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The Nightblood Prince
Two kingdoms on the brink of battle. One prophesied empress to unite them, who finds herself caught between two princes, and the fact that love alone may not stop the coming war. A thrilling romantasy from the bestselling author of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.
Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she cannot outrun.
The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses.
Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom.
But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before. . . .
Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she cannot outrun.
The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses.
Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom.
But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before. . . .
384 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2025
338 people are currently reading
19171 people want to read
About the author
Molly X. Chang
7 books959 followersBorn in Harbin, China, Molly X. Chang was raised on folklore told by the grandparents who taught her to take pride in the heritages and cultures that shaped her life, and the harrowing history of the ancestors who'd come before her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 909 reviews
June 20, 2025
Tropes:
— love triangle (I usually don’t like this trope, but it didn’t bother me in this book)
— a prophecy the chosen one
— for the C-drama girlies
— touch her and die
— she’s not afraid to defy the gods
— double villain love interest
— enemies to lovers
— royal court intrigue
— magic and monsters
— a powerful FMC breaking the mold
— slow burn
Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she can't escape.
Raised to marry the Crown Prince and fulfill a prophecy, Fei has always lived under others' control. When she sets out to hunt a legendary tiger and claim her freedom, she meets Yexue — a runaway prince with dangerous magic. Caught between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she discovers that the stars might be more inescapable — and more irresistible — than she ever imagined...
This book broke my brain — in the best possible way — because of my silly urge to fit it into familiar patterns shaped by reading too much romantasy. Every time I tried to fit it into the patterns I’d built up from reading similar books, they cracked apart. The story gave me strong с-drama vibes, with deeply emotional war scenes — and a burning wish that these horrors would stay confined to the page, never becoming someone’s real experience, caused by power-hungry tyrants feeding their egos at the cost of innocent lives.
The author calls both princes villains, but to me, only one of them truly is. (I want him to live a long life — and spend all of it atoning for things that can never truly be atoned for.) The other is more of a morally grey character. The difference is: one listens and is willing to yield; the other is completely ruled by his wounded ego. I won’t name names — I’ll let you decide for yourself who’s who.
I desperately want to read the next two books in the trilogy — and I’m also a little scared to. Right now, I’m actually hoping the author doesn’t pair the heroine with either prince in the end. In this case, I might even be okay with an open ending.
Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
— love triangle (I usually don’t like this trope, but it didn’t bother me in this book)
— a prophecy the chosen one
— for the C-drama girlies
— touch her and die
— she’s not afraid to defy the gods
— double villain love interest
— enemies to lovers
— royal court intrigue
— magic and monsters
— a powerful FMC breaking the mold
— slow burn
Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she can't escape.
Raised to marry the Crown Prince and fulfill a prophecy, Fei has always lived under others' control. When she sets out to hunt a legendary tiger and claim her freedom, she meets Yexue — a runaway prince with dangerous magic. Caught between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she discovers that the stars might be more inescapable — and more irresistible — than she ever imagined...
This book broke my brain — in the best possible way — because of my silly urge to fit it into familiar patterns shaped by reading too much romantasy. Every time I tried to fit it into the patterns I’d built up from reading similar books, they cracked apart. The story gave me strong с-drama vibes, with deeply emotional war scenes — and a burning wish that these horrors would stay confined to the page, never becoming someone’s real experience, caused by power-hungry tyrants feeding their egos at the cost of innocent lives.
The author calls both princes villains, but to me, only one of them truly is. (I want him to live a long life — and spend all of it atoning for things that can never truly be atoned for.) The other is more of a morally grey character. The difference is: one listens and is willing to yield; the other is completely ruled by his wounded ego. I won’t name names — I’ll let you decide for yourself who’s who.
I desperately want to read the next two books in the trilogy — and I’m also a little scared to. Right now, I’m actually hoping the author doesn’t pair the heroine with either prince in the end. In this case, I might even be okay with an open ending.
Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 24, 2025
( 1 star ) 𓆩🍀𓆪 . . . 1 2 / 2 3 / 2 5 !
🧷 # content warnings: war, violence, blood
( 01. ) overall thoughts !
i genuinely cannot believe this book is real. i cannot believe it was edited. i cannot believe it was printed, bound, marketed and released into the world with confidence. this read like an absolute fever dream written at 3 am, absolutely no logic behind anything, behind the characters, behind the plot, no redeeming quality. listen...i didn't expect something life-altering, but i also didn't expect after finished reading to come out questioning my sanity, the publishing industry, and why i subject myself to such torture.
this was so infuriatingly, gratingly bad I CANNOT EVEN DESCRIBE. if this book was trying to say something profound about freedom, feminism, and love, it failed spectacularly because instead of ANY of those qualities we got a selfish, ignorant fmc, and a love triangle SOSOSO unbearable it made me go insane. checking myself into the psych ward bc the amount of times this book had me pulling out my hair and banging my head against the wall is unnatural!
( 02. ) plot summary !
fei is born under a prophecy declaring her the future empress of all empresses (whatever the fuck that means). she's ripped from her family, raised in the palace, and groomed to marry the crown prince rong siwang to unite kingdoms. on a quest for freedom, she meets yexue, the prince of a rival kingdom with vampire powers. war looms. fei is torn between two princes. destiny happens. everyone suffers.
never in my life have i hated a fmc more than fei. this story at its core is really just about a deeply privileged woman cosplaying oppression, destroying everyone around her, and then insisting she's not responsible. i am way too sober for this 😭😭😭😭😭😭
( 03. ) characters !
li fei did not grow up abused, impoverished, or oppressed, she grew up: in a palace, with endless wealth, the best food, education/training, servants, cherished, protected, and prioritized. and most importantly, she had siwang, a man who adored her, protected her, respected her autonomy more than most men in this book ever do, and was willing to bend the entire world for her happiness. and yet we're supposed to believe she is a prisoner. her great suffering? she has to follow palace rules and she's expected to marry the man she claims to love. she has obligations. i'm sorry be serious. fei equates structure with oppression, privilege with imprisonment, and responsibility with suffering. this girl is so delusional. when she receives her long awaited "freedom" she misses her luxury, her safety, her comfort, realizes she was in fact, extraordinarily privileged. she spends the rest of the book admitting she loves siwang, recognizing he's good to her, knowing he's done everything for her—but oh no she forms an emotional bond with the enemy prince. thus creating the most insufferable love triangle to "grace" this planet.
fei literally emotionally abuses siwang. consistently. she withholds affection while benefiting from his devotion. she keeps him close enough to rely on, but never close enough to reassure. she strings him along emotionally then entertains her feelings for another man. most infuriating part ?? how tf can this be presented as a love triangle when there is an objectively obvious better man?
what siwang did for fei:
yexue (2nd mmc) has done maybe 1% of what siwang has done. the fact that the fmc seriously feels conflicted is beyond me. the love triangle is not complex. it's lazy. and fei can't take accountability, or have self-awareness even if her life depended on it. please ERADICATE the love triangle trope.
( 04. ) final thoughts !
what i liked: siwang (deserves better), nothing else worth mentioning. what i disliked: fei's entitlement, her hypocrisy, refusal of accountability, glorification of selfishness (and fei for that matter), insta-love, the love triangle, the writing, the plot, the beginning, the middle, the ending. this book genuinely drove me to the edge of insanity. i like to think of myself as a forgiving person, which is why i gave molly x chang a 2nd chance after tguwg, but it has become very clear to me that molly really just needs a better publisher. worst part about all of this is that regardless of my strong dislike, i NEED to know who she ends up with (i suspect it's the second mmc since the book is named after him), because as we already established idk why i always subject myself to such torture.
# pre read if i had a nickel for every mulan retelling i've read, i'd have five nickels, which isn't a lot, but it is enough to say i clearly have a type. helen of troy x mulan x vampires OH I AM SEATED !!! giving molly x chang another chance.
🧷 # content warnings: war, violence, blood
“ this was the way of men. as daughters, we were the property of our fathers. as wives, we were the property of our husbands. and one day, if we ever outlived our husbands, we would become the property of our sons. ”
( 01. ) overall thoughts !
i genuinely cannot believe this book is real. i cannot believe it was edited. i cannot believe it was printed, bound, marketed and released into the world with confidence. this read like an absolute fever dream written at 3 am, absolutely no logic behind anything, behind the characters, behind the plot, no redeeming quality. listen...i didn't expect something life-altering, but i also didn't expect after finished reading to come out questioning my sanity, the publishing industry, and why i subject myself to such torture.
this was so infuriatingly, gratingly bad I CANNOT EVEN DESCRIBE. if this book was trying to say something profound about freedom, feminism, and love, it failed spectacularly because instead of ANY of those qualities we got a selfish, ignorant fmc, and a love triangle SOSOSO unbearable it made me go insane. checking myself into the psych ward bc the amount of times this book had me pulling out my hair and banging my head against the wall is unnatural!
( 02. ) plot summary !
fei is born under a prophecy declaring her the future empress of all empresses (whatever the fuck that means). she's ripped from her family, raised in the palace, and groomed to marry the crown prince rong siwang to unite kingdoms. on a quest for freedom, she meets yexue, the prince of a rival kingdom with vampire powers. war looms. fei is torn between two princes. destiny happens. everyone suffers.
never in my life have i hated a fmc more than fei. this story at its core is really just about a deeply privileged woman cosplaying oppression, destroying everyone around her, and then insisting she's not responsible. i am way too sober for this 😭😭😭😭😭😭
( 03. ) characters !
li fei did not grow up abused, impoverished, or oppressed, she grew up: in a palace, with endless wealth, the best food, education/training, servants, cherished, protected, and prioritized. and most importantly, she had siwang, a man who adored her, protected her, respected her autonomy more than most men in this book ever do, and was willing to bend the entire world for her happiness. and yet we're supposed to believe she is a prisoner. her great suffering? she has to follow palace rules and she's expected to marry the man she claims to love. she has obligations. i'm sorry be serious. fei equates structure with oppression, privilege with imprisonment, and responsibility with suffering. this girl is so delusional. when she receives her long awaited "freedom" she misses her luxury, her safety, her comfort, realizes she was in fact, extraordinarily privileged. she spends the rest of the book admitting she loves siwang, recognizing he's good to her, knowing he's done everything for her—but oh no she forms an emotional bond with the enemy prince. thus creating the most insufferable love triangle to "grace" this planet.
fei literally emotionally abuses siwang. consistently. she withholds affection while benefiting from his devotion. she keeps him close enough to rely on, but never close enough to reassure. she strings him along emotionally then entertains her feelings for another man. most infuriating part ?? how tf can this be presented as a love triangle when there is an objectively obvious better man?
what siwang did for fei:
— “ i always proudly wrote my name under my creations. every day, as the snow scattered in the wind and my name disappeared, siwang wrote it again and again until it all melted under the early-spring sun. so that everyone knew that the snowman who wore the crown prince's favorite winter coat was mine. ”
— “ when i got sick, siwang would spend hours in the kitchen with the imperial cooks and learn how to make ginger and beef-bone broths for me. ”
— “ when i cried, siwang would hold my hand. he would tell me stories and bad jokes until i giggled. ”
— “ if i liked a song, he would learn to sing it for me whenever i wanted. ”
— “ if I liked a book, he would recite every word to match me in verse. ”
— “ he drank alcohol only when the stately visitors pushed wine onto me and he would step in and — drink for me. ”
yexue (2nd mmc) has done maybe 1% of what siwang has done. the fact that the fmc seriously feels conflicted is beyond me. the love triangle is not complex. it's lazy. and fei can't take accountability, or have self-awareness even if her life depended on it. please ERADICATE the love triangle trope.
( 04. ) final thoughts !
what i liked: siwang (deserves better), nothing else worth mentioning. what i disliked: fei's entitlement, her hypocrisy, refusal of accountability, glorification of selfishness (and fei for that matter), insta-love, the love triangle, the writing, the plot, the beginning, the middle, the ending. this book genuinely drove me to the edge of insanity. i like to think of myself as a forgiving person, which is why i gave molly x chang a 2nd chance after tguwg, but it has become very clear to me that molly really just needs a better publisher. worst part about all of this is that regardless of my strong dislike, i NEED to know who she ends up with (i suspect it's the second mmc since the book is named after him), because as we already established idk why i always subject myself to such torture.
# pre read if i had a nickel for every mulan retelling i've read, i'd have five nickels, which isn't a lot, but it is enough to say i clearly have a type. helen of troy x mulan x vampires OH I AM SEATED !!! giving molly x chang another chance.
September 2, 2025
2 stars !
ya fantasy ┆13+ ┆mild language ┆closed door and intense kissing
arc review ᝰ.ᐟ
release date: july 1st
—siri, play manchild by sabrina carpenter and death wish by gracie abrams ⊹ ࣪ ˖
꒰ 🎎 ꒱ this was just…not it. it felt like every other fantasy getting published nowadays, unoriginal, and repetitive. it was just some girl getting harshly treated by sexist slugs and then doesn’t put them in their place
➴ plot:
lifeng fei everything a girl in rong could ask for: luxurious clothes, an engagement to the crown prince siwang, and a prophecy proclaiming her to be the empress of all empresses. only problem: she doesn’t want any of that. she longs to be free of the royal life. so when she has the chance to kill a beifeng tiger in order to have a wish from the emperor of rong she takes a risk. a year later, a war is raging on between siwang and the mysterious lan yexue, whose army is the subject of village gossip, his vampire battalions
➴ romance:
the romance was so unoriginal i can’t. so fei doesn’t want to be engaged to siwang bc he wants multiple women like a harem (and still claims he loves fei) then a year later they’re doing the dirty tango, and then falls for lan yexue also, kisses bro passionately, but both are lying, sexist slugs who thinks fei is someone you can own bc ofc they’re possessive. no way the author promotes it as two “villain” princes when really they’re fighting over a girl bc they have to own wtv they want?? yea no…
⤿ i mean, fei has been complaining ab men like every page in part 1 but why are the love interests just as bad as the men fei doesn’t like?
➴ the writing:
sooooo many phrases were said/thought over and over again, and don’t get me started on the rinse-and-repeat dialogue
જ⁀➴ tysm to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for a honest review
ya fantasy ┆13+ ┆mild language ┆closed door and intense kissing
arc review ᝰ.ᐟ
release date: july 1st
—siri, play manchild by sabrina carpenter and death wish by gracie abrams ⊹ ࣪ ˖
꒰ 🎎 ꒱ this was just…not it. it felt like every other fantasy getting published nowadays, unoriginal, and repetitive. it was just some girl getting harshly treated by sexist slugs and then doesn’t put them in their place
➴ plot:
lifeng fei everything a girl in rong could ask for: luxurious clothes, an engagement to the crown prince siwang, and a prophecy proclaiming her to be the empress of all empresses. only problem: she doesn’t want any of that. she longs to be free of the royal life. so when she has the chance to kill a beifeng tiger in order to have a wish from the emperor of rong she takes a risk. a year later, a war is raging on between siwang and the mysterious lan yexue, whose army is the subject of village gossip, his vampire battalions
➴ romance:
the romance was so unoriginal i can’t. so fei doesn’t want to be engaged to siwang bc he wants multiple women like a harem (and still claims he loves fei) then a year later they’re doing the dirty tango, and then falls for lan yexue also, kisses bro passionately, but both are lying, sexist slugs who thinks fei is someone you can own bc ofc they’re possessive. no way the author promotes it as two “villain” princes when really they’re fighting over a girl bc they have to own wtv they want?? yea no…
⤿ i mean, fei has been complaining ab men like every page in part 1 but why are the love interests just as bad as the men fei doesn’t like?
➴ the writing:
sooooo many phrases were said/thought over and over again, and don’t get me started on the rinse-and-repeat dialogue
જ⁀➴ tysm to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for a honest review
March 30, 2025
The Nightblood Prince by Molly X. Chang is a fate entwined, ethereal fantasy romance novel with impressive world building, impactful patriarchy, and elaborate Chinese culture.
Fei, our fmc, is a strong willed woman in a world ran by men. She’s prophesied for greatness, but wishes to write her destiny. In the beginning, she’s very naïve to their world of politics and traditional expectations, but as the story grows, so does Fei. She becomes someone willing to do whatever it takes to protect the innocent lives trapped in a senseless war. She’s a very commendable and admirable character.
The Crown Prince, Fei’s betrothed, and our first mmc, Siwang, is someone who loves Fei wholeheartedly. However, it seems he puts duty first always. To be honest, I don’t like him, mostly because he was so cowardly it gives me the ick. But, I am biased, as I have a favorite.
Yuexe, who is a prince from a neighboring land, is so incredibly fascinating to me that I couldn’t help but be drawn to him from the get go. He’s secretive, and when I uncovered some of his secrets, I was practically frothing at the mouth for this man. Literally everything about him is what I look for in a mmc, so I’m definitely in his corner when it comes to Fei’s affections.
Overall, this book teases you just enough to make you desperate for more at the end. I love that Fei was able to help both sides, one way or another, and I really look forward to what happens following the events in The Nightblood Prince. I hope to see more of Yuexe, and I honestly hope that his and Fei’s fates are entwined in the way I am desperate to see. Sksks
Special thanks to Molly X. Chang & team and NetGalley for the review copy!
Fei, our fmc, is a strong willed woman in a world ran by men. She’s prophesied for greatness, but wishes to write her destiny. In the beginning, she’s very naïve to their world of politics and traditional expectations, but as the story grows, so does Fei. She becomes someone willing to do whatever it takes to protect the innocent lives trapped in a senseless war. She’s a very commendable and admirable character.
The Crown Prince, Fei’s betrothed, and our first mmc, Siwang, is someone who loves Fei wholeheartedly. However, it seems he puts duty first always. To be honest, I don’t like him, mostly because he was so cowardly it gives me the ick. But, I am biased, as I have a favorite.
Yuexe, who is a prince from a neighboring land, is so incredibly fascinating to me that I couldn’t help but be drawn to him from the get go. He’s secretive, and when I uncovered some of his secrets, I was practically frothing at the mouth for this man. Literally everything about him is what I look for in a mmc, so I’m definitely in his corner when it comes to Fei’s affections.
Overall, this book teases you just enough to make you desperate for more at the end. I love that Fei was able to help both sides, one way or another, and I really look forward to what happens following the events in The Nightblood Prince. I hope to see more of Yuexe, and I honestly hope that his and Fei’s fates are entwined in the way I am desperate to see. Sksks
Special thanks to Molly X. Chang & team and NetGalley for the review copy!
May 14, 2025
Chang’s sophomore novel is a captivating experience with lush world building and beautiful prose. I was immediately immersed in the story and Fei’s narrative.
This story is perfectly comped as Helen of Troy meets Mulan, plus throw in some vampires. There’s elements of both myths, both revolving around the role and perception of women. Like Helen of Troy, Fei is a catalyst for war - whomever claims her hand in marriage will hold the power of an empire. And like Mulan, Fei is unwilling to submit to her predetermined role. She is determined to fight her own battles and gain freedom from her prophesy, but also willing to sacrifice it all for her family and her people. I loved her narration, which often felt like a warrior recounting a ballad of their deeds, and emphasized with her plight.
From a romance perspective, both love interests are incredibly flawed and villains in their own rights. They were billed as morally grey, so this wasn’t surprising, and I appreciated how Fei’s eyes were open to the wrongs committed by both men. She’s not some love struck fool and will choose her own freedom over both of them every time.
This story, although is packs in so much incredible world building and plot, is just the beginning. There’s still much to learn, especially about Yexue, the vampires, and the prophecy. I’m excited to see what happens next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This story is perfectly comped as Helen of Troy meets Mulan, plus throw in some vampires. There’s elements of both myths, both revolving around the role and perception of women. Like Helen of Troy, Fei is a catalyst for war - whomever claims her hand in marriage will hold the power of an empire. And like Mulan, Fei is unwilling to submit to her predetermined role. She is determined to fight her own battles and gain freedom from her prophesy, but also willing to sacrifice it all for her family and her people. I loved her narration, which often felt like a warrior recounting a ballad of their deeds, and emphasized with her plight.
From a romance perspective, both love interests are incredibly flawed and villains in their own rights. They were billed as morally grey, so this wasn’t surprising, and I appreciated how Fei’s eyes were open to the wrongs committed by both men. She’s not some love struck fool and will choose her own freedom over both of them every time.
This story, although is packs in so much incredible world building and plot, is just the beginning. There’s still much to learn, especially about Yexue, the vampires, and the prophecy. I’m excited to see what happens next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2025
This story is fast paced right from the beginning!
I spent most of the book trying to guess who the Hero was going to be, but it turns out Fei is the true Hero 🙌
Book 2 can't come soon enough! This story was beautifully written and the cover is GORGEOUS. Immediate pre-order.
I spent most of the book trying to guess who the Hero was going to be, but it turns out Fei is the true Hero 🙌
Book 2 can't come soon enough! This story was beautifully written and the cover is GORGEOUS. Immediate pre-order.
June 1, 2025
Um, okay Molly Chang!! You didn’t need to serve so hard with this one! I’m still reeling after this read.‼️
I love how strong-willed Fei is throughout the book. She goes after what she wants and believes is best. She’s on high moral ground, while Siwang and Yexue were killing left and right “supposedly” for her. Yes, I ate it all up. From the very beginning, I already had a strong preference for one of the male lead. ahem ahem. So, I did get a littleee annoyed at Fei sometimes when it came to who she trusted and her actions. I believe this was the author’s intention, so I can’t be too mad.
Overall, I LOVE the premise of the story and it was such an excellent romantasy read for me. I was gasping and kicking my feet throughout. It checked the boxes for a romance fantasy for me. While the ending was solid, I NEED A SEQUEL!!! Like, immediately (pretty PLEASE?!). Based on the acknowledgements, it seems there is a sequel?? I sure hope so, because I need more of Fei and my favorite MMC together. 💗I can’t accept that that’s all we get!!
Highly recommend!!
Tropes: forced proximity, Chinese fantasy, villain MCs, prophecy, vampires, crown prince, love triangle, political intrigue
Book: 4.5 ✨
Spice: 1.5
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC! I always appreciate it so much!! My review is honest and not contingent on receiving the ARC. I have already preordered a physical copy for myself.
I love how strong-willed Fei is throughout the book. She goes after what she wants and believes is best. She’s on high moral ground, while Siwang and Yexue were killing left and right “supposedly” for her. Yes, I ate it all up. From the very beginning, I already had a strong preference for one of the male lead. ahem ahem. So, I did get a littleee annoyed at Fei sometimes when it came to who she trusted and her actions. I believe this was the author’s intention, so I can’t be too mad.
Overall, I LOVE the premise of the story and it was such an excellent romantasy read for me. I was gasping and kicking my feet throughout. It checked the boxes for a romance fantasy for me. While the ending was solid, I NEED A SEQUEL!!! Like, immediately (pretty PLEASE?!). Based on the acknowledgements, it seems there is a sequel?? I sure hope so, because I need more of Fei and my favorite MMC together. 💗I can’t accept that that’s all we get!!
Highly recommend!!
Tropes: forced proximity, Chinese fantasy, villain MCs, prophecy, vampires, crown prince, love triangle, political intrigue
Book: 4.5 ✨
Spice: 1.5
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the eARC! I always appreciate it so much!! My review is honest and not contingent on receiving the ARC. I have already preordered a physical copy for myself.
May 29, 2025
Warning: I’m completely in love with Molly X. Chang’s writing!
The Nightblood Prince is the second book from Molly X. Chang that I read, and I couldn’t put it down. An Asian inspired story with prophecies, battles, magic, and romance.
What I enjoyed most was the FMC’s strength, determination, and character. A courageous young woman who defies fate, goes against society’s expectations, puts her people above love, and fights for a better future even when all odds are against her.
The book is brimming with romance, delicious and slow burning.
The plot and pacing are perfect, with never a dull moment.
ℹ️ YA • Fantasy • Romance • Vampires
I received the ARC of this book on Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
The Nightblood Prince is the second book from Molly X. Chang that I read, and I couldn’t put it down. An Asian inspired story with prophecies, battles, magic, and romance.
What I enjoyed most was the FMC’s strength, determination, and character. A courageous young woman who defies fate, goes against society’s expectations, puts her people above love, and fights for a better future even when all odds are against her.
The book is brimming with romance, delicious and slow burning.
The plot and pacing are perfect, with never a dull moment.
ℹ️ YA • Fantasy • Romance • Vampires
I received the ARC of this book on Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
May 20, 2025
Thank you so much to Molly X. Chang and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC of The Nightblood Prince. I could not devour this book fast enough. Romance, prophecy, vampire armies, royal drama—it gave everything I needed and then emotionally wrecked me while I was just trying to do a casual workout.
A quick peek into the story. Fei has always known her fate. Prophesied from birth to be the Empress of All Empresses, she’s raised in isolation, trained to be beautiful, obedient, and little more than a political pawn. But Fei isn’t about to go quietly. When she dares to break free of her golden cage, she ends up tangled in war, prophecy, and the dangerous affections of two rival princes. Siwang, her intended. Yexue, the runaway prince. Both morally gray. Both infuriatingly attractive. Both about to drive Fei (and me) completely feral.
Now for my review. I loved this book. Molly X. Chang knows how to craft deeply layered characters that walk the line between fate and free will with a whole lot of rage and grace. Fei’s internal battle with identity, autonomy, and power was done beautifully. She’s not here to be a jewel on someone’s arm or a royal babymaker. She wants to live, to lead, to choose. Watching her navigate those pressures, especially while being treated more as a symbol than a person, had me rooting for her with my whole heart.
And let’s talk about the chaos that is Siwang and Yexue. I have never loved and hated two characters more. Both are brilliantly written, emotionally tortured, and absolutely dumb when it comes to respecting Fei’s agency. One minute I was swooning. The next I wanted to throw a book at them. You cannot say you love a girl and then ignore her when she tells you how she feels. Make it make sense.
The story? Phenomenal. Pacing, worldbuilding, emotion—it’s all here. The ending had me crying at the gym like a totally normal person. I need volume two immediately. Molly, this was spectacular and I will not shut up about it anytime soon.
4.5 stars and all my love.
Tropes you’ll find in this book
Prophecy Chosen One
Morally Gray Love Interests
Love Triangle
Enemies to Lovers
Royal Court Intrigue
Magic and Monsters
Powerful Heroine Breaking the Mold
Slow Burn with Tension You Could Slice Through
A quick peek into the story. Fei has always known her fate. Prophesied from birth to be the Empress of All Empresses, she’s raised in isolation, trained to be beautiful, obedient, and little more than a political pawn. But Fei isn’t about to go quietly. When she dares to break free of her golden cage, she ends up tangled in war, prophecy, and the dangerous affections of two rival princes. Siwang, her intended. Yexue, the runaway prince. Both morally gray. Both infuriatingly attractive. Both about to drive Fei (and me) completely feral.
Now for my review. I loved this book. Molly X. Chang knows how to craft deeply layered characters that walk the line between fate and free will with a whole lot of rage and grace. Fei’s internal battle with identity, autonomy, and power was done beautifully. She’s not here to be a jewel on someone’s arm or a royal babymaker. She wants to live, to lead, to choose. Watching her navigate those pressures, especially while being treated more as a symbol than a person, had me rooting for her with my whole heart.
And let’s talk about the chaos that is Siwang and Yexue. I have never loved and hated two characters more. Both are brilliantly written, emotionally tortured, and absolutely dumb when it comes to respecting Fei’s agency. One minute I was swooning. The next I wanted to throw a book at them. You cannot say you love a girl and then ignore her when she tells you how she feels. Make it make sense.
The story? Phenomenal. Pacing, worldbuilding, emotion—it’s all here. The ending had me crying at the gym like a totally normal person. I need volume two immediately. Molly, this was spectacular and I will not shut up about it anytime soon.
4.5 stars and all my love.
Tropes you’ll find in this book
Prophecy Chosen One
Morally Gray Love Interests
Love Triangle
Enemies to Lovers
Royal Court Intrigue
Magic and Monsters
Powerful Heroine Breaking the Mold
Slow Burn with Tension You Could Slice Through
July 7, 2025
First of all, I would like to say I adored this book and will definitely be looking forward to book 2 when it releases!
The Nightblood Prince is a book about vampires, prophecies, and two equally lovable love interests set in a China-based empire. I loved every page in this book since the beginning and its unique storyline. Fei, the main protagonist, is caught between two princes, Yexue and Siwang, while trying to save the empire of Rong. I love Molly's writing style and the way the story is written. I look forward to the next chapter of this adventure!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc of this book.
The Nightblood Prince is a book about vampires, prophecies, and two equally lovable love interests set in a China-based empire. I loved every page in this book since the beginning and its unique storyline. Fei, the main protagonist, is caught between two princes, Yexue and Siwang, while trying to save the empire of Rong. I love Molly's writing style and the way the story is written. I look forward to the next chapter of this adventure!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc of this book.
April 1, 2025
This book was so FUN. I am obsessed with how hard Fei works to humble Siwang and Yexue. Fei feels trapped by a prophesy given to her on her birth, seeing it as a curse to forever be tied to a man and have wars waged in her name. Her frustrations with the lack of power and freedom given to women and desire to make a name for herself are woven throughout the story and her stubbornness shines through as she constantly makes decisions to avoid that, regardless of negative outcomes. I greatly enjoyed both Siwang and Yexue and the differences in their mannerisms towards Fei as they both try to get into her good graces.
I felt some parts were a bit rushed and would’ve enjoyed taking a step back to dig in a bit more, though the version of the story I received through Netgalley is a very early draft, so maybe these issues have been fixed in the final version. All in all, I was highly entertained and I love to see men down horrendously for a main character who refuses to fully give in to either one of them. I am excited to see how the story further develops in the next book and hope for more of an exploration into the magic of the story and to learn what it truly means that to be foretold as the empress of all empresses.
I felt some parts were a bit rushed and would’ve enjoyed taking a step back to dig in a bit more, though the version of the story I received through Netgalley is a very early draft, so maybe these issues have been fixed in the final version. All in all, I was highly entertained and I love to see men down horrendously for a main character who refuses to fully give in to either one of them. I am excited to see how the story further develops in the next book and hope for more of an exploration into the magic of the story and to learn what it truly means that to be foretold as the empress of all empresses.
June 17, 2025
The Nightblood Prince follows the story of a prophesized empress to unite the land and two princes and Kingdoms that want her. When Fei was born, it was said that she would become the Empress of all Empresses. The Emperor where she was born, then moved her into the palace and she was betrothed to Prince Siwang. From the time she could remember, she wanted to be more than her prophecy and was always looking for a way to beat it and the magic she hides from the world.
I really enjoyed the writing of this book, and the way the relationships were portrayed, not only between the main characters, but also Fei and her family. I appreciated the growth that Fei goes through as she realizes that her prophecy and what is expected of her doesn’t just affect herself, but also those that she loves. One of my favorite quotes was “I didn’t want to be the water that reflected his light. I wanted to be the light itself”. As the story progresses, she realizes that nuance of what it means to be human and ways that she can step into her own power.
The pacing of the book was very well done, and I was excited to keep reading it. I appreciated how this book wrapped up, and will definitely pick up the sequel when it releases.
Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed the writing of this book, and the way the relationships were portrayed, not only between the main characters, but also Fei and her family. I appreciated the growth that Fei goes through as she realizes that her prophecy and what is expected of her doesn’t just affect herself, but also those that she loves. One of my favorite quotes was “I didn’t want to be the water that reflected his light. I wanted to be the light itself”. As the story progresses, she realizes that nuance of what it means to be human and ways that she can step into her own power.
The pacing of the book was very well done, and I was excited to keep reading it. I appreciated how this book wrapped up, and will definitely pick up the sequel when it releases.
Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 12, 2025
This was such a fast paced fantasy romance! Which I really appreciate, especially for a fantasy. It doesn’t get bogged down in the world building. To be clear, this leaned more romance than fantasy. While Fei consistently reminds us about her frustration with her fate and how she is limited by her gender, the plot does truly center on her choice of romantic partner.
I am a lover of love triangles and a lover of villains- and I feel like I needed more of both of in this book. I would call Siwang and Yuxue more morally grey than legitimate villains. The few sparkling moments of banter that we got were not enough to satisfy and I’d like to see more of that in following book. But I would read future books as I can see the potential in all 3 main characters and how they can develop over time.
Thanks to the publisher for the arc, opinions are my own.
I am a lover of love triangles and a lover of villains- and I feel like I needed more of both of in this book. I would call Siwang and Yuxue more morally grey than legitimate villains. The few sparkling moments of banter that we got were not enough to satisfy and I’d like to see more of that in following book. But I would read future books as I can see the potential in all 3 main characters and how they can develop over time.
Thanks to the publisher for the arc, opinions are my own.
June 28, 2025
this was unfortunately a disappointing read for me. I don’t think there was a single redeeming quality that I enjoyed.
the world building? nonexistent. couldn’t tell you why our characters have magic that was just a given. also why were these kingdoms at war?? all that was constantly repeated was that emperors always want to go to war to conquer land. which makes sense, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want an explanation of why that’s occurring in this specific world and within the context of these characters.
the FMC - genuinely one of the most insufferable people I’ve ever read about. she was always whining about something and you COULDNT WIN WITH HER. she was mad that she had to grow up in the palace and was destined to marry the prince. ok fair enough! so she decides to break the engagement and leave, except her family is exiled alongside her. so now she’s complaining about living in the village and having to go hunt and support her family 😐 GIRL YOU CHOSE THIS. AND THEN she decides to go on some quest to find someone and all her family asks is that she writes to them to make sure she’s ok. and what does she do? NOTHING. the least she could’ve done after screwing them over. and this is just a few examples of similar instances.
the “romance” - it would be a crime to call whatever lovey moments happened in this book a romance. we were told constantly that the prince was in love with her but genuinely what qualities did she have that were lovable?? NONE she was insufferable. and we were always told about their childhood and that’s where their love began, but it’s hard to feel any connection to the characters through just words and not actions. in addition, the back and forth made no sense at all? I made a note that at 56% she said she should tell siwang, the prince, that she missed him and thought about him all the time, but that it would be a lie and that she shouldn’t toy with his heart. BUT THEN 2 PAGES LATER SHE GOES “but the more time we spent together, the more I longed for more.” MAKE IT MAKE SENSE???? and then don’t get me started on the second love interest that gets introduced. he served no real purpose and was such a simp for her in the most embarrassing way.
the writing - no depth at all, I don’t know if this is due to it being an arc and not being fully edited, but there were many issues that took away from the story. lots of repetitiveness and contradictory statements throughout the whole thing.
final thoughts - this is probably one of the most disappointing reads of this year and I don’t think this author is for me.
thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and the author for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
the world building? nonexistent. couldn’t tell you why our characters have magic that was just a given. also why were these kingdoms at war?? all that was constantly repeated was that emperors always want to go to war to conquer land. which makes sense, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want an explanation of why that’s occurring in this specific world and within the context of these characters.
the FMC - genuinely one of the most insufferable people I’ve ever read about. she was always whining about something and you COULDNT WIN WITH HER. she was mad that she had to grow up in the palace and was destined to marry the prince. ok fair enough! so she decides to break the engagement and leave, except her family is exiled alongside her. so now she’s complaining about living in the village and having to go hunt and support her family 😐 GIRL YOU CHOSE THIS. AND THEN she decides to go on some quest to find someone and all her family asks is that she writes to them to make sure she’s ok. and what does she do? NOTHING. the least she could’ve done after screwing them over. and this is just a few examples of similar instances.
the “romance” - it would be a crime to call whatever lovey moments happened in this book a romance. we were told constantly that the prince was in love with her but genuinely what qualities did she have that were lovable?? NONE she was insufferable. and we were always told about their childhood and that’s where their love began, but it’s hard to feel any connection to the characters through just words and not actions. in addition, the back and forth made no sense at all? I made a note that at 56% she said she should tell siwang, the prince, that she missed him and thought about him all the time, but that it would be a lie and that she shouldn’t toy with his heart. BUT THEN 2 PAGES LATER SHE GOES “but the more time we spent together, the more I longed for more.” MAKE IT MAKE SENSE???? and then don’t get me started on the second love interest that gets introduced. he served no real purpose and was such a simp for her in the most embarrassing way.
the writing - no depth at all, I don’t know if this is due to it being an arc and not being fully edited, but there were many issues that took away from the story. lots of repetitiveness and contradictory statements throughout the whole thing.
final thoughts - this is probably one of the most disappointing reads of this year and I don’t think this author is for me.
thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and the author for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 20, 2025
Now here’s a vampire book in a setting I’ve never seen before! And what an intriguing story it was. Fei is an absolutely solid main character. Strong, stubborn (a bit single-minded sometimes), using every tactic she knows to prevent bloodshed. But ultimately it seems that her god-given ability to predict the future does very little to help her prevent bloodshed or have a semblance of the happy life she desires. But does that stop her from seeking her own path? Duh, no.
I really loved the way the author intertwined in little proverbs in the characters’ traditional language. It made it so much more immersive and interesting.
As for the romance, this was the most conflicted I’ve ever been about a love triangle literally ever (for most of the book). Siwang is seemingly perfect but also falls into misogynistic traditions and overprotectiveness. Yexue is charming and mysterious but also conniving and unpredictable. Both the heads of warring kingdoms. Both possessive princes. Both interesting choices yet, plot-wise, present terrible circumstances for our main character, Fei, who has to make the right choice about who to choose in order to save the world. Talk about a high stakes love triangle.
Overall, I highly recommend if you love real love triangles, strong FMCs, vampires in new settings, and the compulsory "dagger to the throat of the charming love interest” scene!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!
I really loved the way the author intertwined in little proverbs in the characters’ traditional language. It made it so much more immersive and interesting.
As for the romance, this was the most conflicted I’ve ever been about a love triangle literally ever (for most of the book). Siwang is seemingly perfect but also falls into misogynistic traditions and overprotectiveness. Yexue is charming and mysterious but also conniving and unpredictable. Both the heads of warring kingdoms. Both possessive princes. Both interesting choices yet, plot-wise, present terrible circumstances for our main character, Fei, who has to make the right choice about who to choose in order to save the world. Talk about a high stakes love triangle.
Overall, I highly recommend if you love real love triangles, strong FMCs, vampires in new settings, and the compulsory "dagger to the throat of the charming love interest” scene!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!
August 6, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers, and Molly X. Chang for the opportunity to read The Nightblood Prince in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, what a book. While the writing does have moments of distraction in the mechanics, I find the story to be ultimately well-written and thoroughly engaging. I enjoy that some chapters are super short, while others are a bit longer, but none are too lengthy that they deter interest. And the end though...an oxymoron of dissatisfying, yet wholesome! How?! It seems to be a stand-alone, so...🤷♀️
The story has a few different aspects to it. It follows Lifeng Fei, the prophesied Empress of all Empresses. With the mark of the Phoenix on her forehead, everyone knows who she is, and she is fated to marry Siwang Rong, the Prince of the Rong kingdom, so that he may become the Emperor of all Emperors. They grow up together and become the best of friends, but Fei has a secret: her phoenix mark gives her visions into the future, and when she sees Siwang and her family suffer a morbid death, she knows she must try to alter the prophecy and stop that end from coming. Despite her love for Siwang, she must push him away and try to find the stargazer to see if she can end the prophecy. She needs this freedom in order to save the ones she loves. It seems that someone else might be searching for the stargazer too.
After about a year, Rong is at war with the Lan nation, of which their Prince, Yexue, was a ward of the Rong state, until his escape, thanks to Fei. Their strange encounter shows that Yexue is more than what he seems, and when an army of vampires is rumored to be taking out the Rong soldiers, Fei doesn't want to believe what she already knows is true. Enter the Mulan-esque aspect of the story. To save her father from going to war, considering he has already served the Rong's for decades, she disguises herself as a boy to take his place. She's a great hunter and finds that she will do well. Hopefully no one will see through her reuse.
Fei's main goal, aside from breaking her prophecy and saving the lives of her loved ones, is ultimately to have peace. She gains a greater worldly perspective both from her year of travels, as well as getting to know the Rong soldiers in her time of training, showing her the basic lives of the common folk, and the things that matter to those people. In a kind-of love triangle with Yexue and Siwang, Fei aims to do everything in her power to prevent one's death and find a peaceful end.
I really enjoyed this novel, though I wished there was a bit more with the romance and love triangle aspects. It was more of an angle, with a line dangling nearby... I enjoyed the development of the characters, and the various shifts they take as they make their desires clear, though more could have been developed with the feelings of the characters present. The plot was thoroughly engaging, though the end left a few too many questions, yet at the same time, it was also left up to the reader to fill in some gaps? Will there be a sequel? I don't know, but a sequel wouldn't have the same stakes that the war aspect had in this initial novel. While the reader is somewhat left hanging, there is enough content present that one can sort of see where the story will go, like a little carrot dangling in front leading down the right path. Just enough to satisfy and leave wanting at the same time.
A great novel that lovers of Mulan, Asian-inspired worlds, political intrigue, and love triangles. A great blend!
Wow, what a book. While the writing does have moments of distraction in the mechanics, I find the story to be ultimately well-written and thoroughly engaging. I enjoy that some chapters are super short, while others are a bit longer, but none are too lengthy that they deter interest. And the end though...an oxymoron of dissatisfying, yet wholesome! How?! It seems to be a stand-alone, so...🤷♀️
The story has a few different aspects to it. It follows Lifeng Fei, the prophesied Empress of all Empresses. With the mark of the Phoenix on her forehead, everyone knows who she is, and she is fated to marry Siwang Rong, the Prince of the Rong kingdom, so that he may become the Emperor of all Emperors. They grow up together and become the best of friends, but Fei has a secret: her phoenix mark gives her visions into the future, and when she sees Siwang and her family suffer a morbid death, she knows she must try to alter the prophecy and stop that end from coming. Despite her love for Siwang, she must push him away and try to find the stargazer to see if she can end the prophecy. She needs this freedom in order to save the ones she loves. It seems that someone else might be searching for the stargazer too.
After about a year, Rong is at war with the Lan nation, of which their Prince, Yexue, was a ward of the Rong state, until his escape, thanks to Fei. Their strange encounter shows that Yexue is more than what he seems, and when an army of vampires is rumored to be taking out the Rong soldiers, Fei doesn't want to believe what she already knows is true. Enter the Mulan-esque aspect of the story. To save her father from going to war, considering he has already served the Rong's for decades, she disguises herself as a boy to take his place. She's a great hunter and finds that she will do well. Hopefully no one will see through her reuse.
Fei's main goal, aside from breaking her prophecy and saving the lives of her loved ones, is ultimately to have peace. She gains a greater worldly perspective both from her year of travels, as well as getting to know the Rong soldiers in her time of training, showing her the basic lives of the common folk, and the things that matter to those people. In a kind-of love triangle with Yexue and Siwang, Fei aims to do everything in her power to prevent one's death and find a peaceful end.
I really enjoyed this novel, though I wished there was a bit more with the romance and love triangle aspects. It was more of an angle, with a line dangling nearby... I enjoyed the development of the characters, and the various shifts they take as they make their desires clear, though more could have been developed with the feelings of the characters present. The plot was thoroughly engaging, though the end left a few too many questions, yet at the same time, it was also left up to the reader to fill in some gaps? Will there be a sequel? I don't know, but a sequel wouldn't have the same stakes that the war aspect had in this initial novel. While the reader is somewhat left hanging, there is enough content present that one can sort of see where the story will go, like a little carrot dangling in front leading down the right path. Just enough to satisfy and leave wanting at the same time.
A great novel that lovers of Mulan, Asian-inspired worlds, political intrigue, and love triangles. A great blend!
June 26, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.5 stars rounded to 5.
I stayed awake to devour this book because it was just that good, zero regrets.
I went through so many emotions during this story, at first I sat on the fence feeling anxious at our FMC’s choices and decision making, but then I also thought hell yeah you go girl because why are we allowing men to make decisions for us. Then, later in the book it felt a little like a retelling and I felt so emotional for the sacrifice and compassion of our main character, although she made some selfish choices along the way she showed some real growth. Finally by the end I felt so proud and won over, the main character is truly one to remember.
I will say there’s a love triangle type situation in this and I usually would be screaming at my book to pick a particular MC, but on this occasion it felt very damon vs stefan (if you love vampire diaries you’ll get it), I legit couldn’t decide who I would choose, I almost hoped this would be a why choose scenario and my girl would get her cake and eat it too.
This is definitely a story with cruel themes centering around war, politics and prophecies. There are archaic traditional values and it will bring out the feminine rage in you as the reader, but we also get to see the lengths the FMC will go to for what she wants. The moral of her journey is hard to say but I think everyone lowkey got what they deserved in this.
I stayed awake to devour this book because it was just that good, zero regrets.
I went through so many emotions during this story, at first I sat on the fence feeling anxious at our FMC’s choices and decision making, but then I also thought hell yeah you go girl because why are we allowing men to make decisions for us. Then, later in the book it felt a little like a retelling and I felt so emotional for the sacrifice and compassion of our main character, although she made some selfish choices along the way she showed some real growth. Finally by the end I felt so proud and won over, the main character is truly one to remember.
I will say there’s a love triangle type situation in this and I usually would be screaming at my book to pick a particular MC, but on this occasion it felt very damon vs stefan (if you love vampire diaries you’ll get it), I legit couldn’t decide who I would choose, I almost hoped this would be a why choose scenario and my girl would get her cake and eat it too.
This is definitely a story with cruel themes centering around war, politics and prophecies. There are archaic traditional values and it will bring out the feminine rage in you as the reader, but we also get to see the lengths the FMC will go to for what she wants. The moral of her journey is hard to say but I think everyone lowkey got what they deserved in this.
May 29, 2025
A prophecy. A princess destined to become the empress of all empresses. And the two princes determined to win her heart.
5/5
from the pages of the library | Pillowfort | Bookbub | LibraryThing | The Story Graph | livejournal | Litsy | Booksprouts
5/5
from the pages of the library | Pillowfort | Bookbub | LibraryThing | The Story Graph | livejournal | Litsy | Booksprouts
May 19, 2025
4.5! Thank you Netgalley for the arc! What an absolutely incredible read! From the get-go the story was engaging and the writing brought me in. I was very engaged with the characters and felt that Fei was such a relatable main character. I also appreciate the incorporation of chinese language and culture without it being overwhelming or taking over the fantastical/whimsical tone. The story had elements reminiscent of Mulan, but it was not overplayed or too on the nose. There was also a love triangle, but this felt a lot more bearable than others I have read. In this, Fei takes a lot more agency in her actions, and doesn't let the actions of others (along with their twisted motivations of doing deeds on behalf of her) let her own perceptions be skewed. She wants independence and equality in her relationships, and can identify when that need is not being met. She is a truly strong female protagonist who will fight for justice. This is a really refreshing story and I am so glad to have read it.
March 31, 2025
I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this.
I am praying that in the second book our lead female ends up with neither man and kills one or both of them.
The female was a smart, sad, and determined lady. Labeled the princess of a prophecy in which her uniting with a prince will bring peace and prosperity to a kingdom. She has been kept for 17 years behind the walls of the emperor's palace so that she would eventually marry his son. There is another captive, the prince of a warring kingdom who is rumored to have dark magic / vampiristic qualities.
Her childhood friend / intended seems to be smart, good with combat, and wants peace.
The captive prince wants peace too, cherishes freedom, and wants the female to be herself.
Both men on paper if we focus on the bare bones qualities sound like good matches, but actually they're both controlling people. Both of them have selfish / vain tendencies. Both of them withhold information from her.
Our female lead is trying to figure out the prophecy and her place, and if she has powers, but both princes seem to keep her at arms length and or fail to tell her anything or care to tell her anything. Also, the captive prince shows up at the beginning and then vanishes until 70% into the book. The use of his vampire / demonic powers is at a minimum too, though it gives him a strong advantage.
Sure, it reminded me of Chinese dramas of the xianxia kind... but those had tighter narratives. Since this will have a sequel I expect a lot of info dropping in book two. All in all, slightly better than her previous book but not by much.
I am praying that in the second book our lead female ends up with neither man and kills one or both of them.
The female was a smart, sad, and determined lady. Labeled the princess of a prophecy in which her uniting with a prince will bring peace and prosperity to a kingdom. She has been kept for 17 years behind the walls of the emperor's palace so that she would eventually marry his son. There is another captive, the prince of a warring kingdom who is rumored to have dark magic / vampiristic qualities.
Her childhood friend / intended seems to be smart, good with combat, and wants peace.
The captive prince wants peace too, cherishes freedom, and wants the female to be herself.
Both men on paper if we focus on the bare bones qualities sound like good matches, but actually they're both controlling people. Both of them have selfish / vain tendencies. Both of them withhold information from her.
Our female lead is trying to figure out the prophecy and her place, and if she has powers, but both princes seem to keep her at arms length and or fail to tell her anything or care to tell her anything. Also, the captive prince shows up at the beginning and then vanishes until 70% into the book. The use of his vampire / demonic powers is at a minimum too, though it gives him a strong advantage.
Sure, it reminded me of Chinese dramas of the xianxia kind... but those had tighter narratives. Since this will have a sequel I expect a lot of info dropping in book two. All in all, slightly better than her previous book but not by much.
July 7, 2025
I must have read a different book than everyone else who rated this so highly. While I always try to find something good about a story, this one made it impossible for me. It was honestly painful making it to the end. Instead of highlighting quotes I liked, I started highlighting parts that showed inconsistencies in the story—and let me tell you, I ended up with a lot. The Nightblood Prince has a solid concept, but the execution just wasn’t for me. And while I’d love to start this review with something positive… there simply wasn’t anything. So instead, let me tell you why I didn’t like the book.
No.1 Fei Always Knows Best
I’ve come across many annoying characters in my life, but Fei might top them all. She drove me absolutely mad. She is incredibly selfish and doesn’t think about how her actions affect others. When she decides to leave her old life behind, she never once considers what that might do to her family. She’s genuinely surprised when they’re banned from their home. I hated that this is never addressed. No one gets angry with Fei, instead, they all come to the conclusion that leaving was for the best anyway. Everything is always about what’s best for Fei.
No.2 There are no Consequences
A prophecy declares that Fei will become the "Empress of all Empresses." This is mentioned a lot. And the actual phrase “Empress of all Empresses” is repeated so often it quickly becomes annoying. But Fei doesn’t want to become the Empress of all Empresses. (See? It’s already annoying.) The whole situation felt ridiculous. There are never any real consequences for Fei’s actions. It was completely out of character for the Emperor to just let her leave. I’m sorry, but that was not believable. The entire plot hinges on the idea that everyone wants to marry Fei in order to become the Emperor of all Emperors. But when she leaves? No one cares. We’re told she’s the key to ruling the world, yet no one tries to find her.
No.3 I love him / I hate him
The first part of the book focuses on Fei not wanting to be engaged to Siwang. We spend about a third of the story following her attempts to escape this engagement, because she doesn’t love him. But then, suddenly, she does. Somehow. It’s actually really confusing. We’re constantly told she doesn’t want to marry him, but then that somehow shifts into her doing everything because she loves him and doesn’t want to see him hurt. From that point on, her love for him is mentioned constantly. But she still doesn’t want to be with him. Make it make sense.
No.4 Insta-love
Yexue, our potential morally grey villain/not-villain, is raised by the Emperor as a ward. Yet when he and Fei meet, it’s mentioned they’ve barely ever spoken before. Their interaction doesn’t last long. The next thing we know, Yexue has apparently started a war because of his love for Fei. After a brief encounter at the start of the book, we don’t see him again until the final third. By then, he’s already completely obsessed with Fei and does everything for her and her happiness.
No.5 Yexue vs. Siwang
The war between nations ends up being more of a personal conflict between Yexue and Siwang. That annoyed me, because neither of them has much of a personality, which made it impossible to root for either of them. Fei shares this problem, she doesn’t really want to be with either. I assume Yexue will be endgame, and he’s the more interesting of the two. But I won’t find out because this series has lost me. I just can’t take any more of Fei. The story might have been better with multiple POVs instead of sticking with Fei the entire time. It was strange to turn this dynamic into a love triangle. It would’ve worked better if Fei had no romantic interest in either of them, rather than this constant back and forth.
No.6 Family Matters
There aren’t many side characters with significant roles, but Fei’s family is worth mentioning. Their relationship felt so contradictory. At the beginning, it’s mentioned several times that Fei barely knows her parents because they’re only allowed to visit occasionally. They’re described more like strangers. Later, the whole family is forced to leave their home because of Fei’s actions. They’re stranded in the middle of nowhere… where Fei promptly abandons them because she can’t face them. Yet by the end of the book, they’re suddenly a loving, united family. These little inconsistencies really bugged me.
No.7 Mulan Retelling
The middle of the book shifts into a Mulan-style storyline that I didn’t see coming. Fei enlists in the army for her father. And, of course, there are no struggles for her. She lives and trains undercover for months, and no one suspects a thing. Her disguise is never close to being discovered. Unsurprisingly, she’s the weakest in all the training sessions, yet everyone loves “Little Li,” as she’s known in camp.
No one realizes she’s a woman. But the moment Siwang sees Little Li, he recognizes her immediately, out of all the soldiers. Of course. From that point on, she visits the prince in his tent constantly, and no one questions it. Everyone just assumes the prince took the weakest soldier he’s never met before as a lover. And once again, this has no consequences for Fei. Her fellow soldiers and her superiors don't really care.
No.8 Plot holes
Time and distance don’t seem to exist in this world. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. Characters travel constantly, but the distances and timelines never make sense. A map would’ve helped. One scene toward the end really stuck out: Fei discovers the enemy’s weakness, and Siwang sends word back to the Emperor to request new weapons. Fei falls unconscious and wakes up two days later. When she asks when the weapons will arrive, Siwang replies, “Tomorrow.” How is that even possible? There’s no way a message could be delivered, weapons mass-produced, and then transported back to the battlefield—all within a few days.
No.9 No Magic System
The Phoenix Mark on Fei’s forehead marks her as the prophesied Empress of all Empresses. It also allows her to glimpse into the future. She has a lot of visions. At night, she sees future events, mostly related to the war. During the day, she experiences all kinds of visions—if someone is about to attack her, she sees it beforehand. In a sword fight, she knows exactly what moves her opponent is going to make next.
Her visions are never really explained. At one point, she tries to find the oracle who gave the prophecy, but that storyline doesn’t lead anywhere.
But here’s the issue: apparently, make-up is stronger than the Phoenix Mark. When Fei covers the mark to live a normal life, she stops having visions. As a soldier, she constantly wears a headband to cover it (which no one ever questions), and that, too, stops the visions completely. Whenever the plot needed Fei to have visions, she just happened to not be wearing make-up or the headband at that moment. I would have much preferred the author actually explore her abilities in a meaningful way, instead of using them as a convenient solution whenever the story needed a quick fix.
No.10 No World-Building
There’s virtually no world-building. Reading this felt like watching characters act in front of a blank white wall. The world wasn’t alive, and the countries and cities all blended together. There are prophecies and vampires, but nothing fits cohesively. It felt like a bunch of random elements thrown into a blender. Yexue’s powers, and the vampires in general, are never explained. The reader is expected to just accept everything without question.
No.11 Mass-murder Is Fine
This was a huge issue for me. Later in the book, a character destroys an entire city: enemies, civilians, and their own soldiers included. While it’s briefly mentioned that this wasn’t really okay, there are no consequences. The character remains beloved, and the mass killing is swept under the rug.
No.12 Grammar Issues
This is a minor point, but there were a lot of grammatical errors. Sentence structure was often awkward or incorrect. That’s totally understandable for a non-native speaker, but these are things that should’ve been fixed during editing. Hopefully this will be addressed in the final version, but it was definitely noticeable.
No.13 The War is ended by a Game
I wish this were a joke, but it’s not. The conclusion to the war was one of the worst things I’ve ever read. The politics in this book were already questionable, but the ending was downright ridiculous.
The final battle takes place on a giant battlefield, yet somehow everyone sees Fei. Both Siwang and Yexue stop the entire fight with a simple hand gesture, and again, everyone sees. But what follows is even worse: Fei suggests they settle things by playing a game. Whoever loses grants the winner a wish.
That’s how the war ends. I’ll just leave that there.
It’s safe to say The Nightblood Prince was not for me. There wasn’t a single likeable character. The world-building was non-existent, and the characters’ powers were never really explained. The book was riddled with inconsistencies that made my head hurt. The politics were a joke and so was the depiction of war. Fei, the main character, somehow manages to be both full of flaws and completely flawless. Nothing she does has consequences, and everyone loves her.
It’s rare that I can’t find anything to enjoy in a book, but this was a crushing disappointment. I had such high hopes. Still, there are plenty of positive reviews out there, so clearly others felt very differently. Maybe this was just one of those cases where the book and I weren’t a good match. Tastes vary. But I really struggled to finish this and, for me, I absolutely cannot recommend it.
⇢ 1 star
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
No.1 Fei Always Knows Best
A side effect of growing up in the imperial palace as the prince's bride. I rarely had to think far enough to consider the repercussions of my actions because Siwang was always there to protect me.
I’ve come across many annoying characters in my life, but Fei might top them all. She drove me absolutely mad. She is incredibly selfish and doesn’t think about how her actions affect others. When she decides to leave her old life behind, she never once considers what that might do to her family. She’s genuinely surprised when they’re banned from their home. I hated that this is never addressed. No one gets angry with Fei, instead, they all come to the conclusion that leaving was for the best anyway. Everything is always about what’s best for Fei.
No.2 There are no Consequences
A prophecy declares that Fei will become the "Empress of all Empresses." This is mentioned a lot. And the actual phrase “Empress of all Empresses” is repeated so often it quickly becomes annoying. But Fei doesn’t want to become the Empress of all Empresses. (See? It’s already annoying.) The whole situation felt ridiculous. There are never any real consequences for Fei’s actions. It was completely out of character for the Emperor to just let her leave. I’m sorry, but that was not believable. The entire plot hinges on the idea that everyone wants to marry Fei in order to become the Emperor of all Emperors. But when she leaves? No one cares. We’re told she’s the key to ruling the world, yet no one tries to find her.
No.3 I love him / I hate him
I wanted Rong Siwang to be a villain, easy to hate, easy to leave. Not a kind man who loved me more than I deserved, who would rather break his own heart than see me unhappy.
But he was the Prince Regent of Lan. He was the enemy. And I was already in love with Siwang.
The first part of the book focuses on Fei not wanting to be engaged to Siwang. We spend about a third of the story following her attempts to escape this engagement, because she doesn’t love him. But then, suddenly, she does. Somehow. It’s actually really confusing. We’re constantly told she doesn’t want to marry him, but then that somehow shifts into her doing everything because she loves him and doesn’t want to see him hurt. From that point on, her love for him is mentioned constantly. But she still doesn’t want to be with him. Make it make sense.
No.4 Insta-love
"And how do you know what I deserve?"
"Because you are brave, and courageous, and good. Good people deserve to be free, Fei. If the stars won't give you all that you deserve, then let me."
"You don't know me, Lan Yexue."
Yexue, our potential morally grey villain/not-villain, is raised by the Emperor as a ward. Yet when he and Fei meet, it’s mentioned they’ve barely ever spoken before. Their interaction doesn’t last long. The next thing we know, Yexue has apparently started a war because of his love for Fei. After a brief encounter at the start of the book, we don’t see him again until the final third. By then, he’s already completely obsessed with Fei and does everything for her and her happiness.
No.5 Yexue vs. Siwang
"They say that Lan Yexue started this war because of me." I searched Siwang's face for a reaction. "Let me end this."
The war between nations ends up being more of a personal conflict between Yexue and Siwang. That annoyed me, because neither of them has much of a personality, which made it impossible to root for either of them. Fei shares this problem, she doesn’t really want to be with either. I assume Yexue will be endgame, and he’s the more interesting of the two. But I won’t find out because this series has lost me. I just can’t take any more of Fei. The story might have been better with multiple POVs instead of sticking with Fei the entire time. It was strange to turn this dynamic into a love triangle. It would’ve worked better if Fei had no romantic interest in either of them, rather than this constant back and forth.
No.6 Family Matters
…having no talent is a virtue for a woman. A saying repeated too many times by the scholars who were supposed to teach me, the father who was supposed to love and believe in me, and especially the emperor, who saw my yearning to learn as a threat against his son.
There aren’t many side characters with significant roles, but Fei’s family is worth mentioning. Their relationship felt so contradictory. At the beginning, it’s mentioned several times that Fei barely knows her parents because they’re only allowed to visit occasionally. They’re described more like strangers. Later, the whole family is forced to leave their home because of Fei’s actions. They’re stranded in the middle of nowhere… where Fei promptly abandons them because she can’t face them. Yet by the end of the book, they’re suddenly a loving, united family. These little inconsistencies really bugged me.
No.7 Mulan Retelling
"I'm ready," I said. "I know most of the men in my company aren't ready, but I am, Siwang. Take me with you. Let me fight."
He laughed. "You are not coming with me. It's too dangerous."
"I'm one of your best soldiers!" A lie. I was not good. I was barely average. But I had magic.
The middle of the book shifts into a Mulan-style storyline that I didn’t see coming. Fei enlists in the army for her father. And, of course, there are no struggles for her. She lives and trains undercover for months, and no one suspects a thing. Her disguise is never close to being discovered. Unsurprisingly, she’s the weakest in all the training sessions, yet everyone loves “Little Li,” as she’s known in camp.
No one realizes she’s a woman. But the moment Siwang sees Little Li, he recognizes her immediately, out of all the soldiers. Of course. From that point on, she visits the prince in his tent constantly, and no one questions it. Everyone just assumes the prince took the weakest soldier he’s never met before as a lover. And once again, this has no consequences for Fei. Her fellow soldiers and her superiors don't really care.
No.8 Plot holes
Time and distance don’t seem to exist in this world. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. Characters travel constantly, but the distances and timelines never make sense. A map would’ve helped. One scene toward the end really stuck out: Fei discovers the enemy’s weakness, and Siwang sends word back to the Emperor to request new weapons. Fei falls unconscious and wakes up two days later. When she asks when the weapons will arrive, Siwang replies, “Tomorrow.” How is that even possible? There’s no way a message could be delivered, weapons mass-produced, and then transported back to the battlefield—all within a few days.
No.9 No Magic System
The Phoenix Mark on Fei’s forehead marks her as the prophesied Empress of all Empresses. It also allows her to glimpse into the future. She has a lot of visions. At night, she sees future events, mostly related to the war. During the day, she experiences all kinds of visions—if someone is about to attack her, she sees it beforehand. In a sword fight, she knows exactly what moves her opponent is going to make next.
Her visions are never really explained. At one point, she tries to find the oracle who gave the prophecy, but that storyline doesn’t lead anywhere.
But here’s the issue: apparently, make-up is stronger than the Phoenix Mark. When Fei covers the mark to live a normal life, she stops having visions. As a soldier, she constantly wears a headband to cover it (which no one ever questions), and that, too, stops the visions completely. Whenever the plot needed Fei to have visions, she just happened to not be wearing make-up or the headband at that moment. I would have much preferred the author actually explore her abilities in a meaningful way, instead of using them as a convenient solution whenever the story needed a quick fix.
No.10 No World-Building
There’s virtually no world-building. Reading this felt like watching characters act in front of a blank white wall. The world wasn’t alive, and the countries and cities all blended together. There are prophecies and vampires, but nothing fits cohesively. It felt like a bunch of random elements thrown into a blender. Yexue’s powers, and the vampires in general, are never explained. The reader is expected to just accept everything without question.
No.11 Mass-murder Is Fine
This was a huge issue for me. Later in the book, a character destroys an entire city: enemies, civilians, and their own soldiers included. While it’s briefly mentioned that this wasn’t really okay, there are no consequences. The character remains beloved, and the mass killing is swept under the rug.
No.12 Grammar Issues
This is a minor point, but there were a lot of grammatical errors. Sentence structure was often awkward or incorrect. That’s totally understandable for a non-native speaker, but these are things that should’ve been fixed during editing. Hopefully this will be addressed in the final version, but it was definitely noticeable.
No.13 The War is ended by a Game
"Both of you, tell your men to back off and stop fighting," I snapped. Yexue held his hand high, and like magic, his men stopped.
Siwang did the same, still choking, gulping for air, clutching his wounds.
I wish this were a joke, but it’s not. The conclusion to the war was one of the worst things I’ve ever read. The politics in this book were already questionable, but the ending was downright ridiculous.
The final battle takes place on a giant battlefield, yet somehow everyone sees Fei. Both Siwang and Yexue stop the entire fight with a simple hand gesture, and again, everyone sees. But what follows is even worse: Fei suggests they settle things by playing a game. Whoever loses grants the winner a wish.
That’s how the war ends. I’ll just leave that there.
"Let's play a game. Whoever loses will grant the winner one wish. Whatever they want. If I win, you will let Siwang go on the condition that he signs the treaty."
It’s safe to say The Nightblood Prince was not for me. There wasn’t a single likeable character. The world-building was non-existent, and the characters’ powers were never really explained. The book was riddled with inconsistencies that made my head hurt. The politics were a joke and so was the depiction of war. Fei, the main character, somehow manages to be both full of flaws and completely flawless. Nothing she does has consequences, and everyone loves her.
It’s rare that I can’t find anything to enjoy in a book, but this was a crushing disappointment. I had such high hopes. Still, there are plenty of positive reviews out there, so clearly others felt very differently. Maybe this was just one of those cases where the book and I weren’t a good match. Tastes vary. But I really struggled to finish this and, for me, I absolutely cannot recommend it.
⇢ 1 star
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
May 12, 2025
I haven't read To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods but I was intrigued by this book because I am obsessed with Asian-inspired fantasy, I enjoy a good love triangle and I liked the idea of Asian vampires. I also think this author gets a lot of negative attention that can often seem just unkind to me, so part of me wanted to see if her critics were right.
I had mixed feelings about this book and wasn't sure I really liked any of the characters, but I found them compelling regardless and I liked seeing the transformation of Fei from selfish, spoiled palace prisoner to military leader who wins the freedom to make her own choices. I also liked all the drama; I'm a soap opera and Below Decks fan and some of the intensity of the interpersonal drama veered to soapy levels. I sometimes got frustrated with some of the pacing issues when romantic tension was shown through chatty dialogue, but I mostly enjoyed the soapy escapism.
Fei is a sheltered princess betrothed to Siwang. She is country girl born with the curse of a prophecy to become the empress of all empresses if she marries her true love. Siwang loves her with the innocence and purity of first love, but she's never sure whether he just loves the prophecy and he's the one with the power in their dynamic. Until one night when she meets the demon prince of a rival kingdom, Yexue, and saves his life.
She wins a wish and breaks her betrothal to Siwang; then her family is sent into exile as peasants again. She travels, then joins the army in her father's stead when the two princes wage bloodthirsty war against each other.
At first I thought she was a selfish, reckless brat who toyed with Siwang's feelings and I really did not like her much. But the first half was very slow and the pacing of the romance between them was weird. I got to know them as a couple mainly through flashbacks to sweet childhood memories.
I didn't think we got enough on-page time with Yexue, but he was an intriguing foil for Siwang. The good man cursed to become a tyrant, or the confident tyrant with the face of a demon? I wasn't sure how I felt about a choice between two tyrants who manipulated Fei's feelings, but I was intrigued by the differences between them, the dark romance aspect focusing on two toxic men, and the spicy romantic tension.
So all in all I found this an entertaining romantasy, despite some of its flaws. I would read more in this series. The author really got me on Fei's side by the second half and I found myself rooting for her.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I had mixed feelings about this book and wasn't sure I really liked any of the characters, but I found them compelling regardless and I liked seeing the transformation of Fei from selfish, spoiled palace prisoner to military leader who wins the freedom to make her own choices. I also liked all the drama; I'm a soap opera and Below Decks fan and some of the intensity of the interpersonal drama veered to soapy levels. I sometimes got frustrated with some of the pacing issues when romantic tension was shown through chatty dialogue, but I mostly enjoyed the soapy escapism.
Fei is a sheltered princess betrothed to Siwang. She is country girl born with the curse of a prophecy to become the empress of all empresses if she marries her true love. Siwang loves her with the innocence and purity of first love, but she's never sure whether he just loves the prophecy and he's the one with the power in their dynamic. Until one night when she meets the demon prince of a rival kingdom, Yexue, and saves his life.
She wins a wish and breaks her betrothal to Siwang; then her family is sent into exile as peasants again. She travels, then joins the army in her father's stead when the two princes wage bloodthirsty war against each other.
At first I thought she was a selfish, reckless brat who toyed with Siwang's feelings and I really did not like her much. But the first half was very slow and the pacing of the romance between them was weird. I got to know them as a couple mainly through flashbacks to sweet childhood memories.
I didn't think we got enough on-page time with Yexue, but he was an intriguing foil for Siwang. The good man cursed to become a tyrant, or the confident tyrant with the face of a demon? I wasn't sure how I felt about a choice between two tyrants who manipulated Fei's feelings, but I was intrigued by the differences between them, the dark romance aspect focusing on two toxic men, and the spicy romantic tension.
So all in all I found this an entertaining romantasy, despite some of its flaws. I would read more in this series. The author really got me on Fei's side by the second half and I found myself rooting for her.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 26, 2025
The Nightblood Prince was INCREDIBLE. It’s been a hugely anticipated read of mine for a while and it did not disappoint!
Fei is one of the best female leads I’ve ever read. She is not bold and in your face, but possesses a quiet determination to take control of her own life and be free from the chains that were placed on her from birth. She is intelligent, articulate and a hell of an archer. She makes the hard choices, even when others would have gladly accepted her path in life, she stays true to herself and her desire to control her own fate.
Fei is caught between two princes in the book; one of which she’s known and loved her whole life, and the other who opens her eyes to new truths about her life and the world beyond the palace where she’s been raised. I loved the contrasts & the similarities between both pricnes, but most of all, I loved that Fei never once put either of them before her own desires to lead and control her own life. I couldn’t help but adore her.
An absolute joy to read, beautiful prose, a fantastic plot and a world I could immerse myself in, with a strong female lead at its heart. Superb. 👌
Fei is one of the best female leads I’ve ever read. She is not bold and in your face, but possesses a quiet determination to take control of her own life and be free from the chains that were placed on her from birth. She is intelligent, articulate and a hell of an archer. She makes the hard choices, even when others would have gladly accepted her path in life, she stays true to herself and her desire to control her own fate.
Fei is caught between two princes in the book; one of which she’s known and loved her whole life, and the other who opens her eyes to new truths about her life and the world beyond the palace where she’s been raised. I loved the contrasts & the similarities between both pricnes, but most of all, I loved that Fei never once put either of them before her own desires to lead and control her own life. I couldn’t help but adore her.
An absolute joy to read, beautiful prose, a fantastic plot and a world I could immerse myself in, with a strong female lead at its heart. Superb. 👌
July 5, 2025
An empress prophesied to unite two kingdoms but wants to seize her own destiny; while being caught in a love triangle of two princes of these kingdoms.
Fei has grown up in a palace following expectations and rules all because of a prophecy that was given when she was born. Instead of wanting to get married, Fei wants to be in charge of her own destiny. While doing so, she is caught between Siwang (the prince who has grown up and is betrothed to Fei) and Yexue (the mysterious prince who has magical blood powers). Right from the beginning of the book, Fei questioned the patriarchy and wasn’t afraid to speak out against it, which instantly made me fall in love with her. Throughout the story, the reader experiences the struggles and challenges of being a woman in a fantastical Asian world which can be translated to today’s society; as well as the strength and resilience of women fighting for what is important and desired.
This is one of my highly recommended books of the year!! I keep telling everyone about it!
Fei has grown up in a palace following expectations and rules all because of a prophecy that was given when she was born. Instead of wanting to get married, Fei wants to be in charge of her own destiny. While doing so, she is caught between Siwang (the prince who has grown up and is betrothed to Fei) and Yexue (the mysterious prince who has magical blood powers). Right from the beginning of the book, Fei questioned the patriarchy and wasn’t afraid to speak out against it, which instantly made me fall in love with her. Throughout the story, the reader experiences the struggles and challenges of being a woman in a fantastical Asian world which can be translated to today’s society; as well as the strength and resilience of women fighting for what is important and desired.
This is one of my highly recommended books of the year!! I keep telling everyone about it!
June 21, 2025
“You are more powerful than you realize. But men do not like powerful women”
~~~
So…I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! @mollyxchang is now on my top ten favorite authors list!
When I say I couldn’t put this book down…I LEGITIMATELY COULDNT PUT IT DOWN! Loved the plot, the characters were amazing, and the banter is top! Absolutely loved it, and I NEED MORE!
💯 You’ll need to put this book on your preorder list for 7/1/25! You DO NOT want to miss it!
~~~
So…I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! @mollyxchang is now on my top ten favorite authors list!
When I say I couldn’t put this book down…I LEGITIMATELY COULDNT PUT IT DOWN! Loved the plot, the characters were amazing, and the banter is top! Absolutely loved it, and I NEED MORE!
💯 You’ll need to put this book on your preorder list for 7/1/25! You DO NOT want to miss it!
June 19, 2025
I really enjoyed Molly X. Chang's debut novel, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, so I was thrilled to be able to read an arc of this book. I'd even say that I might have enjoyed The Nightblood Prince more than her debut.
It's a tightly plotted, faced paced political fantasy with a great badass heroine. Fei has her own moral compass and her own agendas. Despite the fact that this novel was marketed as a love triangle, that's kind of an underlying subplot while the main character runs around getting stuff done. I loved her character and how brutal and uncompromising she was in achieving her goals. Fei is also a very empathetic protagonist, but that doesn't mean she's not ambitious too, which I appreciated.
The male love interests are the ones who center all their actions around winning her hand (I think I'm rooting for the wrong guy in this triangle, but I guess that's okay) and she's like, "I care about you both, but I don't have time to deal with that right now, leave me alone."
And then she goes and saves everyone. The Nightblood Prince is a very feminist, very angsty novel that kind of reminded me of one of my other favorite young adult trilogies, The Winner's Curse series by Marie Rutkoski. It really highlights the futility of war and how despite what the people in charge may say, none of them wage it out of care for their people. They do it to amass power and don't care about the causalities.
* Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review
It's a tightly plotted, faced paced political fantasy with a great badass heroine. Fei has her own moral compass and her own agendas. Despite the fact that this novel was marketed as a love triangle, that's kind of an underlying subplot while the main character runs around getting stuff done. I loved her character and how brutal and uncompromising she was in achieving her goals. Fei is also a very empathetic protagonist, but that doesn't mean she's not ambitious too, which I appreciated.
The male love interests are the ones who center all their actions around winning her hand (I think I'm rooting for the wrong guy in this triangle, but I guess that's okay) and she's like, "I care about you both, but I don't have time to deal with that right now, leave me alone."
And then she goes and saves everyone. The Nightblood Prince is a very feminist, very angsty novel that kind of reminded me of one of my other favorite young adult trilogies, The Winner's Curse series by Marie Rutkoski. It really highlights the futility of war and how despite what the people in charge may say, none of them wage it out of care for their people. They do it to amass power and don't care about the causalities.
* Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review
June 13, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a masterful blend of intricate world-building, compelling characters, and thrilling adventure. From the very first page, the author draws readers into a world brimming with magic, danger, and political intrigue. The setting is both vast and richly detailed.
Overall, this book is a true gem for fantasy lovers. Whether you're new to the genre or a seasoned fan, it's impossible not to get lost in its pages. A captivating, unforgettable read!
This book is a masterful blend of intricate world-building, compelling characters, and thrilling adventure. From the very first page, the author draws readers into a world brimming with magic, danger, and political intrigue. The setting is both vast and richly detailed.
Overall, this book is a true gem for fantasy lovers. Whether you're new to the genre or a seasoned fan, it's impossible not to get lost in its pages. A captivating, unforgettable read!
March 28, 2025
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC for The Nightblood Prince!
The book follows Fei, a woman who is betrothed to crown Prince Shiwang due to a prophecy on the day of her birth that declares she will be the "empress among empresses". Fei's character and personality definitely borrows from Mulan. Fei feels confined by her fate and her betrothal to Shiwang and desires to hunt a legendary tiger to win a wish from the emperor. Her wish, of course, is the break the betrothal and live a life outside of a gilded cage. On the eve of her hunt, she saves the captive demon prince, Yuxue. Fei gets her wish and the betrothal is dissolved. However, her family is also exiled with her. That is where part two of the novel starts to pick up.
Fei is a delightfully, selfishly flawed female protagonist. She makes selfish choices without considering the consequences for her family...or really anyone else. I know that is something some readers may find frustrating. However, I find it delightfully refreshing that Fei focuses on her wants and needs. After her father is conscripted into the army, Through-out the plot, we are introduced to the horros of war that is plaguing both sides.
The romance is fine. Shiwang and Yuxue both definitely have their flaws and issues. I love how Fei is aware of the flaws and doesn't let herself forgive and forget too easily. Honestly, both men are fine. But they have killed A LOT of people. I think I preferred Yuxue even though there was only every tension between him and Fei. Frankly, I hope this is a series where Fei is allowed to choose herself. (Again, allowing herself to be selfish.)
Overall, the plot is fairly slow in the first half and fast paced in the second half. I loved the visual interplay between the Chinese language and English. The introduction of vampires was interesting, but was not really expanded upon. I'm glad there is going to be a sequel because there are so many plot points that I want to see a full resolution. Especially the prophecy. Overall, this is an incredibly entertaining read! Thank you again to Netgalley and the publisher.
The book follows Fei, a woman who is betrothed to crown Prince Shiwang due to a prophecy on the day of her birth that declares she will be the "empress among empresses". Fei's character and personality definitely borrows from Mulan. Fei feels confined by her fate and her betrothal to Shiwang and desires to hunt a legendary tiger to win a wish from the emperor. Her wish, of course, is the break the betrothal and live a life outside of a gilded cage. On the eve of her hunt, she saves the captive demon prince, Yuxue. Fei gets her wish and the betrothal is dissolved. However, her family is also exiled with her. That is where part two of the novel starts to pick up.
Fei is a delightfully, selfishly flawed female protagonist. She makes selfish choices without considering the consequences for her family...or really anyone else. I know that is something some readers may find frustrating. However, I find it delightfully refreshing that Fei focuses on her wants and needs. After her father is conscripted into the army, Through-out the plot, we are introduced to the horros of war that is plaguing both sides.
The romance is fine. Shiwang and Yuxue both definitely have their flaws and issues. I love how Fei is aware of the flaws and doesn't let herself forgive and forget too easily. Honestly, both men are fine. But they have killed A LOT of people. I think I preferred Yuxue even though there was only every tension between him and Fei. Frankly, I hope this is a series where Fei is allowed to choose herself. (Again, allowing herself to be selfish.)
Overall, the plot is fairly slow in the first half and fast paced in the second half. I loved the visual interplay between the Chinese language and English. The introduction of vampires was interesting, but was not really expanded upon. I'm glad there is going to be a sequel because there are so many plot points that I want to see a full resolution. Especially the prophecy. Overall, this is an incredibly entertaining read! Thank you again to Netgalley and the publisher.
June 13, 2025
I’d like to preface my review by saying that i absolutely adored our protagonist, Fei, and the world Molly X. Chang has created! Our two male love interests? Not so much. Hopefully they get some better development in the second book and gain half the sense the woman they love has!
Fei has always been trapped. Destined from birth to marry the crown prince and become the Empress of all Empresses, her life has never been her own. While postponing her nuptials and hiding the visions of the future that plague her, she’s slowly began to formulate a plan to cement her escape. At the next hunt, she’ll capture a rare tiger, one that will force the emperor to grant any wish. But when her pursuit of the tiger ends in her saving the ward from the enemy state Yexue, things get a little bit too complicated. Before she realizes it, Fei is torn between Yexue and her betrothed Siwang, and the two sides of the war these men begin. Can she follow her heart? Or will she be forced to yield to the prophecy hanging over her head?
I love a protagonist who is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to reach her goal, who takes matters into her own hands, and rises above the societal expectations of women. Fei matches this criteria precisely. She’s feisty, she’s smart, and although she isn’t good at things immediately, she does not give up.
The Trojan War meets Vampires and Mulan in this stunning beginning to a new duology, and it releases July 1st! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House/Underlined for the e-arc!
Fei has always been trapped. Destined from birth to marry the crown prince and become the Empress of all Empresses, her life has never been her own. While postponing her nuptials and hiding the visions of the future that plague her, she’s slowly began to formulate a plan to cement her escape. At the next hunt, she’ll capture a rare tiger, one that will force the emperor to grant any wish. But when her pursuit of the tiger ends in her saving the ward from the enemy state Yexue, things get a little bit too complicated. Before she realizes it, Fei is torn between Yexue and her betrothed Siwang, and the two sides of the war these men begin. Can she follow her heart? Or will she be forced to yield to the prophecy hanging over her head?
I love a protagonist who is willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to reach her goal, who takes matters into her own hands, and rises above the societal expectations of women. Fei matches this criteria precisely. She’s feisty, she’s smart, and although she isn’t good at things immediately, she does not give up.
The Trojan War meets Vampires and Mulan in this stunning beginning to a new duology, and it releases July 1st! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House/Underlined for the e-arc!
July 1, 2025
The conflict between duty and desire to be free and independent shines throughout this story that is essentially what if Mulan had to choose between Li Shang and Shan Yu, oh, and Shan Yu just so happened to be a vampire. It’s a lot more complex than that, but it gets the gist of the vibes down. Each time I picked this up I didn’t want to stop reading and only did so because I had to work or no longer could read at the time.
Fei is a fantastically smart and strong FMC and knows that both men that are vying for her heart and her hand in marriage are not what she needs to keep her independence. I am really hoping she keeps her fierceness as the story develops and nothing drives her into either of their arms as neither man is quite as good as they would like to present themselves.
I really enjoyed To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, but I think I fell for this story even more.
4.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to @getunderlined @randomhousechildrens for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.
Fei is a fantastically smart and strong FMC and knows that both men that are vying for her heart and her hand in marriage are not what she needs to keep her independence. I am really hoping she keeps her fierceness as the story develops and nothing drives her into either of their arms as neither man is quite as good as they would like to present themselves.
I really enjoyed To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, but I think I fell for this story even more.
4.5 stars rounded up
Thank you to @getunderlined @randomhousechildrens for this eARC. All thoughts are my own.
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