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As Cold As Glass #1

The Fell Queen

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The Grey King's thirst for power is sweeping the continent of Malvea, realm by realm.

Princess Neira stands as the last bastion against the forces invading her realm of Brightmere. Her father has fallen and his heir, Neira's younger brother Ramin, won't be spared if the walls are breached. Determined to keep the invading forces from taking over, she makes hard choices – and is betrayed by her people. Delivered to the Grey King naked and in chains, her childhood home becomes a prison in the blink of an eye.

Erqis was never the type to lead from the back – not when being at the front yields such pretty, feisty spoils. But he is not planning to get distracted by the princess. Brightmere is hiding powerful, forbidden magic, and he's determined to destroy it before it can be used against him. At all costs, even if it means offering Neira a deal in return for her freedom.

But something sinister is lurking deep in Brightmere's heart, and when her treacherous court falls, Neira has to rely on the king who stole her future – and become the evil queen at the tyrant's side.

411 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2024

40 people are currently reading
535 people want to read

About the author

Camille Dwight

10 books50 followers

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5 stars
59 (34%)
4 stars
51 (30%)
3 stars
40 (23%)
2 stars
12 (7%)
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7 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
Profile Image for Shayna.
26 reviews1 follower
July 25, 2024
Fire breathing conquerer kills a man for insulting his wife 🔥🔥🔥 🥵🥵🥵
Profile Image for Jaja.
203 reviews90 followers
December 18, 2024
"No. This man would burn the world to the ground for no other reason than to let the inferno warm her hands."

4,75⭐️ 2,80🌶️

C’était tout ce dont je ne savais pas que j’avais besoin. Des personnages matures et intelligents émotionnellement. Elle est plus vieille que lui et elle peut pas le supporter mais il gagne son cœur en étant insupportable tout en la laissant être ELLE MÊME. C’est une réécriture de la méchante reine dans blanche neige, qui réussit à trouver l’amour. Il y a des thèmes très sombres et ça tourne même vite au thriller parfois, incroyable pour une romantaisie.
J’ai trop hâte de la suite. Mission propagande maintenant jusqu’à ce qu’une maison d’édition le traduise pour les lecteurs fr only.
Profile Image for Amanda Stanford.
21 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2024
I have a love hate relationship with ARCs because now I have to wait for the next book to find out what happened!!!

I love this. So many plot twists. Just enough spice with a solid plot!

I can’t wait to see more of the Grey King and the Fell Queen 👀
Profile Image for Savannah (chapters_of_mayhem).
255 reviews8 followers
July 25, 2024
Oh my god I had the best time reading this book!
A dark romantasy that has allll the cosy vibes!
I don’t know what magic was put into writing it but I could not put it down!

“I’ve never actually killed anyone before.”
“Why allow me the pleasure of teaching you! This will be fun!”

Erqis. The banter. The fire breathing. Amazing.

Neira. That attitude. Reluctant heroine. Bitch queen!

The plot twists were fantastic. Went in directions I wasn’t expecting them to go. I hope we get more of the dread kings backstory as we go along. I’m so invested in how that happened and how Neira came to be.

I will be eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!
Profile Image for Falling_Into_Ink.
159 reviews
August 26, 2024
I loved reading this book from the start it had me trying to figure everything out as the story progressed some of my guesses where correct and other I didn't see coming.

This book was very well written, the world building was fantastic and didn't info dump and the character development (particularly of Neira) was brilliant!

The Spice was very well written and well placed, it didn't overpower the story but added very well to the plot.

I can't wait to read the next one when it comes out!
Profile Image for Clémence.
50 reviews
February 8, 2025
C’est une très bonne lecture ! L’ambiance du livre est bien décrite, j’ai adoré la vibe manoir hanté/ terres maudites.

Cerise sur le gâteau : Un homme fou de sa femme. Il m’en fallait pas plus pour acheter !

Le personnage féminin, Neira, est incroyable, je l’ai beaucoup aimé. Intelligente, forte. Ce n’est pas l’archétype de la femme petite et plus jeune, car elle est grande et plus âgée que lui. Ça change !





253 reviews5 followers
May 18, 2025
In a genre that can often feel very 'point by numbers' (replace numbers by trope), and slightly samey - The Fell Queen was a nice breath of fresh air. What initially seemed like a standard fairytale retelling took a sharp turn somewhere - and I LOVED IT!

This book was so easy to read. The world building was not onourous, and the prose itself was easy to digest. There was one scene that I thought was really interesting and also pratical - a scene with an accountant no less! But those few pages actually ended up revealing a lot.

I loved the classic fairytale Easter Eggs that are dotted around, and it's very clear what Camille's inspirtation was.
Profile Image for eclecticbychoicereads.
584 reviews60 followers
July 5, 2025
Did I absolutely devour this book in one day? Yes! Am I sorry for it? Absolutely not!

"My princess, my hostage, mine to keep or to set free. Mine to spoil or punish."

See? How could I have left this book lying around with quotes like these? I know you are now thinking to yourself that you should also run and get your copy of The Fell Queen, Book 1 in the As Cold As Glass series by Camille Dwight. Well, you're in for a treat, as The Fell Queen publication date is September 1st!

But what else should make you want to read this book? What else is there apart from these swoon-worthy, steamy quotes?

Banter! Oh, but what a glorious banter it is! I was outright laughing out loud, unable to stop myself at times.

"You know," he murmured, leaning closer to brush their noses together. "I just so happen to know a king. One without a wife, but with a nice, girthy–"
She clamped her hand over her mouth. "Don't finish that sentence."
"–empire to rule."

Do you see not what I mean? Run, I say, run to meet Neira & the ever-inappropriately witty Erqis.

Add to the mixture an exciting & intriguing plot, so many mysteries and secrets waiting to be unravelled, perfect side characters who are so much more than wallflowers (looking at you, Qavor), and just wait for the tale of the Grey King & the Feel Queen to unravel before your eyes. You want to get to know Neira, a fierce female character who was kept in the dark all her life but is eager to learn, explore & find her rightful place. But, will that place be next to the conqueror, the feared Grey King? How will they learn to co-exist, the captor and the captive? Or is that truly their dynamics?

The Fell Queen will make you laugh and swoon; it will immerse you in its tale of mysteries, ambition, forbidden magic, unyielding passion & need for revenge. September 1st, mark your calendars!

And thank you, Camille, for having me as your ARC reader; I loved every single moment!

In short, The Fell Queen will gift you
- an enthralling dark romantasy
- true enemies-to-lovers
- reverse grumpy vs. sunshine
- he falls first
- touch her & perish
- the most perfect banter ever
- dark & forbidden magic
- necromancy
- so many mysteries & secrets
- betrayal & court intrigue
and a true tale of mysteries, ambition, unyielding passion & need for revenge!
Profile Image for Melanie.
196 reviews16 followers
October 15, 2024
There’s an issue when I feel uncomfortable for the FMC bc of how every line out of the MMCs mouth is cringy and sexually charged (dudes a king and is horny 24/7 literally his internal monologue is just sex sex sex) anyways the background plot of this is so interesting and the only reason I kept reading
Profile Image for Bevin.
374 reviews17 followers
August 21, 2024
CW: violence, gore, spice, necromancy, references to su!cide/f0rced pregnancy, some others.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team! “The Fell Queen” releases September 1, 2024!

Which do I love more, spicy banter or unhinged MCs? With books this good at combining the two, the world may never know.

When Grey King Erqis sets out to add Brightmere to his lists of conquest, it’s with the intention to earn favor in the rest of his kingdom by clearing out a cursed land. What he finds instead is a kingdom of secrets and one, very angry, Princess Neira. Neira’s planned all her life to become queen, and she’s not about to set that aside for anyone.

Between some of my recent reads and now this book, I’m beginning to think I have both a favorite type of MC and a favorite multi-MC dynamic. I’m also beginning to think that maybe both of these things say a lot about me, because the types are as follows: absolutely feral FMCs who can and will wield inordinate amounts of both attitude and power to ruthlessly get their sh!t done, and MCs who throw snark and shade at each other like it’s going out of style.

This whole thing was amazing, but the absolutely effortless flow of our MMC and FMC together is on a whole other level, and it completely makes the book for me. Both of them are phenomenal and completely insane, and I loved every moment of that, but the way they go back and forth is incredible. She’s throwing (moderately serious) de@th thre@ts at him, he’s openly acknowledging that she’d be perfectly capable and he’s kind of curious to see how things go. Immaculate. Perfection. Not a single missed moment here, and it’s got just the right combination of hilarious, cute, and insanely hot. I could rant about this all day; I’ve got to move on to other topics.

How about the world building? I can’t possibly rave about that for ages, right? Wrong. It’s also amazing. The contrast between Brightmere and Duskport is so well done, and you get a really good feel for both settings. The cold, desolate, creepy feeling of Brightmere contrasts marvelously with the vibrant, beautiful, almost gaudy displays in Duskport, and it solidly drives home how out of place our FMC is in a place like that. I want to see more of the magic, more of the world, and I have every hope and expectation that we’ll get to do just that in future books.

Last but certainly not least, the plot. Whatever you think this plot is going to be, be prepared to be at least a little bit wrong. I refuse to give anything away, but just know that it’s incredibly engaging. I read the entire book in a day, and I don’t think I moved more than once in that entire time. It had me completely hooked from page 1. We’ve got equal parts spice and story, and the two go hand in hand to create a really solid book. Neither one detracts from or derails the other, making for a nicely balanced, if completely unhinged, read.

Actually, ‘nicely balanced and completely unhinged’ is probably a really good description for this book. It’s definitely got its gory moments, so if you’re squeamish then this isn’t going to be the book for you, and the spice dances nicely on the edge of ‘rage bang’. If ‘FMC would willingly burn the world down and the MMC would hold the matches’ is your thing, doused liberally with magic and something dark and creepy, then this is the book for you!
Profile Image for Marissa Contreras.
5 reviews
July 30, 2024
My emotional state is in shambles.

This is SUCH a well written story! I am an avid Fantasy/Romantasy reader and often i'm finding that the story is the same - You know how it goes, the "normal" girl, finds herself in Fae/magical lands and within a fortnight becomes a certified badass and saves the whole realm, add in a sprinkle of spice depending on your tastes, and therein is my entire library just about.

The Fell Queen is a breath of fresh air. I absolutely love Erqis and his chipper demeanor, his youthful energy is the perfect balance to Niema's colder more reserved one.

The grumpy/sunshine role reversal was fun to watch play out, and while it wasn't the spiciest book I've read, it had a great balance of storyline and character development as well as spicy time.

Camille writes so eloquently, that I found myself gasping in shock alongside Niema as she learned about herself and uncovered her story, and rejoicing as her confidence grew and she became her own person, and learned to trust.

The slow burn romance was the perfect calm to the chaos that surrounded Erqis and Niema.

This story got me through a really hard week, and not only did Camille reach out to check in on me, but she went out of her way to send me a gift to lift my spirits. It may not seem like a lot, but it's actions like that, that have created a lifelong supporter out of me. I will be buying her entire collection and be sure to shout her praises when and wherever i can. 100/10 would recommend!
Profile Image for Charity Green.
148 reviews22 followers
August 30, 2024
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐�� ⭐️ 💫 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

This book has all of the good stuff:
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🥵 Insta-Lust
💨 Forced Proximity
💀 Necromancer Mommy
🔥 Fire Breathing Tyrant (simp)
🍴 Love at first stab (for him)
😑 Annoyance at first sight (for her)
🖤 Spite Wedding
💦 Throne Sitting Lessons
OMG, THE BANTER BE BANTERING!

Princess Neira has only ever wanted to be Queen, but when her kingdom falls to the Grey King, Erqis, she finds herself at the mercy of this obnoxiously arrogant conquerer with infuriatingly good looks and “a nice, girthy…empire to rule.” It’s a pity that she’ll have to suffer through his “lessons”… 👀🥵

Ahhh, this is another one of those books that I completely DEVOURED in a day! This villain romantasy was everything I didn’t realize I needed. I was laughing my butt off the entire way through and no, that did not take away from the depth of the plot in any way. I don’t think I’ve ever ended a first book in an incomplete series, this SATISFIED… I’m excited for the next book, but I’m not grumpy or reeling because this one doesn’t torture you with a cliffhanger. Praise you, woman!

Saying I loved every single thing about this story would be an understatement. I was hooked- I’m still hooked, actually! It was dark, chaotic, and hot as hell. A strong female lead being pined after by a sexy, fiercely loyal, yet obnoxious brute that worships the very ground she walks on. 🙌🏻 The constant laughter, the magic system, the spice, the BANTER!!

I never thought I’d be rooting for the villains of the story, yet here I am!
Profile Image for Sarah.
11 reviews
August 25, 2024
Thank you to Camille Dwight for sending an ARC of this book!!

Where do I start?! I absolutely loved the vibes of this book—dark, spooky, unsettling, and absolutely enthralling. I found I couldn’t put this down the further along in the book I got.

Neira is such a bada** female lead. I was rooting for her from the start. Without giving anything away, let’s just say she’s been through a lot. She’s been locked away, abused by men, and shut out from her rightful title as heir simply because she’s a woman. When she starts discovering her own power and that’s there’s more to life than she originally thought, I got teary-eyed. SHE DESERVES ALL THE THINGS!!

Lastly, I ate UP the unhinged feralness that is Erqis. He is the perfect golden retriever balance to Neira’s black cat attitude. He brought levity to an otherwise dark setting (we’ll just ignore the fact he’s essentially a war criminal) and I really enjoyed him overall.

Special mention for Strings. 😭 He’s the goodest boy and I wanted more scenes with him!!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I’m so looking forward to what the next book has to offer!!
Profile Image for Jacky.
163 reviews8 followers
August 11, 2024
Okay, if you like sweet, lovely princesses and Prins Charmings, please move on. This is not for you! Do you love a dark romance that feels like the Evil Queen get captured by Scar? Please read this masterpiece by Camille Dwight!

“This man would burn the world to the ground for no other reason than to let the inferno warm her hands”

This story follows Niera, a fierce, strong, and stabby FMC who got wronged one too many times and Erqis a walking, talking and breathing Red Flag of a man. Erqis, the Grey King, has decided to become King over the whole continent, and nothing will stop this boyish tyrannical MMC from getting his way. But then he defeats the father of Niera and decides he wants a wife.

This story is written so well. It had me on edge the entire time, and every time I thought I had a hold on the plot, it twisted. It is a true villain story, but in such a way that at the end of the book, you are rooting for the main characters, and you want to collect your pitchfork to support them. The worldbuilding is magnificent, and although there is spice, the story is plot driven. There is enough spice for readers who love that, but if you don’t like it, you can still enjoy this story a lot if you ask me.

I really can’t wait for the second book because I really have to know what will happen next! Thank you, Camille, for giving me the chance to read and review this wonderful story

Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Banter
Forced proximity
Grumpy X Sunshine (she is the grumpy one)
Badass FMC
Boyish Tyrannical MMC
Nacromancy
Touch her and get unalived
Profile Image for Amanda Miller.
44 reviews4 followers
July 31, 2024
A delicious breath of fresh air. Just enough spice to keep you wanting more. I quite literally found myself clapping at the cleverness in Camille’s writing. The storyline is… to die for - no pun intended, the fell queen will surely bring you back to life. A story filled with romance, magic, evil, battle, back-stabbing (metaphoricallly?). Writing this review is giving me angst thinking about the next book. You DO NOT want to miss out on this. If you’re on the fence - take the leap and find out about the grey king and the fell queen for yourself
Profile Image for Book Hoarder Coffee Lover.
30 reviews
August 9, 2024
Fell Queen (contains a quote so its marked as "contains spoilers")

The Fell Queen is a refreshing take on enemies to lovers. Its such an easy read with twists and turns that leave you guessing every step of the way.

She's a princess of a broken realm, he's a conqueror who has his eyes set on her lands and her hand in marriage.

The mmc has the best sense of humour, a nice change from the usual broody type, he won't take anything seriously apart from the wellbeing of the fmc which is so sweet (and absurd at times 😂)

Can't wait to see what these two get up to in the next instalments of this series, they're definitely entertaining.

Best quote to describe the vibe throughout the book:

Him: "You know, you haven't been nearly as huffy as usual with me today. Are we making progress?"

Her: "I'm going to progress your live through your throat."

Him:  *kisses the side of her head* "That doesn't make any sense, pet. But I do love the enthusiasm."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Dog Eared Reads (Jen).
183 reviews7 followers
August 10, 2024
Thank you so much to Camille for the eARC of this book!

This book was my first by Camille and it definitely won't be my last. I'm not a huge dark romance girly, but this story hit all the right notes for me. It was also somehow cozy? I really don't know how a story that has that much murder and necromancy could be cozy, but it was. The tropes were spot on--reluctant heroine, he falls first, touch her and die, etc. But the banter... the banter was top notch. Especially when Neira and the King's brother would gang up on him. Oh it was *chef's kiss*.

This story also doesn't end on a cliffhanger. I definitely need the next one ASAP but the ending will not destroy you.
Profile Image for Aya 🎀.
70 reviews1 follower
May 27, 2025
I really missed grumpyxsunshine dynamic couples and I totally got what I was craving here. I just loved how much Erqis valued Neira (even if she hated him 🤭).

The beginning felt a bit unsettling but the rest was really good, I can’t wait to read the next book, they give off « unstoppable couple » vibes and I love itttt.
Profile Image for Chelsea | Mrs Viking Reads.
160 reviews8 followers
August 8, 2024
“This man would burn the world to the ground for no other reason than to let the inferno warm her hands”

What doesn’t this book have?!

An inn with one bed? ✅
Touch her and die? ✅
Enemies to lovers? ✅
Unbelievably hot scenes?! ✅

Every girl needs an Erqis 😌

I actually got wee little butterflies. Erqis is such a fire breathing softy I cannot!!

Very well written. Addictive. Interesting plot. Engaging characters. The spice is spicing. Bravo. Just bravo.

As grateful as I am for ARC’s I’m absolutely gagging for the next instalment. How am I supposed to wait?! 😭

Thank you to Camille for the opportunity to read early ♥️
Profile Image for Cupofbooks.
38 reviews
July 27, 2024
Dear Grey King, I love you.

Loved this book from the very start. Whitty banter is always my favorite and this book had tons! It was a different kind of fantasy read with a unique magic system and worlds.

I loved the chemistry between our mains and that he fell first, more or less instantly. I can't wait for the second book!
Profile Image for Myrina Crawford.
221 reviews
August 11, 2024
Such an easy decision to give this one 5 stars. Absolutely loved Erqis! Neira's story is so very intriguing. I also loved that she's older than him AND that she's 29/30 years old. This whole story was exactly what I needed and I cannot wait to see what the next book brings 😍
Profile Image for Jessica Therese.
47 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2024
i flew through this book despite not wanting it to end!
with fun characters and a fresh plot, this dark romantasy is well worth a read. dwight flips some well loved tropes around very successfully, and her narrative voice is great. i really enjoyed the twists and slight mystery to the characters, as well as the main plot line, and i’m already anxiously awaiting the sequel! if you enjoy dark romance, some spice, and grumpy-sunshine banter, you’ll definitely like this one.
Profile Image for Kara.
51 reviews
August 5, 2024
First I’d like to say thanks to Camille Dwight for the ARC of this book!!
It was one of the better books I’ve read recently!!
I loved the story between Neira and Erqis and cannot wait to read the second book when it comes out!!
123 reviews6 followers
August 3, 2024
Sassy FMC and morally grey MMC that I hate that I enjoyed so much. I absolutely cannot wait to learn more details on the crazy final twist. Loved this book!
Profile Image for Michelle Stewart.
537 reviews15 followers
July 27, 2024
When I was offered a chance to read this, I jumped at it.
Losely twisting the tale of snow white into a gorey, sexy psychological horror.
True enemies to lovers with an unapologetic morally grey mmc and fmc, this has everything you could ask for. Neira takes her unfortunate circumstances and turns it into something more while finding her place in the world.
I love the way the romance happens naturally and isn't love at first site. He definitely falls first and allows her the time to figure out what she wants.
I received an advanced reader copy and these thoughts and feelings are my own
Profile Image for incredibly_bookish.
84 reviews1 follower
September 1, 2024
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! 💜

The FMC & MMC are both awesome characters within their own right, but, as a team, they are absolutely hilarious.

Yet this is secondary to a brilliant, well written, and captivating storyline.

I usually prefer first-person perspective books. However, I did not even give that a second thought while devouring this.

So thank you, Camille. Not only for letting me get my hands on this fantastic story ahead of release but also for putting up with my stalker messages, updating you about
how much I was enjoying it!
Profile Image for Ali (bookishalireads).
290 reviews8 followers
July 27, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. The plot twist definitely had my mind spinning. I loved the connection and banter between Neira and Erqis. The character development was fun to read. I admired how strong-willed Neira was. It had the perfect amount of spice, and the pace of the story flowed effortlessly.
Profile Image for Aylin (nilyareads).
104 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
.
Enemies-to-Lovers
Dark Romantasy
Arranged Marriage (kind of)
Banter
Grumpy X Sunshine
Fierce FMC
Tyrant MMC
Necromancy
.
As a huge fan of 'Of Shattered Dawn', I'm truly honored and lucky to be a beta reader of 'The Fell Queen'! I can honestly say that I devoured it! There were so many mysteries that kept me on the edge! Everything is perfect; the characters, story, world-building... I LOVE how Neira and Erqis' relationship develops and they became a power couple. Their banter is also top-notch! Neira's own development is perfect as well! Her kingdom and men in power belittle Neira and question everything about her since she is a woman. So, I LOVED it when she had her revenge and stood tall.
Erqis, The Gray King, conquers Malvea realm by realm and the last remaining kingdom is Brightmere, Neira's kingdom. Her father defeated, she was afraid for her little brother Ramin's life and she made the hardest decision to let Ramin go and hide while she remained to save her kingdom. She was betrayed by her own advisors and brought to Erqis who had only one mission in his mind -finding the origin of the forbidden magic lay beneath Brightmere- until he was distracted by Neira.
Profile Image for Jess Henriques.
58 reviews
September 2, 2024
So this was interesting. The world building wasn't too complicated which made it easy to read and follow. I love Erqis he was a bit of a rogue and funny. I also enjoyed reading the banter between him and Qavor so typical of best friends. The jury is still out on my feelings toward Neira though. She has a lot of pros and cons. I'm intrigued to read the next book to see where this goes and how much of her soul Neira is going to escape with. I feel like that type of power is going to exact a cost.....can't wait 😊
Profile Image for Mailise.
175 reviews15 followers
May 30, 2024
This book was perfectly dark, mysterious, and has fairytale elements. There were so many moments in the beginning that kept me intrigued and questioning why certain characters moved and acted in certain ways.

In terms of characters, I loved that Neira is an older FMC and not afraid to give out orders (to her own detriment at times though). This book really hones in on how women are hated when in positions of power. I loved watching Neira get her revenge and show her backbone 😈

I also really enjoyed the MMC. He is both murderous and hilarious in equal measure. Erquis is a bit deranged, but the banter between him and Neira was perfection!

If you like dark romances with magic, spicy scenes, and plenty of twists, this is for you!
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