal read. There are SO MANY things that are briefly mentioned and then never explained:
-old gods and new gods- what’s the story here? Who are the old gods and who are the new gods?
-Xamor the god- Zandyr used his name a lot but we never get any backside into why he is so important. Is he alive? Why did they use incantations to ward off his presence if he is the person they praise?
-Evie’s power: we barely get an explanation for it. All we learn is she has some sort of blue fire tendrils. We don’t know where it comes from or how the magic works. Evie also sometimes spoke an ancient language that even she couldn’t decipher, and turned into this thing that would bite people- no explanation on that, ever.
-The Vhageara bloodline- why were they such a big deal? Why are they so powerful? Why did the unknown group want Evie dead even at a young age? We needed more backstory.
-The serpents power- why do they bleed green? We know their power is dark but WHY is it dark? Where does it come from? Where do the runes originate?
-The blood brotherhood power- what is the secret ritual that Zander can do to make people live longer? What did he do to his soldiers during the battle with the serpents? If he and his clan are fueled by blood why wouldn’t they be vampires and bite their enemies? Surely that would be easier than waiting for enemies to die and leak blood onto the floor, no?
How one author could leave out so much is honestly mind boggling. And to make matters worse the reveal of the oath was infuriating. It wasn’t a powerful enemy that forced him to make the oath.. no it was his own dumbass. Needless to say I will not be continuing with this series.
(Narration- the narrators were wonderful but I will always be unsatisfied with duet narration. How am I supposed to take a spice scene seriously when it’s a male voicing the MMC and the same male voicing the FMC with a high pitched cringy woman voice? Duel narration should be the gold standard in audiobooks because there is way too much cringe in duet.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2025
I enjoyed this second book much more than the first
The push and pull between the main couple was great.
Again I still think the world building leaves a lot to be desired from in this series, and I get it we are learning just as the characters learn but still, we don't really know how the world works, and a lot of things seem to be thrown in there for convenience sake to move the story along.
The push and pull between the main couple was great.
Again I still think the world building leaves a lot to be desired from in this series, and I get it we are learning just as the characters learn but still, we don't really know how the world works, and a lot of things seem to be thrown in there for convenience sake to move the story along.
March 10, 2025
5.0+ stars
This story was more focused on the political intrigues and war (which was the reason I liked the second book less, because that isn't what I generally love) but I still liked the story
After the heartbreaking ending of the last book I was curious how the story would continue. And I loved it. It took Evie a long time and some revelations to truly forgive Zandyr, but she wasn't completely shutting him off before. She was still in love with him and had a hard time dealing with the anger, disappointment and love.
Zandyr tried his best. His efforts weren't the most original, he primarily said he's sorry, but it was obvious he really tried and loved her. The scene with the fake Evie was hard. Not that he didn't deserve the pain, he did, but it was one of the better grovels I read in romances.
The ending was good but I'm sad we never found out what he wrote in his letter. And I was confused by some aspects. He can't talk about the oath but his family knew what was happening so he could've warned Evie? But he didn't trust her family and feared to lose her? That was confusing. As was her position. Some people called her future queen although that's Kaya's position as the favourite? And what does "the other love match" mean? She called it "that makes me the love match" but that sounds positive when I don't think that being the second wife with a fuggly crown is something positive? Or is just this crown magicked, I didn't think so? I was surprised she kept it for her second wedding though.
There are 8 more books, 4 duologies planned, and I honestly don't know how the author can fill so many duologies but we will see. I will definitely have a look at Allie's and Ryker's story.
This story was more focused on the political intrigues and war (which was the reason I liked the second book less, because that isn't what I generally love) but I still liked the story
After the heartbreaking ending of the last book I was curious how the story would continue. And I loved it. It took Evie a long time and some revelations to truly forgive Zandyr, but she wasn't completely shutting him off before. She was still in love with him and had a hard time dealing with the anger, disappointment and love.
Zandyr tried his best. His efforts weren't the most original, he primarily said he's sorry, but it was obvious he really tried and loved her. The scene with the fake Evie was hard. Not that he didn't deserve the pain, he did, but it was one of the better grovels I read in romances.
The ending was good but I'm sad we never found out what he wrote in his letter. And I was confused by some aspects. He can't talk about the oath but his family knew what was happening so he could've warned Evie? But he didn't trust her family and feared to lose her? That was confusing. As was her position. Some people called her future queen although that's Kaya's position as the favourite? And what does "the other love match" mean? She called it "that makes me the love match" but that sounds positive when I don't think that being the second wife with a fuggly crown is something positive? Or is just this crown magicked, I didn't think so? I was surprised she kept it for her second wedding though.
There are 8 more books, 4 duologies planned, and I honestly don't know how the author can fill so many duologies but we will see. I will definitely have a look at Allie's and Ryker's story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2025
~duology vibes~
Enemies-to-lovers
Fated mates
Arranged marriage
Clan rivalry
Witty banter
Delicious tension and slow burn
Blood oaths
Magic
Dual POV
The end of Evie and Zandyr’s story did not disappoint.
🖤 𝑬𝒗𝒊𝒆 and 𝙕𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙮𝙧. After the shocking ending with book 1, I was so excited to open this book up to find out what happened. I love their build-up and their banter is everything. He has called her ‘𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦’ from the beginning. It’s too cute. This is probably one of my favorite arranged marriages books that I have read because of the ‘events’ that happen. I literally loved the whole cast of characters from this book.
A fantastic romantasy duology that will have you kicking your feet and rooting the FMC and MMC on. I loved the Bridgerton vibes in book 2 with the town gossip pamphlets. The book is well written and easy to follow. Great character depth. The pace is steady, not fast but not slow, it kept my attention. The ending was a perfect conclusion for these two characters.
This is a series that needs more hype because it deserves it! Romantasy fans, you will not be disappointed if you add to your tbr.
Rating: 4.75/5
Enemies-to-lovers
Fated mates
Arranged marriage
Clan rivalry
Witty banter
Delicious tension and slow burn
Blood oaths
Magic
Dual POV
The end of Evie and Zandyr’s story did not disappoint.
🖤 𝑬𝒗𝒊𝒆 and 𝙕𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙮𝙧. After the shocking ending with book 1, I was so excited to open this book up to find out what happened. I love their build-up and their banter is everything. He has called her ‘𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦’ from the beginning. It’s too cute. This is probably one of my favorite arranged marriages books that I have read because of the ‘events’ that happen. I literally loved the whole cast of characters from this book.
A fantastic romantasy duology that will have you kicking your feet and rooting the FMC and MMC on. I loved the Bridgerton vibes in book 2 with the town gossip pamphlets. The book is well written and easy to follow. Great character depth. The pace is steady, not fast but not slow, it kept my attention. The ending was a perfect conclusion for these two characters.
This is a series that needs more hype because it deserves it! Romantasy fans, you will not be disappointed if you add to your tbr.
Rating: 4.75/5
September 23, 2025
I thought the first one was amazing, and this one expanded on it and left me speechless once again! It is one of my favorite romantasy series now, and I plan on adding a physical copy to my personal library. SPICE, DRAMA, and so much more that had me reacting out loud as I listened to the audio book throughout the whole book! It truly was an experience! Highly recommend and am very excited for the third one to be released in October.
February 26, 2025
So so good, read it one day
dnf
February 27, 2025I got bored... I should've known nothing good lasts forever.
August 20, 2025
Kaip ir visko daug vyko bet vistiek nuobodoka į pabaigą buvo :D audiobook 🎧
August 21, 2025
I actually really enjoyed this book. It may have a bit annoying the not being able to forgive, but I just had to keep putting myself in her shoes to understand.
September 24, 2025
First book was ok. I lost interest in this one. Its free on audible. I will listen to the last book if thats free too. Not great but an ok listen.
September 30, 2025
DNF’ed with about 5 hours left. Just lost interest 🤷♀️
November 12, 2025
A really good book but someone get this girl some chapstick 😭 she always licking her lips.
August 6, 2025
While there was a little more action in this one, it is just a solid average book for me. I didn’t care for how it wrapped up either.
August 13, 2025
The second book is definitely better, but the ending felt rushed. It wrapped things up—sort of—but in an anticlimactic way. The series is missing a lot of filling (if you know, you know). Other than that, it wasn’t a bad storyline.
June 16, 2025
Free on Kindle unlimited and audible plus. That's a win in my books.
So happy to have this book be a duology. Technically more are coming. But these two got their happy ending.
So happy to have this book be a duology. Technically more are coming. But these two got their happy ending.
February 26, 2025
4⭐️
2🌶️
Loved this duology and so happy there’s going to be more done for this story!
After the ending of book 1, I have been eagerly waiting for this next book because I NEEDED to know how we move forward from here!
Evie was such a strong character for me in this book. I feel a lot of times I end up being so annoyed with FMCs, but I absolutely adored Evie. She was strong but vulnerable considering what happened in book 1. And we needed some Zandyr groveling in this book and we got it for sure.
I only gave this one 4 ⭐️ because while it’s a 5 ⭐️ series for me, I did feel like the ending felt rushed. The author did such a great job with this book being longer but meaningful in its story. It didn’t seem to drag, but when we get to the end and while this technically closed out this duology with more to come following other characters, I still don’t feel like Evie and Zandyr’s story feel quite complete….
The spice 🌶️ was literally dragged out to the very end. I’m not saying the story did not call for it to be slow burn after the events of book 1, but I felt like there could and SHOULD have been more. Evie and Zandyr’s chemistry was such fire, I felt disappointed in the payoff for their spicy scene. Again, I know their story is “complete” (they’ll obviously be in other stories as side characters) but I don’t feel as if their story truly is. I needed way more honestly….
I’m super excited for Allie and Ryker’s story though. I think they’ll be another set of characters with killer chemistry!
2🌶️
Loved this duology and so happy there’s going to be more done for this story!
After the ending of book 1, I have been eagerly waiting for this next book because I NEEDED to know how we move forward from here!
Evie was such a strong character for me in this book. I feel a lot of times I end up being so annoyed with FMCs, but I absolutely adored Evie. She was strong but vulnerable considering what happened in book 1. And we needed some Zandyr groveling in this book and we got it for sure.
I only gave this one 4 ⭐️ because while it’s a 5 ⭐️ series for me, I did feel like the ending felt rushed. The author did such a great job with this book being longer but meaningful in its story. It didn’t seem to drag, but when we get to the end and while this technically closed out this duology with more to come following other characters, I still don’t feel like Evie and Zandyr’s story feel quite complete….
The spice 🌶️ was literally dragged out to the very end. I’m not saying the story did not call for it to be slow burn after the events of book 1, but I felt like there could and SHOULD have been more. Evie and Zandyr’s chemistry was such fire, I felt disappointed in the payoff for their spicy scene. Again, I know their story is “complete” (they’ll obviously be in other stories as side characters) but I don’t feel as if their story truly is. I needed way more honestly….
I’m super excited for Allie and Ryker’s story though. I think they’ll be another set of characters with killer chemistry!
August 23, 2025
Idk man like it isn’t a bad book but it isn’t like mind blowing I honestly didn’t care for anyone involved. I personally wouldn’t take a male who was promised to me since birth who then promised himself to another back. Like I get it he was saving his best friend’s life but nope. Mate or no mate he will not be added to my fiction boyfriends list. The 2 brides thing was so stupid for me like really? And then the anticlimactic ending of the so feared advisers they basically killed themselves like okay… the best part of this book in my opinion is that is over.
July 22, 2025
Book 1 was better, but still a solid 4 🌟
Book 1 left me eager for consequences for grovelling, regret, and a fierce response from Evie. She was set up as strong and smart, but by halfway through Book 2, she’d basically forgiven him while still saying she hadn’t. I liked her scheming and games, but she never put it to use on the MMC. His betrayal and that blood oath didn’t make much sense, and he showed no real remorse. I get she is your friend, but come on!!
I kept waiting for Evie to take a stand to make him feel even a fraction of her pain, but it never happened. The setup had so much promise, but the payoff felt rushed and unearned.
Book 1 left me eager for consequences for grovelling, regret, and a fierce response from Evie. She was set up as strong and smart, but by halfway through Book 2, she’d basically forgiven him while still saying she hadn’t. I liked her scheming and games, but she never put it to use on the MMC. His betrayal and that blood oath didn’t make much sense, and he showed no real remorse. I get she is your friend, but come on!!
I kept waiting for Evie to take a stand to make him feel even a fraction of her pain, but it never happened. The setup had so much promise, but the payoff felt rushed and unearned.
April 12, 2025
I was very, VERY underwhelmed by their sex scene. I LOVED this entire duology UP until that point. It’s been clear that romance is not the main feature of this book, and that she wanted to set up for the rest of the series, but it was so unbelievably short that it was disappointing. All that build up, for what?
I’m VERY disappointed with a duo that u fully was ready to recommend to everyone.
I’m VERY disappointed with a duo that u fully was ready to recommend to everyone.
September 3, 2025
A Crown of Victory and Vengeance by Vera Raye. This is the second book in the series, finishing the first set of duologies in the planned series of duologies that occur in this world.
This book is a homerun and a 6 star read for me. The books I rate as 6 stars are one that provoke strong emotion in me, I cannot put the book down, the plot is thick, and the characters are strong. In this book, it DID NOT suffer from second book syndrome. I thought I loved the first book, but I LOVED this book. Truly, Vera outdid herself writing this book. I was so anxious, excited, sad, happy, scared, and surprised all throughout the book. Each chapter would end and I would have to keep reading. The anticipation of what would happen next was so strong that I finished the book within two days.
The plot drew me in right away. This is not a forgiving book. Book one ends with so much heartbreak, betrayal, and devastation for the MFC (and the reader), all while understanding the MMC’s side (the best you can with the limited information revealed about his side of the story). The book picks right back up and is in the trenches of the MFC’s grief. The author was incredibly descriptive and full of depth in her writing that the reader can feel the grief. The MFC’s grief, followed by anger is justified and you feel so much empathy for her. She stands up for herself and is not swayed easily into forgiving the MMC. I checked, and at 60% of the book, she still had not budged on her forgiveness, again for very valid, logical, and justified reasons. I was really proud of her for all her strength and not being swayed by her emotions or the fated mates bond to give in and pretend the past did not happen. She presents her side of the argument clearly, compassionately, and boundaried for herself. Despite the MFC initially having self-doubt and deprecation, she prioritizes herself and does not let the MMC’s “I am sorry” eliminate the boundaries she has for herself to keep respect for herself.
This is a dual POV, primarily from the MFC’s lens, yet had more from the MMC’s lens than the first book. This is also a slow slow burn!
The MFC was strong, resilient, mature, and vulnerable. She had substantial character growth, particularly regarding vulnerability and honesty. She is brave and faces her fears, is rational, thoughtful, and strategic. Despite her sadness, she places the clan’s needs as a priority, focusing on what she can do. She navigates the nuances and complexities of her competing thoughts, emotions, experiences, feelings, and bond well.
The MMC continues most of the book unable to communicate what the oath was and why he did what he did. He grovels and shows how sorry he is. He worked hard to demonstrate his regret and earn trust back. He is a masculine, yet vulnerable MMC, and I LOVED IT. His banter with the MFC was excellent. Also, his growth was well done. His rationale for what he did was explained well and makes sense. I really loved how the physical space between the MMC and MFC due to the plot didn’t deter away from their relationship development. Many books when the couple is separated the book focuses only on plot and individual development, which can get boring since the romance was previously so central. The author wrote this well and kept me hooked on the plot, individual growth, AND the relationship, despite them both being on their own journey. Further, their own adventures were interesting and anxiety provoking!
Back to the plot: there are so many mysteries that are not all revealed by the end. The ones that are unraveled are done slowly over the book. There are twists and turns, many I couldn’t have guessed, some I could. Again, I’m a fan of the hybrid being surprised many times, while also being proved right by guessing the secret/twist so you feel good about yourself. The end picks up and moves quickly. The overall pacing is moderate, not too slow or too fast.
There is war, death, found family, strategy, and growth. The antagonists suck and you love to hate them. The antagonists are awful people and the back and forth game they play with the MFC and MMC was a large part of what kept me on the edge of my seat. When the MFC makes a move and wins that round, followed by saying “your turn” to the antagonists had me giggling. The MFC is such a bad***.
The ending left so much uncertainty and unanswered. Knowing the next duology will focus on the MFC’s cousin, the Huntress, and her forced fiancée, the MMC’s best warrior, is something I cannot wait to read. The plot will continue to move forward and those unanswered questions will eventually be answered, which I really want to know! That information will make me rethink through book 1 & 2, which is an excellent strategy of the author. Also, the tension between Allie and Ryker have me excited for their relationship development.
My one issue with this book, which was small, was the overuse of “licking lips” or “licking teeth.” At first it was written as a nervous tic of the MFC’s, almost every chapter, but then all of a sudden several other characters were doing it too. Seriously, written almost every to every other chapter as something someone did. It was over done and annoying. However, this was small and didn’t overshadow all the other amazing parts.
This book is a homerun and a 6 star read for me. The books I rate as 6 stars are one that provoke strong emotion in me, I cannot put the book down, the plot is thick, and the characters are strong. In this book, it DID NOT suffer from second book syndrome. I thought I loved the first book, but I LOVED this book. Truly, Vera outdid herself writing this book. I was so anxious, excited, sad, happy, scared, and surprised all throughout the book. Each chapter would end and I would have to keep reading. The anticipation of what would happen next was so strong that I finished the book within two days.
The plot drew me in right away. This is not a forgiving book. Book one ends with so much heartbreak, betrayal, and devastation for the MFC (and the reader), all while understanding the MMC’s side (the best you can with the limited information revealed about his side of the story). The book picks right back up and is in the trenches of the MFC’s grief. The author was incredibly descriptive and full of depth in her writing that the reader can feel the grief. The MFC’s grief, followed by anger is justified and you feel so much empathy for her. She stands up for herself and is not swayed easily into forgiving the MMC. I checked, and at 60% of the book, she still had not budged on her forgiveness, again for very valid, logical, and justified reasons. I was really proud of her for all her strength and not being swayed by her emotions or the fated mates bond to give in and pretend the past did not happen. She presents her side of the argument clearly, compassionately, and boundaried for herself. Despite the MFC initially having self-doubt and deprecation, she prioritizes herself and does not let the MMC’s “I am sorry” eliminate the boundaries she has for herself to keep respect for herself.
This is a dual POV, primarily from the MFC’s lens, yet had more from the MMC’s lens than the first book. This is also a slow slow burn!
The MFC was strong, resilient, mature, and vulnerable. She had substantial character growth, particularly regarding vulnerability and honesty. She is brave and faces her fears, is rational, thoughtful, and strategic. Despite her sadness, she places the clan’s needs as a priority, focusing on what she can do. She navigates the nuances and complexities of her competing thoughts, emotions, experiences, feelings, and bond well.
The MMC continues most of the book unable to communicate what the oath was and why he did what he did. He grovels and shows how sorry he is. He worked hard to demonstrate his regret and earn trust back. He is a masculine, yet vulnerable MMC, and I LOVED IT. His banter with the MFC was excellent. Also, his growth was well done. His rationale for what he did was explained well and makes sense. I really loved how the physical space between the MMC and MFC due to the plot didn’t deter away from their relationship development. Many books when the couple is separated the book focuses only on plot and individual development, which can get boring since the romance was previously so central. The author wrote this well and kept me hooked on the plot, individual growth, AND the relationship, despite them both being on their own journey. Further, their own adventures were interesting and anxiety provoking!
Back to the plot: there are so many mysteries that are not all revealed by the end. The ones that are unraveled are done slowly over the book. There are twists and turns, many I couldn’t have guessed, some I could. Again, I’m a fan of the hybrid being surprised many times, while also being proved right by guessing the secret/twist so you feel good about yourself. The end picks up and moves quickly. The overall pacing is moderate, not too slow or too fast.
There is war, death, found family, strategy, and growth. The antagonists suck and you love to hate them. The antagonists are awful people and the back and forth game they play with the MFC and MMC was a large part of what kept me on the edge of my seat. When the MFC makes a move and wins that round, followed by saying “your turn” to the antagonists had me giggling. The MFC is such a bad***.
The ending left so much uncertainty and unanswered. Knowing the next duology will focus on the MFC’s cousin, the Huntress, and her forced fiancée, the MMC’s best warrior, is something I cannot wait to read. The plot will continue to move forward and those unanswered questions will eventually be answered, which I really want to know! That information will make me rethink through book 1 & 2, which is an excellent strategy of the author. Also, the tension between Allie and Ryker have me excited for their relationship development.
My one issue with this book, which was small, was the overuse of “licking lips” or “licking teeth.” At first it was written as a nervous tic of the MFC’s, almost every chapter, but then all of a sudden several other characters were doing it too. Seriously, written almost every to every other chapter as something someone did. It was over done and annoying. However, this was small and didn’t overshadow all the other amazing parts.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2025
Boring and unsatisfying. It picks up after 70% but then falls off again
November 6, 2025
3.25 ⭐️ this is a shame because the premise behind the story is good, but it’s executed poorly and the reasoning is weak at best
After their wedding when Zandyr blindsides her and married kaya AS WELL, Evie is unsurprisingly depressed AF. They keep telling her there is a reason they can’t tell her thanks to to blood oath they took but it doesn’t make it any better. War breaks out between the serpent clan and the blood brotherhood, Zandyr goes off to fight in. While he’s away Evie is doing what she can to help the people of their clan but the advisors are targeting her and making it hard, burning down peoples homes and excuting attempted assassinations. So Evie tries to take matters into her own hands. Zandyr returns after using his blood magic to win the war against the serpent clan. They begin fighting back against the advisors. While they are away for a celebration, the advisors have assassins attack and Zandyr is poisoned with an arrow. He’s basically dying. Through their connection while he’s on his death bed, Evie finds out that the oath he made with Kaya is because her parents were torturing her as punishment when she didn’t do what they wanted, to assist in getting her on the throne and raising their power and profile. They make a plan to take down the advisors once Zandyr is magicked back to life. They fake Evie’s death, and blame the advisors, the produce all the evidence they have against them inducing Kayas torture. The advisors, while attempting to attack everyone, burn themselves alive. Kaya and Zandyr get divorced and Evie and Zandyr become the King and Queen, happily married. Until they get notified that Evie’s cousin Allie has been attacked, presumably by whoever was working with the advisors, and she is now in hiding.
The basic premise of this is good, the storyline as a whole is engaging and while it’s nothing surper revolutionary, it’s still interesting enough to keep you involved and trying to figure out what the next move is. The execution is seriously lacking. The explanation of things like the clans magic systems as well as the reasons behind the advisors doing what they are doing is weak, poorly explained and contradictory.
There are very few times I’ve read an explanation of a magic system that makes limited sense like this. Including the fact that these characters are supposed to be incredibly powerful and yet they constantly burn through all their magic with like one act of using it.
The reasoning behind the major plot of the storyline, the advisors wanting their daughter to be queen, is really weak in terms of reasoning for all of these dramatics. There are much easier ways to have made this happen and the fact that everything they’ve done, including the assassination attempts and all out war, seems overly dramatic for something with so weak a reasoning. They had mind magic for god sake. How could they not just convince the king and queen to set aside the agreement for Zandyr to marry Evie and create one between Kaya and Zandyr. I mean come on. If they were going to go to such massive extents why would it not be to increase their own position in society? Why does wanting more power lead to them killing off and making civilians suffer? How does burning a guards house down because he was nice to Evie help with any of that?
Like it just makes no logical sense.
Something this has done well is explore the damaged relationships between Evie and Zandyr, as well as Kaya and everyone. The writing is thorough and well detailed and really pulls at the heart strings when everyone is suffering after the events of the surprise double wedding.
Part of the ending is confusing. They discover that Evie and Zandyr are not legally married because of the wording of their marriage contract, and yet they still get divorced and re married anyway? Why would you need to get a divorce if the marriage wasn’t legitimate to begin with. Another example of the poor explanation and writing execution.
It was enjoyable to see the process of Evie forgiving Zandyr for marrying Evie when she learns he did it to protect her. You still can’t blame her for being devastated through the start of the book and this is well explained.
The ending was nice, with Evie and Zandyr finally being together and everyone being free from the mind control of the advisors.
After their wedding when Zandyr blindsides her and married kaya AS WELL, Evie is unsurprisingly depressed AF. They keep telling her there is a reason they can’t tell her thanks to to blood oath they took but it doesn’t make it any better. War breaks out between the serpent clan and the blood brotherhood, Zandyr goes off to fight in. While he’s away Evie is doing what she can to help the people of their clan but the advisors are targeting her and making it hard, burning down peoples homes and excuting attempted assassinations. So Evie tries to take matters into her own hands. Zandyr returns after using his blood magic to win the war against the serpent clan. They begin fighting back against the advisors. While they are away for a celebration, the advisors have assassins attack and Zandyr is poisoned with an arrow. He’s basically dying. Through their connection while he’s on his death bed, Evie finds out that the oath he made with Kaya is because her parents were torturing her as punishment when she didn’t do what they wanted, to assist in getting her on the throne and raising their power and profile. They make a plan to take down the advisors once Zandyr is magicked back to life. They fake Evie’s death, and blame the advisors, the produce all the evidence they have against them inducing Kayas torture. The advisors, while attempting to attack everyone, burn themselves alive. Kaya and Zandyr get divorced and Evie and Zandyr become the King and Queen, happily married. Until they get notified that Evie’s cousin Allie has been attacked, presumably by whoever was working with the advisors, and she is now in hiding.
The basic premise of this is good, the storyline as a whole is engaging and while it’s nothing surper revolutionary, it’s still interesting enough to keep you involved and trying to figure out what the next move is. The execution is seriously lacking. The explanation of things like the clans magic systems as well as the reasons behind the advisors doing what they are doing is weak, poorly explained and contradictory.
There are very few times I’ve read an explanation of a magic system that makes limited sense like this. Including the fact that these characters are supposed to be incredibly powerful and yet they constantly burn through all their magic with like one act of using it.
The reasoning behind the major plot of the storyline, the advisors wanting their daughter to be queen, is really weak in terms of reasoning for all of these dramatics. There are much easier ways to have made this happen and the fact that everything they’ve done, including the assassination attempts and all out war, seems overly dramatic for something with so weak a reasoning. They had mind magic for god sake. How could they not just convince the king and queen to set aside the agreement for Zandyr to marry Evie and create one between Kaya and Zandyr. I mean come on. If they were going to go to such massive extents why would it not be to increase their own position in society? Why does wanting more power lead to them killing off and making civilians suffer? How does burning a guards house down because he was nice to Evie help with any of that?
Like it just makes no logical sense.
Something this has done well is explore the damaged relationships between Evie and Zandyr, as well as Kaya and everyone. The writing is thorough and well detailed and really pulls at the heart strings when everyone is suffering after the events of the surprise double wedding.
Part of the ending is confusing. They discover that Evie and Zandyr are not legally married because of the wording of their marriage contract, and yet they still get divorced and re married anyway? Why would you need to get a divorce if the marriage wasn’t legitimate to begin with. Another example of the poor explanation and writing execution.
It was enjoyable to see the process of Evie forgiving Zandyr for marrying Evie when she learns he did it to protect her. You still can’t blame her for being devastated through the start of the book and this is well explained.
The ending was nice, with Evie and Zandyr finally being together and everyone being free from the mind control of the advisors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2025
A Flawed Yet Engrossing Sequel: A Crown of Victory and Vengeance
Vera Raye returns with the second installment in her fantasy series, plunging readers back into a world of action and intrigue. Picking up after the marriage of its two leads, the narrative wisely shifts its focus to the emotional fallout of betrayal, following the female protagonist as she grapples with her partner's deceit. This personal struggle is compellingly woven into a larger, more dangerous mystery as forces move against her family.
Raye’s writing stands out in a crowded genre by avoiding the common pitfall of superficial characterization. The refreshing lack of endless descriptions based on hair and eye color allows for a deeper connection to the characters and their internal worlds, making the story significantly more immersive and enjoyable than many of its peers.
The plot is undeniably engaging, with a pace that will keep you turning pages. However, this sequel is hampered by significant structural issues. Several plot points are introduced only to be abruptly dropped, and frustrating contradictions arise from earlier established facts. A particularly jarring example is a side character’s perplexingly mild reaction to a massive revelation about their parents, a moment that lacks the emotional gravity the situation demands. At times, it feels as though character personalities are bent to serve the plot’s needs rather than driving it organically.
In the end, A Crown of Victory and Vengeance feels like a great start to a sequel that needed another round of revision. The strong foundation of character work and an engrossing central mystery are evident, but they are undermined by unresolved threads and inconsistent logic. For dedicated fans of the first book, it’s a worthwhile read to progress the story, but one hopes for more meticulous plotting and consistency in the next entry.
Vera Raye returns with the second installment in her fantasy series, plunging readers back into a world of action and intrigue. Picking up after the marriage of its two leads, the narrative wisely shifts its focus to the emotional fallout of betrayal, following the female protagonist as she grapples with her partner's deceit. This personal struggle is compellingly woven into a larger, more dangerous mystery as forces move against her family.
Raye’s writing stands out in a crowded genre by avoiding the common pitfall of superficial characterization. The refreshing lack of endless descriptions based on hair and eye color allows for a deeper connection to the characters and their internal worlds, making the story significantly more immersive and enjoyable than many of its peers.
The plot is undeniably engaging, with a pace that will keep you turning pages. However, this sequel is hampered by significant structural issues. Several plot points are introduced only to be abruptly dropped, and frustrating contradictions arise from earlier established facts. A particularly jarring example is a side character’s perplexingly mild reaction to a massive revelation about their parents, a moment that lacks the emotional gravity the situation demands. At times, it feels as though character personalities are bent to serve the plot’s needs rather than driving it organically.
In the end, A Crown of Victory and Vengeance feels like a great start to a sequel that needed another round of revision. The strong foundation of character work and an engrossing central mystery are evident, but they are undermined by unresolved threads and inconsistent logic. For dedicated fans of the first book, it’s a worthwhile read to progress the story, but one hopes for more meticulous plotting and consistency in the next entry.
September 18, 2025
I picked up the second book in the series almost immediately after book 1. The plot twist at the end of book one had me in an absolute chokehold, and I needed to see what was going to happen next. This book absolutely did not disappoint!! Coming out of book one, we see Evie needing to now navigate the situation that unfolded at the end of book 2. With that, she deals with a lot of emotions while having to hold her own against other circumstances. At the same time, our male main character Zandyr is continuing to deal with his princely duties under the thumb of his not-so-great parents.
As the story unfolds, no punches are pulled when it comes to making you feel every emotion that was going through these two. Not only that but you learn a little bit more about the side characters and the author does a really good job of making you care about them, which is something that I find does not happen in a lot of books.
I also loved the magic system and the creatures and just the world building in general. I really felt like I was there with the characters, and I understood this world. I'm very excited that the next book will be Part 1 of another duology because I really want more of this world from different perspectives!
The story was so creative, especially in a decade where high fantasy has become so popular that many stories don't stand out. And while this story does not leave on a cliffhanger per se, it does leave you with a certain revelation that makes me desperate for book 3. The conclusion to the plot of this story is satisfying as well, which makes me all the more curious about what's going to happen next.
I personally listened to this book half audio half reading, and I absolutely loved the audiobook for this, and the narrators were great, so if you're into audiobooks, I would highly recommend giving that a listen!
As the story unfolds, no punches are pulled when it comes to making you feel every emotion that was going through these two. Not only that but you learn a little bit more about the side characters and the author does a really good job of making you care about them, which is something that I find does not happen in a lot of books.
I also loved the magic system and the creatures and just the world building in general. I really felt like I was there with the characters, and I understood this world. I'm very excited that the next book will be Part 1 of another duology because I really want more of this world from different perspectives!
The story was so creative, especially in a decade where high fantasy has become so popular that many stories don't stand out. And while this story does not leave on a cliffhanger per se, it does leave you with a certain revelation that makes me desperate for book 3. The conclusion to the plot of this story is satisfying as well, which makes me all the more curious about what's going to happen next.
I personally listened to this book half audio half reading, and I absolutely loved the audiobook for this, and the narrators were great, so if you're into audiobooks, I would highly recommend giving that a listen!
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