The Iron Dagger

by Vanessa Green

The magical sequel to The Bard’s Bargain.Living alone at the edge of the forest, Angharad has made a quiet life for herself as the village hedgewitch, offering healing spells while still haunted by the traumatic memories of her past. When Angharad finds a strange man on the brink of death near her home, she nurses him to health only to find that he is the son of the man who captured her mother so many years ago.

Gideon Falk has never trusted witches. When he wakes in a witch’s home after being poisoned and nearly killed, he is desperate to leave and never look back. But he develops an interest that verges on obsession for the alluring Angharad, and when he learns of her tragic past, he offers his help and protection in her quest to find her mother.

Soon Angharad discovers how prejudice, greed, and corruption have transformed the kingdom she once called home. Magic still lives on in the city, and Angharad will need to face her fears across multiple dimensions, or else risk being captured herself.

This is a fantasy romance that contains adult material including explicit intimate scenes, strong language, and violence.

Trigger This story contains sensitive subject matter such as mention of infertility and implied domestic partner abuse.

Genres: Witches, Fantasy, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2024

About the author

Vanessa Green is a writer of romantic fantasy with a soft spot for gangly heroes and smart heroines.

Reviews

[nala 🪽 · Rating 2 out of 5]

review to come because i’ve literally never been more conflicted over a rating for a book. i find the plot really really interesting but there’s approximately 50 billion poorly written smut scenes dropped in at the most bizarre times. that’s among lots and lots of other things so i have to recollect my thoughts on this one but as of now, i’m wishing there was a number btwn 2 and 3

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! This was such a pleasant surprise. I came across this book randomly. Someone had suggested it on a reddit thread, and I decided to give it a whirl.

I'M SO GLAD I DID!!!!!!

The storytelling is lovely, the worldbuilding is rich, the lore is deep, the FMC is smart and confident and not another arrogant stabby sassy pretty girl. Angharad (LOVE her name) has depth, she knows what she wants, she takes charge. And she has a cat (+300 points). She's also over 25yrs old, which is SUCH a breath of fresh air.

Gideon has a very clear growth arc, and I love him for it. He has a very gray moral compass, but with time we see him grow into his own as a character.

The story is well-paced, the romance blooms naturally, and honestly, I could read another 20 of these.

The author is clearly so talented that I want to shout it from the rooftops. This is the kind of book we need to support.

The only bit of feedback I have is that I wish that there had been a tighter round of copy editing. Particularly with names, they were at times spelled several different ways (Desidiera v Desideira, Empirator v Emperitor, a couple missed letters, etc.). Honestly, though, the story is such a joy to read, it hardly causes much of a bother.

I cannot wait to see what else Vanessa will come up with, and am eagerly awaiting her next book. Will be recommending her to everyone I know.

[Sav’s Sea Shelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book…I am left speechless by how wonderful this was.

[Jane Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written steamy fantasy romance? The holy grail! I really enjoyed book 1 (The Bard’s Bargain) but this was so effortlessly intriguing. The characters, world and magic ride that perfect line between familiar enough to understand but different enough to be unexpected. The spice was 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ and well paced within the narrative. I’m looking forward to the next one!

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

randomly stumbled upon this and it turned out to be one of my favorite books ever

[ana c. · Rating 5 out of 5]

vanessaaaaaa, what did you put in this book???? perfection! i loved every second!

[Inaya Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've since realised that Vanessa Green is my favourite, and unfortunately underrated, fantasy author. The romance in this is exactly to my taste — Gideon is /hot/. Angharad is an extremely becoming protagonist as well, and I adore little Seraphine. I don't know why I enjoyed both of her books to the degree I did, but the pacing, the intensity of the spice, the whimsy of the plot, everything feels as though it was made precisely with my own tastes in mind. I positively adore how she weaves in different myths and fairytale elements as well. The modernisation of Montag was such an interesting touch, and she seamlessly interwove the explanation for its presence in the story. I have no criticisms and I'm so excited for the final book in this trilogy. While reading, I was wondering who the next book would focus on 😆 And then when I realised it was Bryan I was thrilled. I can't wait to see it all come together! 💓

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED the first half. Was even convinced it might rank higher in my heart than the first book in the series, which would be quite the feat given that I consider that is one of my favorite books of all time. I love these characters and the fantasy world they live in. The cozy fairytale-like setting, the hurt/comfort, the two MCs who are hotter than anything--sold, sold, sold.

But then we get to the palace.

Maybe it's because the MMC's home has modern technology/steam punk vibes, or maybe it's because the leads spend much less time with each other and the yearning is lost, but I fell out of love with it at this point. Tbh, I read this for the romantic plot, not the political one. I usually love political plots, but I wasn't invested in this case.

HOWEVER, this author is a genius writer, and I'll read any fantasy romance novel she writes.

[samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Iron Dagger has left me in a book hangover!

Such a delightful read. I often see fans of fantasy romance say they are looking for unique books in the genre, a fresh take that still feels familiar. This is that book.

The characters are easy to like/root for, the build up of the romantic relationship is so fun to read, the intimate scenes strike that perfect balance of heat and emotional depth, and the plot is going to keep you fully absorbed and invested.

I am off to recommend this to everyone I know.

[Kareena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gideon is yummy and Hara is QUEEN! Loved this book so much. It did a great job developing the political plot points from the first book while focusing on these two characters. I also loved the lead in for the third book. GIVE IT TO ME NOW! I just read a Selkie romance last month and I loved it. So I need more!

[leyla · Rating 2 out of 5]

unfortunately a dnf at 62%. I was expecting yearning but this book is smut all the way through. the world is interesting but the plot and the characters unfortunately aren’t. the characters had potential to be interesting (I don’t mean as a couple) at the beginning, they felt real, but once they got to the guys palace or whatever they became boring

[Kate Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way I fell in love with this book.

Stumbled upon it as a recommendation on Reddit for a romantasy with older, more mature MCs. RECOMMENDATION DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

The communication. The character development. The detailed world-building. The spicy and steamy scenes. The YEARNING.

10/10 I re-read it immediately after I finished it. I love Hara and Gideon quickly became a top tier book boyfriend for me.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a stand-alone! I started the first book in the series but couldn’t get into it. I heard that this one was actually better so I gave it a shot. Very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It definitely needs a clean up though, quite a few errors still present.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent FMC

[Cindy J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot, good characters, well written prose. I enjoyed it more than the first book (though I do think the first is worth reading also). I'm looking forward to the third book.

[Vice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read! It was well paced, the world building was neatly done, both Angharad and Gideon were delightful characters, the spice was nice, and I was interested and hooked the whole way through.

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

First bits of this book = strong, the rest of it idk what that was.

[Carina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a surprise; someone recommended it on Reddit, it checked everything I like. Strangers/Allies (not enemies per se) to lovers, mature and extremely reasonable FMC, there are no misunderstandings, great but not excessive spice, it's an interconnected standalone, so no 3rd at breakup and dual POV. The story follows Hara and Gideon, who offer help searching for her mother after she saves him. Gideon ends up questioning his lifestyle and beliefs, which makes them end up with a very powerful enemy. Because this is an interconnected standalone, it's best if you read all of them; the third is not out yet. In my opinion, this one is way better than the first.