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The Lord of the Labyrinth: The Special Edition
Never rescue an injured barn owl…he might be a dark fae king in disguise…
There’s nothing worse than fighting with her stepmother, and Kate Winslow can’t take it anymore. Ever since she moved into her college dorm, her stepmother rarely acknowledges she is part of the family. Kate would love to belong, to dote on her little half-brother, but she doesn’t feel welcome.
Everything changes when she rescues a beautiful injured barn owl during a storm and whispers a wish as she buries her face against his white and gold feathers.
“Take me away from here…let me forget everything…”
When the feathers against her cheek transform, she’s suddenly trapped in the arms of a towering, harshly beautiful man. As darkness closes in on her, she hears his silken promise.
“You are mine now and forever, little one, I shall steal you away by twilight…”
When Kate wakes, she learns she is the war prize of the Lord of the Labyrinth, a dark fae king. And she has but thirty nights to find her way out of the Labyrinth if she wishes to see her family again or else she belongs to her captor forever…
Special Edition includes:
Bonus Honeymoon Epilogue
Music Playlist
A Discussion of Why We Love Fairy Tales
Creature Glossary
There’s nothing worse than fighting with her stepmother, and Kate Winslow can’t take it anymore. Ever since she moved into her college dorm, her stepmother rarely acknowledges she is part of the family. Kate would love to belong, to dote on her little half-brother, but she doesn’t feel welcome.
Everything changes when she rescues a beautiful injured barn owl during a storm and whispers a wish as she buries her face against his white and gold feathers.
“Take me away from here…let me forget everything…”
When the feathers against her cheek transform, she’s suddenly trapped in the arms of a towering, harshly beautiful man. As darkness closes in on her, she hears his silken promise.
“You are mine now and forever, little one, I shall steal you away by twilight…”
When Kate wakes, she learns she is the war prize of the Lord of the Labyrinth, a dark fae king. And she has but thirty nights to find her way out of the Labyrinth if she wishes to see her family again or else she belongs to her captor forever…
Special Edition includes:
Bonus Honeymoon Epilogue
Music Playlist
A Discussion of Why We Love Fairy Tales
Creature Glossary
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2025
15 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Emma Castle
11 books515 followersEmma Castle has always loved reading but didn’t know she loved romance until she was enduring the trials of law school. She discovered the dark and sexy world of romance novels and since then has never looked back! She loves writing about sexy, alpha male heroes who know just how to seduce women even if they are a bit naughty about it. When Emma’s not writing, she may be obsessing over her favorite show Supernatural where she’s a total Team Dean Winchester kind of girl!
To find out when her latest books release sign up at www.emmacastlebooks.com for her newsletter!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
July 15, 2025
Thank you to Emma Castle for providing this free advanced reader copy through BookSirens. The opinions expressed are my own.
Kate's wish to disappear from her life comes true as she rescues an owl who is a dark fae king. Kate cannot take the emotional abuse of her stepmother anymore and storms off in her car but an owl flies into it. As she saved his life, he grants her this wish and takes her away to his fae kingdom. If she wants to go back home, she has to solve his labyrinth or she will be his - forever.
I wish this was book longer. The plot and the characters were shallow. There could've been more depth to Roan and Kate. Their love didn't feel "real". We hadn't had time to get to know Roan. His past and present story were just rushed over. I also think we would've benefited from a slow burn romance instead of this instant attraction.
I would've liked to see more of the fae world and explore their politics. The danger of war didn't feel threatening.
It was still an entertaining read but it threw me off a couple of times. It felt like I only got snippets of the story and there was so much more to explore. This is a standalone, so I get the rush. But I still wish for more.
3/5. ⭐
Kate's wish to disappear from her life comes true as she rescues an owl who is a dark fae king. Kate cannot take the emotional abuse of her stepmother anymore and storms off in her car but an owl flies into it. As she saved his life, he grants her this wish and takes her away to his fae kingdom. If she wants to go back home, she has to solve his labyrinth or she will be his - forever.
I wish this was book longer. The plot and the characters were shallow. There could've been more depth to Roan and Kate. Their love didn't feel "real". We hadn't had time to get to know Roan. His past and present story were just rushed over. I also think we would've benefited from a slow burn romance instead of this instant attraction.
I would've liked to see more of the fae world and explore their politics. The danger of war didn't feel threatening.
It was still an entertaining read but it threw me off a couple of times. It felt like I only got snippets of the story and there was so much more to explore. This is a standalone, so I get the rush. But I still wish for more.
3/5. ⭐
June 28, 2025
The characters are very shallowly constructed and I had trouble connecting with them. We’re told Kate is fierce, and doesn’t want anyone to control her, and the second Roan starts touching her she’s a doormat. She forgets all he’s done to her and her brother whenever the plot deems it convenient, and she hardly thinks of anything other than Roan and how hot he is. In the beginning, we’re told going to college is so important for her, yet I have no idea what she was going to study (other than one subject we see in a memory Roan steals), and she doesn’t think of college beyond: “Oh, I was going to college to be free”. Her stepmother seems to be mean for the sake of being mean, and she doesn’t even seem to have friends.
She thinks about how intelligent she is, but she doesn’t show it. Roan or someone else has to save her over and over from the consequences of her foolish and rash decisions. The most grievous of which is the “bargain” she makes with Roan. She asks no questions, not even about giving a piece of herself to him every night. What does he mean? a limb? or something else? How big is the piece he’s going to take? Is something of herself going to remain after the 29th day? Is he going to return the pieces he took if she solves the labyrinth? She asks none of that, yet I’m supposed to believe she’s intelligent.
We’re told Kate’s so virginal, yet the author based the relationship between Roan and Kate solely on sexual attraction. I have no idea why Roan is so obsessed, he just says, over and over, she changed him, but it didn’t seem that way to me. He’s a possessive asshole, and everytime he talks to or about Kate, it is to say how he owns her, how she’s his, and how she must submit herself to him. He constantly uses his magic to manipulate Kate, to show her visions, to make her feel a certain way, and he never hesitates to use the power he has to get his way. That bothered me. Kate didn’t have any power to change things, not really, because he had decided she would stay with him before even asking, so he was essentially gaslighting her. Plus, 50% in and they had talked a total of four times, one of which ended in him fingering her (consent be damned, BTW), but they just did some small talk, nothing more. These two can’t be in love, they don’t know each other! It felt more like they fell for their ideal of the other, not the real person. Because I sure as hell couldn’t understand how Kate saw all those good things she said she saw in him, when all he’s talked about is owning her, and all he’s done is kidnapping her and her brother (who, for all she knows, is in a dungeon cell; he isn’t but she doesn’t know). She pushes back for all of one chapter, and then she just gives in without a thought for anything else.
She thinks about how intelligent she is, but she doesn’t show it. Roan or someone else has to save her over and over from the consequences of her foolish and rash decisions. The most grievous of which is the “bargain” she makes with Roan. She asks no questions, not even about giving a piece of herself to him every night. What does he mean? a limb? or something else? How big is the piece he’s going to take? Is something of herself going to remain after the 29th day? Is he going to return the pieces he took if she solves the labyrinth? She asks none of that, yet I’m supposed to believe she’s intelligent.
We’re told Kate’s so virginal, yet the author based the relationship between Roan and Kate solely on sexual attraction. I have no idea why Roan is so obsessed, he just says, over and over, she changed him, but it didn’t seem that way to me. He’s a possessive asshole, and everytime he talks to or about Kate, it is to say how he owns her, how she’s his, and how she must submit herself to him. He constantly uses his magic to manipulate Kate, to show her visions, to make her feel a certain way, and he never hesitates to use the power he has to get his way. That bothered me. Kate didn’t have any power to change things, not really, because he had decided she would stay with him before even asking, so he was essentially gaslighting her. Plus, 50% in and they had talked a total of four times, one of which ended in him fingering her (consent be damned, BTW), but they just did some small talk, nothing more. These two can’t be in love, they don’t know each other! It felt more like they fell for their ideal of the other, not the real person. Because I sure as hell couldn’t understand how Kate saw all those good things she said she saw in him, when all he’s talked about is owning her, and all he’s done is kidnapping her and her brother (who, for all she knows, is in a dungeon cell; he isn’t but she doesn’t know). She pushes back for all of one chapter, and then she just gives in without a thought for anything else.
July 3, 2025
Title: The Lord Of The Labyrinth
Author: Emma Castle
Synopsis: Never rescue an injured barn owl…he might be a dark fae king in disguise…
There’s nothing worse than fighting with her stepmother, and Kate Winslow can’t take it anymore. Ever since she moved into her college dorm, her stepmother rarely acknowledges she is part of the family. Kate would love to belong, to dote on her little half-brother, but she doesn’t feel welcome.
Everything changes when she rescues a beautiful injured barn owl during a storm and whispers a wish as she buries her face against his white and gold feathers.
“Take me away from here…let me forget everything…”
When the feathers against her cheek transform, she’s suddenly trapped in the arms of a towering, harshly beautiful man. As darkness closes in on her, she hears his silken promise.
“You are mine now and forever, little one, I shall steal you away by twilight…”
When Kate wakes, she learns she is the war prize of the Lord of the Labyrinth, a dark fae king. And she has but thirty nights to find her way out of the Labyrinth if she wishes to see her family again or else she belongs to her captor forever…
Review: When I saw this book pop up looking for my next read I knew I had to read it! This is a loose Labyrinth retelling! There is some spice in it but just the right amount. I enjoyed the interaction with Kate and Roan! I was angry at times in this book at the things Roan has done but by the end he does redeem himself! I lived Kate’s strength and her willingness to succeed! Can I also add in that I find it so refreshing that this was a standalone! I don’t think fantasy stand alone books are appreciated or talked about! I really find it refreshing when a fantasy standalone is complete and everything is wrapped up and no cliff hangers endings where I must wait for the sequel! What a fun and spicy book!
Author: Emma Castle
Synopsis: Never rescue an injured barn owl…he might be a dark fae king in disguise…
There’s nothing worse than fighting with her stepmother, and Kate Winslow can’t take it anymore. Ever since she moved into her college dorm, her stepmother rarely acknowledges she is part of the family. Kate would love to belong, to dote on her little half-brother, but she doesn’t feel welcome.
Everything changes when she rescues a beautiful injured barn owl during a storm and whispers a wish as she buries her face against his white and gold feathers.
“Take me away from here…let me forget everything…”
When the feathers against her cheek transform, she’s suddenly trapped in the arms of a towering, harshly beautiful man. As darkness closes in on her, she hears his silken promise.
“You are mine now and forever, little one, I shall steal you away by twilight…”
When Kate wakes, she learns she is the war prize of the Lord of the Labyrinth, a dark fae king. And she has but thirty nights to find her way out of the Labyrinth if she wishes to see her family again or else she belongs to her captor forever…
Review: When I saw this book pop up looking for my next read I knew I had to read it! This is a loose Labyrinth retelling! There is some spice in it but just the right amount. I enjoyed the interaction with Kate and Roan! I was angry at times in this book at the things Roan has done but by the end he does redeem himself! I lived Kate’s strength and her willingness to succeed! Can I also add in that I find it so refreshing that this was a standalone! I don’t think fantasy stand alone books are appreciated or talked about! I really find it refreshing when a fantasy standalone is complete and everything is wrapped up and no cliff hangers endings where I must wait for the sequel! What a fun and spicy book!
August 24, 2025
1.5/5
How am I supposed to believe these two are in love?
They barely talk and when they meet it's only so the MMC can gaslight the FMC into thinking she so desperately wants to sleep with him
I don't get it
I also got a lot of LOTR vibe from the world building like the dwarf's part of the land.
How am I supposed to believe these two are in love?
They barely talk and when they meet it's only so the MMC can gaslight the FMC into thinking she so desperately wants to sleep with him
I don't get it
I also got a lot of LOTR vibe from the world building like the dwarf's part of the land.
June 29, 2025
‧₊˚✧1.75 ✧˚₊‧
I was very enthusiastic to start this story. It had a beautiful cover and the blurb was promising, but sadly enough this book just didn't cut it for me. I had a lot of struggles and icks while reading it. Not that the writing was bad in and by itself. The plot just lacked a lot for me, I didn't connect to the characters well and their reactions often left things to be desired.
The story in short starts out when a barn owl slams through Kate's window one night. She tries to care for the animal that spooked her. But when she wishes to be somewhere else, the owl becomes a fae king who whisks her away to his kingdom. Will Kate find her way back to her world or will she get enthralled by the fae king and his dangerous labyrinth?
The story is written out of multiple POVs. You get to read from the heads of Roan and Kate most of the time, but Culan and Eudora also get a moment in the spotlight.
When I started reading I wondered that if I hadn't seen the movie this was inspired by, that it would make sense. And maybe the author wrote this book with the idea that the audience had seen said movie too and wanted to enjoy a retelling. Sadly enough, I had no notions on the film and I think that I missed the context a bit because of it.
There is a lot to be said about the main characters, but let's start with Kate. It seemed like Kate's want was instantaneous and I didn't know how to feel about that. I must admit that to me this just wasn't believable. He took her away against her will and she seemed to be taking it so well so quickly. She switches between feelings quicker than one could snap and she seemed to have the perseverance of a wet rag. She also instantly forgives Roan for stealing her memories, which I would personally super mad about. She literally forgot about her little brother, who she, allegedly loves very much? Don't believe it for one second. Also the Stockholm syndrome is so real in this book that even the FMC comments on it, but then proceeds to forget about it after it coming to mind... Kate is described as intelligent, but apparently when Roan says they're under attack, she still has to ask what is going on? Yeah, very smart. Uhu.
THEN. The MMC. I gotta say he just gave me the ickiest ick I have had in a while. This man steals the FMC's memories like he's eating chips from a baggy. Just poof gone. His general actions just icked me, so I definitely didn't connect or feel for him. His fate was obvious from the beginning too. He also apparently has no idea what consent means. Kate could be shaking her head, but this man will still think it's a yes. That was kind of disgusting in my personal opinion.
The book wanted to be romantic, but sadly there's next to no fluff in this story. It feels like the author forgot about it and said SMUT ONLY. And that honestly saddens me. If I want to read a book that is advertised as romantic I want to be kicking and screaming about the couple and how cute they are and I just didn't.
Honestly. I wanted to dnf this. It didn’t keep my attention and I didn’t want to keep reading either. But since I'm unable to dnf, I still finished it. The best thing about this book, was in my opinion Magda. I love her soul and would fight for her. But Roan and Kate? They can go be delulu in a corner together.
Lastly I want to thank BookSirens and Emma Castle for providing me with an eARC of this book. This review is voluntarily as always and my opinions are my own. I hope this book will find its intended audience, because obviously it wasn't me.
I was very enthusiastic to start this story. It had a beautiful cover and the blurb was promising, but sadly enough this book just didn't cut it for me. I had a lot of struggles and icks while reading it. Not that the writing was bad in and by itself. The plot just lacked a lot for me, I didn't connect to the characters well and their reactions often left things to be desired.
The story in short starts out when a barn owl slams through Kate's window one night. She tries to care for the animal that spooked her. But when she wishes to be somewhere else, the owl becomes a fae king who whisks her away to his kingdom. Will Kate find her way back to her world or will she get enthralled by the fae king and his dangerous labyrinth?
The story is written out of multiple POVs. You get to read from the heads of Roan and Kate most of the time, but Culan and Eudora also get a moment in the spotlight.
When I started reading I wondered that if I hadn't seen the movie this was inspired by, that it would make sense. And maybe the author wrote this book with the idea that the audience had seen said movie too and wanted to enjoy a retelling. Sadly enough, I had no notions on the film and I think that I missed the context a bit because of it.
There is a lot to be said about the main characters, but let's start with Kate. It seemed like Kate's want was instantaneous and I didn't know how to feel about that. I must admit that to me this just wasn't believable. He took her away against her will and she seemed to be taking it so well so quickly. She switches between feelings quicker than one could snap and she seemed to have the perseverance of a wet rag. She also instantly forgives Roan for stealing her memories, which I would personally super mad about. She literally forgot about her little brother, who she, allegedly loves very much? Don't believe it for one second. Also the Stockholm syndrome is so real in this book that even the FMC comments on it, but then proceeds to forget about it after it coming to mind... Kate is described as intelligent, but apparently when Roan says they're under attack, she still has to ask what is going on? Yeah, very smart. Uhu.
THEN. The MMC. I gotta say he just gave me the ickiest ick I have had in a while. This man steals the FMC's memories like he's eating chips from a baggy. Just poof gone. His general actions just icked me, so I definitely didn't connect or feel for him. His fate was obvious from the beginning too. He also apparently has no idea what consent means. Kate could be shaking her head, but this man will still think it's a yes. That was kind of disgusting in my personal opinion.
The book wanted to be romantic, but sadly there's next to no fluff in this story. It feels like the author forgot about it and said SMUT ONLY. And that honestly saddens me. If I want to read a book that is advertised as romantic I want to be kicking and screaming about the couple and how cute they are and I just didn't.
Honestly. I wanted to dnf this. It didn’t keep my attention and I didn’t want to keep reading either. But since I'm unable to dnf, I still finished it. The best thing about this book, was in my opinion Magda. I love her soul and would fight for her. But Roan and Kate? They can go be delulu in a corner together.
Lastly I want to thank BookSirens and Emma Castle for providing me with an eARC of this book. This review is voluntarily as always and my opinions are my own. I hope this book will find its intended audience, because obviously it wasn't me.
July 31, 2025
2/5 ⭐️
Lord of the Labyrinth is a retelling of the 80’s movie, Labyrinth. Kate saves an owl, who turns out to be the dark fae king. She wishes to be taken away and to forget her painful past - so, the fae king takes her from the mortal world and will only return her and her brother if she completes his labyrinth. I will preface this review by saying that I did not watch the movie in my childhood (90’s baby here!), but did read the plot to see if the things I am frustrated with came from the original story. They did not seem to.
I was immediately pulled in by the gorgeous cover of this book. The artwork is seriously to die for. Once I started reading, I quickly realized that the author’s prose is excellent. She is a wonderful storyteller, and the words are simply enchanting. I found myself wishing that I could sit around a campfire and listen to her tell stories.
The plot itself is where I find issue with Lord of the Labyrinth. I have not encountered a character that I despise more than ACOTAR’s Tamlin, but Roan tops the list. Roan offers Kate a CHANCE at her freedom, in exchange that every night, her body is his. While she technically agreed, this is absolutely not consent and it was appalling. Roan is riddled with jealousy, and when Kate is determined to solve the labyrinth in order to guarantee her brother’s safety, he simply *erases all memory of her brother.* Poof, gone. Not to mention, he goes out of his way to sabotage her time and time again.
The power of the love between Roan and Kate conquers all; but, for me this is not believable. They had known each other for a few days and Roan had done nothing but set out to manipulate and control Kate. She even admits that she has Stockholm syndrome at one point…
I appreciate the concept of Lord of the Labyrinth and the magic at its heart. If you read this and watched the original movie, let me know your thoughts!
Lord of the Labyrinth is a retelling of the 80’s movie, Labyrinth. Kate saves an owl, who turns out to be the dark fae king. She wishes to be taken away and to forget her painful past - so, the fae king takes her from the mortal world and will only return her and her brother if she completes his labyrinth. I will preface this review by saying that I did not watch the movie in my childhood (90’s baby here!), but did read the plot to see if the things I am frustrated with came from the original story. They did not seem to.
I was immediately pulled in by the gorgeous cover of this book. The artwork is seriously to die for. Once I started reading, I quickly realized that the author’s prose is excellent. She is a wonderful storyteller, and the words are simply enchanting. I found myself wishing that I could sit around a campfire and listen to her tell stories.
The plot itself is where I find issue with Lord of the Labyrinth. I have not encountered a character that I despise more than ACOTAR’s Tamlin, but Roan tops the list. Roan offers Kate a CHANCE at her freedom, in exchange that every night, her body is his. While she technically agreed, this is absolutely not consent and it was appalling. Roan is riddled with jealousy, and when Kate is determined to solve the labyrinth in order to guarantee her brother’s safety, he simply *erases all memory of her brother.* Poof, gone. Not to mention, he goes out of his way to sabotage her time and time again.
The power of the love between Roan and Kate conquers all; but, for me this is not believable. They had known each other for a few days and Roan had done nothing but set out to manipulate and control Kate. She even admits that she has Stockholm syndrome at one point…
I appreciate the concept of Lord of the Labyrinth and the magic at its heart. If you read this and watched the original movie, let me know your thoughts!
July 12, 2025
Thanks to Booksirens for an ARC of this book. I was originally introduced to Emma Castle through Lauren Smith, another of her pen names, and I love her historical romance novels. But I have to admit, as soon as I read one of her Emma Castle books, I was hooked. These books always seem to have a bit of the supernatural or a fairytale quality about them.
I’ll admit, I never saw the 1986 movie to which this book is an homage: Labyrinth. But after reading this book, I really want to. Somehow, I think I’ll finish it and say, “I liked the book better.” So what do I know is different? For one thing, instead of wishing away her younger brother, Kate wishes to be taken away, then regrets her decision because she worries her brother needs her. Another big difference is that this version is NSFW.
I found myself so immersed in the story and so anxious to see what would happen next, it was hard to put it down. First off, I want to point out the self-deprecating nature of this author. She’s an attorney, and I got such a kick out of when one of the characters describes “...humans who also revel in technicalities...” and then remembers they’re called lawyers.
Early on, there’s a promise that Kate recalls her mother making to her that her true love will say, “Kiss me, Kate.” Of course, that’s exactly what Roan says to her, but what made me laugh was the reference to the play of that name, based on “The Taming of the Shrew.” There are also hints of many other fairytales, like Cinderella, for example. Fantasy combined with classic fairytales? Count me in.
Ultimately, this is a story about the power of love. Love can cross planes of reality and win in the fight over death. The metaphor of the labyrinth and Kate’s newfound ability to interpret it is the turning point to something magical and undeniable. It’s truly a wonderfully told and (dare I say?) inspirational story. I’m looking forward to seeing how the movie that inspired it compares.
I’ll admit, I never saw the 1986 movie to which this book is an homage: Labyrinth. But after reading this book, I really want to. Somehow, I think I’ll finish it and say, “I liked the book better.” So what do I know is different? For one thing, instead of wishing away her younger brother, Kate wishes to be taken away, then regrets her decision because she worries her brother needs her. Another big difference is that this version is NSFW.
I found myself so immersed in the story and so anxious to see what would happen next, it was hard to put it down. First off, I want to point out the self-deprecating nature of this author. She’s an attorney, and I got such a kick out of when one of the characters describes “...humans who also revel in technicalities...” and then remembers they’re called lawyers.
Early on, there’s a promise that Kate recalls her mother making to her that her true love will say, “Kiss me, Kate.” Of course, that’s exactly what Roan says to her, but what made me laugh was the reference to the play of that name, based on “The Taming of the Shrew.” There are also hints of many other fairytales, like Cinderella, for example. Fantasy combined with classic fairytales? Count me in.
Ultimately, this is a story about the power of love. Love can cross planes of reality and win in the fight over death. The metaphor of the labyrinth and Kate’s newfound ability to interpret it is the turning point to something magical and undeniable. It’s truly a wonderfully told and (dare I say?) inspirational story. I’m looking forward to seeing how the movie that inspired it compares.
August 3, 2025
4 💎
2.5 🌶️
ARC Reader ‼️
📒Loved the beginning of this book, had me engaged straight away
📒The explanation of the world was done so well, not to fast which makes it easy to put the world together in your head as you read
📒Kate was strong willed, kind and smart
📒Roan and his need to own her was compelling to read, waiting for him to realise he probably doesn’t need to trick her into staying, that she may do it all on her own.
📒I wanted her to love him but I was so annoyed with him, for what he did to own her - so many conflicting emotions.
📒The spicy scenes were written so well.
🍷“We shall live out every dark and wonderful fantasy, little one. You and me,”
🍷You know, this labyrinth of yours keeps trying to kill me,”
🍷“Don’t fight me, Kate. Love me, adore me, worship me. Be my treasured pet,” he growled against her skin. “Let me hang a necklace of stars around your throat, and give you the universe… all you must do is surrender to me… to your own desires.”
🍷“Kate, I crave you in a way that I’ve never craved anyone. The things you make me feel puzzle me, even frustrate me, yet you make me feel all of these emotions I’m so unaccustomed to feeling. You own me in a way no other ever has. That you must believe.”
🍷A slow smile spread across his lips. What a wicked game this pretty creature wanted to play . . . Well, he was the wicked king of a wicked kingdom.
🍷“I would know you in every lifetime, Kate. There is no world where I would not see you just as you are. No spell can hide you from me.”
🍷“Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it is persevering in spite of it. It’s facing the darkness within your soul and realizing it has no true power over you.
🌙 Alpha male
🌙Power imbalance
🌙Retelling
🌙Forbidden love
🌙Secrets
🌙Age gap
🌙Amnesia
2.5 🌶️
ARC Reader ‼️
📒Loved the beginning of this book, had me engaged straight away
📒The explanation of the world was done so well, not to fast which makes it easy to put the world together in your head as you read
📒Kate was strong willed, kind and smart
📒Roan and his need to own her was compelling to read, waiting for him to realise he probably doesn’t need to trick her into staying, that she may do it all on her own.
📒I wanted her to love him but I was so annoyed with him, for what he did to own her - so many conflicting emotions.
📒The spicy scenes were written so well.
🍷“We shall live out every dark and wonderful fantasy, little one. You and me,”
🍷You know, this labyrinth of yours keeps trying to kill me,”
🍷“Don’t fight me, Kate. Love me, adore me, worship me. Be my treasured pet,” he growled against her skin. “Let me hang a necklace of stars around your throat, and give you the universe… all you must do is surrender to me… to your own desires.”
🍷“Kate, I crave you in a way that I’ve never craved anyone. The things you make me feel puzzle me, even frustrate me, yet you make me feel all of these emotions I’m so unaccustomed to feeling. You own me in a way no other ever has. That you must believe.”
🍷A slow smile spread across his lips. What a wicked game this pretty creature wanted to play . . . Well, he was the wicked king of a wicked kingdom.
🍷“I would know you in every lifetime, Kate. There is no world where I would not see you just as you are. No spell can hide you from me.”
🍷“Courage isn’t the absence of fear, it is persevering in spite of it. It’s facing the darkness within your soul and realizing it has no true power over you.
🌙 Alpha male
🌙Power imbalance
🌙Retelling
🌙Forbidden love
🌙Secrets
🌙Age gap
🌙Amnesia
September 3, 2025
Maybe 3.5⭐️ but I’ve rounded up.
I know I’ve definitely seen The Labyrinth before, but I suffered a severe head injury last year and forgot a lot of things that I didn’t necessarily need to remember. I think not really knowing the original story that this book is retelling helped it to stand alone for me.
I would’ve preferred it to be a slow burn between Kate and Roan, but I do understand that he is fae and that it’s probably hard to deny his lure. Some of the sex scenes were a little icky for me, like the use of the word ‘womb’, but I persevered for the story, which I did enjoy.
I also think Kate should have help Roan more accountable for what he had done with her memories, or at least been a little more miffed about that, that aspect was kind of skimmed over in the name of love, though I think it would’ve been a little more poignant if it were addressed more.
I did enjoy the world building and the fact that it fell more in line with fairy lore and mythology. The story was good, it just felt a little rushed in places. A little more back story would’ve been nice, but I enjoyed what we got. I also liked the side characters and how they were introduced and the roles they played in the story.
I also love that it’s a standalone, a complete story, as I might’ve struggled to remember some key aspects to continue a series, but that’s due to my injury and in no way a reflection of the story itself.
I received an advance review copy from Booksirens for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I know I’ve definitely seen The Labyrinth before, but I suffered a severe head injury last year and forgot a lot of things that I didn’t necessarily need to remember. I think not really knowing the original story that this book is retelling helped it to stand alone for me.
I would’ve preferred it to be a slow burn between Kate and Roan, but I do understand that he is fae and that it’s probably hard to deny his lure. Some of the sex scenes were a little icky for me, like the use of the word ‘womb’, but I persevered for the story, which I did enjoy.
I also think Kate should have help Roan more accountable for what he had done with her memories, or at least been a little more miffed about that, that aspect was kind of skimmed over in the name of love, though I think it would’ve been a little more poignant if it were addressed more.
I did enjoy the world building and the fact that it fell more in line with fairy lore and mythology. The story was good, it just felt a little rushed in places. A little more back story would’ve been nice, but I enjoyed what we got. I also liked the side characters and how they were introduced and the roles they played in the story.
I also love that it’s a standalone, a complete story, as I might’ve struggled to remember some key aspects to continue a series, but that’s due to my injury and in no way a reflection of the story itself.
I received an advance review copy from Booksirens for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2025
3⭐️ ┇ Bookstagram ┇ BookTok
First, I would like to thank Emma Castle for sending me this book! Once she said Labrynth retelling - I was sold!
The Labyrinth was, and still is, such a favorite movie of mine! The similarities in this book with the movie were great.
I like Emma’s writing style and story telling. I enjoyed the world and all of the characters. Especially the friends our FMC met along her journey.
However, I didn’t enjoy the romance. It was too insta love for me. They barely spent much time together, and the little time they did spend together, there wasn’t a lot of talking involved.
I also felt like her 2 week journey in the Labyrinth at the end could have been drawn out to more than just a chapter. So that we could have experienced what she did to get through the Labyrinth.
‧₊˚✧𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽✧˚₊‧
➳❥ The Labyrinth Adult Retelling
➳❥ Insta Love
➳❥ Found Family
➳❥ Possessive MMC
➳❥ Forbidden Love
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓕𝓪𝓿 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼
"𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐍𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞."
"𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐬."
"𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜."
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞"
"𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮."𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞."
First, I would like to thank Emma Castle for sending me this book! Once she said Labrynth retelling - I was sold!
The Labyrinth was, and still is, such a favorite movie of mine! The similarities in this book with the movie were great.
I like Emma’s writing style and story telling. I enjoyed the world and all of the characters. Especially the friends our FMC met along her journey.
However, I didn’t enjoy the romance. It was too insta love for me. They barely spent much time together, and the little time they did spend together, there wasn’t a lot of talking involved.
I also felt like her 2 week journey in the Labyrinth at the end could have been drawn out to more than just a chapter. So that we could have experienced what she did to get through the Labyrinth.
‧₊˚✧𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽✧˚₊‧
➳❥ The Labyrinth Adult Retelling
➳❥ Insta Love
➳❥ Found Family
➳❥ Possessive MMC
➳❥ Forbidden Love
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓕𝓪𝓿 𝓠𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼
"𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐍𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞."
"𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐬."
"𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜."
"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞"
"𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮."𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞."
July 14, 2025
Thank you BookSirens, and Emma Castle for sending me this advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I ended up DNFing this at 45%. I wanted to love it so much! It was significantly different than the Labyrinth movie, but with a ton of small nods to the source material.
I enjoyed how this book was deeply steeped in Sidhe lore, and side characters were interesting versions of fae. The pacing up to the point I stopped was good too. Story wise it fell flat. There was zero romance between the characters, only lust. I didn't feel any emotional attachment to either Kat or Roan either.
Unfortunately I can not stand Roan at all. He has a skeezy super possessive vibe that I just can't get past, and there are times it borders on being non-con for me. All he wants to do is get laid, and it is so one dimensional. It was extra creepy that the first thing he took from her was a memory of her ex boyfriend. "You will know no other man but me."
I struggled to get through this book, and I pushed through for as long as I did because I liked the world, the little bit of court politics we got, and the side characters.
I ended up DNFing this at 45%. I wanted to love it so much! It was significantly different than the Labyrinth movie, but with a ton of small nods to the source material.
I enjoyed how this book was deeply steeped in Sidhe lore, and side characters were interesting versions of fae. The pacing up to the point I stopped was good too. Story wise it fell flat. There was zero romance between the characters, only lust. I didn't feel any emotional attachment to either Kat or Roan either.
Unfortunately I can not stand Roan at all. He has a skeezy super possessive vibe that I just can't get past, and there are times it borders on being non-con for me. All he wants to do is get laid, and it is so one dimensional. It was extra creepy that the first thing he took from her was a memory of her ex boyfriend. "You will know no other man but me."
I struggled to get through this book, and I pushed through for as long as I did because I liked the world, the little bit of court politics we got, and the side characters.
July 16, 2025
Somehow, growing up, I never watched Labyrinth. It wasn't until I was about to graduate from high school that I first watched the movie, and it was, of course, love at first muppet. I always felt really bad that Jarreth doesn't get Sarah in the movie, even though he's tragically flawed and it would have been all sorts of problematic (I know, I know). So when I saw that Emma Castle had written a retelling of the Labyrinth story, only one where the king gets the girl, I had to read it. Honestly, I'm surprised the reviews are so mixed on this one because I LOVED it!
When Kate rescues an owl that crashes into her car window on Christmas Eve, she has no idea that he's really the Unseelie king in his animal form. Roan is unexpectedly drawn to the human who saves him. When she wishes to be taken away, he is more than happy to oblige and whisks her off to his realm.
While Roan tries to be a bossy, growly male, Kate is having none of it. Despite being madly attracted to him, she doesn't give in that easily. And, to be fair, he doesn't exactly play by the rules. As the story progresses, Kate grows more confident in herself and who she is. Roan slowly realizes that respect, communication, and trust are crucial to any relationship.
Plenty of heat, plenty of spice. "You fill me with such madness..." If you love your fictional men loaded with red flags and watching them being brought to their knees by a strong woman, then you will love Roan and Kate.
Also, if you are a fan of the movie, it was fun to see elements of it slipped in here and there (think barn owls, worms, gemstones, to name a few)!
When Kate rescues an owl that crashes into her car window on Christmas Eve, she has no idea that he's really the Unseelie king in his animal form. Roan is unexpectedly drawn to the human who saves him. When she wishes to be taken away, he is more than happy to oblige and whisks her off to his realm.
While Roan tries to be a bossy, growly male, Kate is having none of it. Despite being madly attracted to him, she doesn't give in that easily. And, to be fair, he doesn't exactly play by the rules. As the story progresses, Kate grows more confident in herself and who she is. Roan slowly realizes that respect, communication, and trust are crucial to any relationship.
Plenty of heat, plenty of spice. "You fill me with such madness..." If you love your fictional men loaded with red flags and watching them being brought to their knees by a strong woman, then you will love Roan and Kate.
Also, if you are a fan of the movie, it was fun to see elements of it slipped in here and there (think barn owls, worms, gemstones, to name a few)!
July 24, 2025
First I will preface by saying that I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the author and BookSirens for the opportunity!
I saw so much potential in this book. I loved the world the author created and I felt swept up in it from the start. I felt like there wasn’t enough back story given for either the MFC or MMC and it kept me from feeling more invested.
Overall the story was enjoyable and I would read more from this author.
I saw so much potential in this book. I loved the world the author created and I felt swept up in it from the start. I felt like there wasn’t enough back story given for either the MFC or MMC and it kept me from feeling more invested.
Overall the story was enjoyable and I would read more from this author.
June 22, 2025
I received an ARC of this book but the opinions are all mine.
I appreciated that the author included the information that this was more of an adult retelling of the Labyrinth. If I did watch that as a kid, I have zero recollection of the plot which means, I can't adequately convey the parallels of this to that. That being said and knowing that was really for kids, I tried to read this with that mindset. Something akin to The Princess Bride… not a truly deep world building epic read and more of an enjoyable story… which it very much was.
Instalove isn't a trope that I typically enjoy unless it's fated mates. So, considering that this is a seemingly immortal being to be so enamored of a human was… odd. The conversations between the two were limited at best in the first two days so for the idea of any kind of sexual encounter was kind of creepy to me. The age difference doesn't bother me at all as fantasy is my preferred genre so us crazy humans are always attracted to fictional centuries old men.
The battle scene was good, as was the rescue. I loved her tenacity and the friends she made along the way.
My only real constructive criticism was that the organic connection between them never seemed to truly manifest other than us being TOLD that this was what it was. It wasn't because of interactions between the two. The instalove just wasn't believable.
That being said, it was an enjoyable easy read. I love all ways that authors incorporate fae folklore into their worlds and she did a lovely job.
Oh, and I ESPECIALLY appreciate NOT making the MMC look like Bowie in the OG movie because that was NOT hot… and Roan very much was. Ha!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I appreciated that the author included the information that this was more of an adult retelling of the Labyrinth. If I did watch that as a kid, I have zero recollection of the plot which means, I can't adequately convey the parallels of this to that. That being said and knowing that was really for kids, I tried to read this with that mindset. Something akin to The Princess Bride… not a truly deep world building epic read and more of an enjoyable story… which it very much was.
Instalove isn't a trope that I typically enjoy unless it's fated mates. So, considering that this is a seemingly immortal being to be so enamored of a human was… odd. The conversations between the two were limited at best in the first two days so for the idea of any kind of sexual encounter was kind of creepy to me. The age difference doesn't bother me at all as fantasy is my preferred genre so us crazy humans are always attracted to fictional centuries old men.
The battle scene was good, as was the rescue. I loved her tenacity and the friends she made along the way.
My only real constructive criticism was that the organic connection between them never seemed to truly manifest other than us being TOLD that this was what it was. It wasn't because of interactions between the two. The instalove just wasn't believable.
That being said, it was an enjoyable easy read. I love all ways that authors incorporate fae folklore into their worlds and she did a lovely job.
Oh, and I ESPECIALLY appreciate NOT making the MMC look like Bowie in the OG movie because that was NOT hot… and Roan very much was. Ha!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 26, 2025
“Wanting someone isn’t the same as caring for them.”
Tengo mucho que decir de este libro. Para empezar, que está muy bien escrito, la autora tiene talento para la prosa fluida y enganchante. Creo que la propuesta que tenía era demasiado valiosa, la trama que deseaba mostrar era compleja, bien pensada y con un worldbuilding rico, incluso me llené de expectativas cuando leí las notas previas de la autora, donde explica de dónde viene la idea, qué espera mostrar y expresa el amor y trabajo que tuvo su proceso de escritura. Yo dije "sí, me va a encantar". Sin embargo, creo que prometió mucho para lo que al final ofreció.
Kate es una chica normalita cuya madre murió, su papá se casó de nuevo y se ha sentido rechazada por él y por su nueva madrastra. La única persona de esa familia que parece amarla es su medio hermano Caden, quien ella adora y él a ella. Un día Kate va en el auto y choca con un buho que resulta malherido, así que ella lo lleva al veterinario y se propone a cuidarlo mientras puede dejarlo en manos de profesionales rescatistas. Sin embargo, en esa primera noche, Kate está teniendo un momento complejo tras una discusión con su padre, así que susurra las palabras "llévame de acá y hazme olvidar todo" al buho. La sorpresa es que el buho se conviente en un hombre hermoso, rubio, perfecto, que le cumple el deseo y se la lleva. Cuando Kate despierta, está en el mundo Fae, en la habitación de Roan, el rey del reino oscuro, que le dice que le está cumpliendo su deseo y que no deberá volver a su mundo. Kate cree que es un sueño, por supuesto, pero cuando nota que es la realidad, empieza a resistirse y busca la manera de escapar.
Her bleeding because of saving him was one of the ways his people could bond to another creature. It had deepened his life debt to a blood bond, a thing considered sacred to the Fae.
Ahí es donde empieza el conflicto para mí como lectora: la debilidad de su protagonista en contraste con lo que se supone que es. Me quieren vender una Kate fuerte, necia, aguerrida, determinada a irse de ahí, astuta, que siente que la han secuestrado (sí es) y que tiene que revelarse contra este rey oscuro que literalmente la llama su mascota. Pero solo basta que Roan se acerque lo suficiente y Kate se vuelve una gelatina complaciente que solo piensa con sus hormonas. Deja que el man este acceda sexualmente a ella pese a que hace dos segundos estaba pensando que debía huir de ahí, pero al parecer, la dignidad, la libertad y el libre albedrío se compra con un beso con lengua. Ok. Las líneas del consentimiento están un poco difusas porque presentan a Roan como este man dominante y arrogante, que le dicen que no pero él aún así accede a ella y se le perdona porque "lo hace muy bien" y el placer orgásmico basta para olvidar que habías dicho que no. Es una representación de cómo funciona el machismo, creo yo, el típico "ella no me está diciendo que no, solo intenta resistirse pero yo puedo hacerla cambiar de opinión porque lo que le voy a hacer le va a gustar".
En un punto de la historia, para evitar que Kate se siga resistiendo a quedarse en la tierra Fae, Roan secuestra a Caden, el medio hermano niño de Kate y le dice que ella tiene que ir a resolver el laberinto de su reino, que si lo logra, tanto ella como Caden pueden regresar a su hogar, pero si no, se quedarán y por cada noche de fracaso de Kate, Roan le va a quitar algo de ella misma. Kate acepta el trato así no más, sin preguntar qué significa que le va a quitar algo importante cada noche, y lo peor es que al final de cada noche, el Roan va a laberinto a buscarla y cualquier queja se opaca porque de nuevo, la cercanía de Roan hace que Kate se vuelva un ser que no piensa, una papa andante, y todo escala rapidísimo a sexo salvaje porque Roan es un dios del sexo, evidentemente.
He was not something ethereal— he was more than feathers, magic, and moonlight. This was a virile, muscled sex god.
La primera noche en que Roan le quita algo, lo que le quita es un recuerdo, el recuerdo de haber conocido a un chico que la invitó a salir en el pasado. Le quitó el recuerdo para que ella no tuviera más hombres en su mente que no fuera él. Re tranqui y romántico.
Here is your bargain. Starting at dawn in an hour’s time you will have a month to solve my labyrinth. If you do, you and your brother may leave. But each night, I shall come for you at twilight and you will give a part of yourself to me in whatever way I desire. And if you do not solve the labyrinth by the month’s end, I will own you . . . forever.”
Otra cosa es en sí Roan. ¿Cuál es su obsesión con Kate? Nunca lo sabemos. Desde que la conoce se obsesiona con poseerla, con que ella sea suya, con que no se vaya de su lado, porque "nunca me había sentido así, Kate hace que me sienta vivo y feliz y enamorado", From the moment he’d met her, Kate had exceeded every expectation he’d had of what it would mean to keep her here with him. She’d touched him— deeply— to the point that he couldn’t think unless those thoughts included her. pero ¿por qué?
Su relación en el mundo Fae parece ser enteramente sexual y una dinámica dominante/sumisa, amo/mascota ¿de dónde me sacas que la ama con todo su corazón? Es un rey Fae de un milenio de vida y se encaprichó con una humana de 18 años de la nada y ahora da la vida por y para ella, la desea de todas las formas posibles y no ve una vida sin ella, pero no hay justificación real para eso. Nunca me dieron un motivo real por el que Roan sienta atracción a Kate y no podemos decir que por su hermosa personalidad, porque su personalidad junto a Roan se basa en gemir, asentir y decir que sí.
El libro también tiene cosas buenas. Hay una subtrama de una guerra entre el mundo de los Fae de la oscuridad y los de la luz, y por allá en el 70% del libro esto toma relevancia, esa parte me tuvo muy enganchada, porque hubo trama real, no solo "romance" sexual y posesivo. En un punto Kate llega a ser una Mary Stu, la persona que salva el mundo antiguo de los Fae con el poder del amor hace Roan. Porque sí, aunque no intercambian una conversación profunda en todo el libro, a punta de orgasmos Kate se enamoró profundamente de Roan y se dio cuenta de que la vida con él es todo lo que había deseado para su vida. Kate mueve dos dedos con el poder del amor, salva el reino y se vuelve una ídola entre la comunidad Fae, con tan solo 18 años y un sueño.
She had conquered death itself with her love for Roan, and among the Fae there was no greater accomplishment.
Me entretuvo mucho, me enganchó por la prosa de la autora, me quedé porque esperé durante todo el libro que me dieran a la protagonista valiente, fuerte y empoderada (si bien sí tuvo sus momentos de "soy única y especial y no tengo miedo a este mundo lleno de seres mágicos y peligrosos", todo se veía borrado ante la presencia de un hombre y para mí eso es perpetuar la debilidad femenina y el trope de damisela en apuros. Perdón, damisela VIRGEN en apuros) que yo esperaba y aunque me quedé esperando, no me arrepiento de leerlo. Es autoconclusivo, los personajes secundarios la dieron toda para sacar adelante este libro y devoraron, amé a Magda, a Patch, a Eudora y a Rath, su presencia en las escenas les daba dinamismo y un poco más de personalidad al personaje de Kate.
Al final le agarré cariño a la Kate, creo que reflexionar respecto a que su actitud concuerda con una ADOLESCENTE de 18 años que está siendo manipulada sexualmente y que no sabe nada de la vida y que está siendo querida por un man de un milenio de viejo, me ayudó a comprender su actuar ingenuo, deslumbrado y apresurado. Me parece curioso pensar en cómo serán esas protagonistas cuando tengan 30 años, si quizás piensan en su adolescencia y se dan cuenta de cómo fueron abordadas por un viejo verde.
Sí lo recomiendo, es un buen libro en la medida de calidad de la escritura, el worldbuilding y los personajes secundarios. No lo leería de nuevo, pero sí lo disfruté.
Tengo mucho que decir de este libro. Para empezar, que está muy bien escrito, la autora tiene talento para la prosa fluida y enganchante. Creo que la propuesta que tenía era demasiado valiosa, la trama que deseaba mostrar era compleja, bien pensada y con un worldbuilding rico, incluso me llené de expectativas cuando leí las notas previas de la autora, donde explica de dónde viene la idea, qué espera mostrar y expresa el amor y trabajo que tuvo su proceso de escritura. Yo dije "sí, me va a encantar". Sin embargo, creo que prometió mucho para lo que al final ofreció.
Kate es una chica normalita cuya madre murió, su papá se casó de nuevo y se ha sentido rechazada por él y por su nueva madrastra. La única persona de esa familia que parece amarla es su medio hermano Caden, quien ella adora y él a ella. Un día Kate va en el auto y choca con un buho que resulta malherido, así que ella lo lleva al veterinario y se propone a cuidarlo mientras puede dejarlo en manos de profesionales rescatistas. Sin embargo, en esa primera noche, Kate está teniendo un momento complejo tras una discusión con su padre, así que susurra las palabras "llévame de acá y hazme olvidar todo" al buho. La sorpresa es que el buho se conviente en un hombre hermoso, rubio, perfecto, que le cumple el deseo y se la lleva. Cuando Kate despierta, está en el mundo Fae, en la habitación de Roan, el rey del reino oscuro, que le dice que le está cumpliendo su deseo y que no deberá volver a su mundo. Kate cree que es un sueño, por supuesto, pero cuando nota que es la realidad, empieza a resistirse y busca la manera de escapar.
Her bleeding because of saving him was one of the ways his people could bond to another creature. It had deepened his life debt to a blood bond, a thing considered sacred to the Fae.
Ahí es donde empieza el conflicto para mí como lectora: la debilidad de su protagonista en contraste con lo que se supone que es. Me quieren vender una Kate fuerte, necia, aguerrida, determinada a irse de ahí, astuta, que siente que la han secuestrado (sí es) y que tiene que revelarse contra este rey oscuro que literalmente la llama su mascota. Pero solo basta que Roan se acerque lo suficiente y Kate se vuelve una gelatina complaciente que solo piensa con sus hormonas. Deja que el man este acceda sexualmente a ella pese a que hace dos segundos estaba pensando que debía huir de ahí, pero al parecer, la dignidad, la libertad y el libre albedrío se compra con un beso con lengua. Ok. Las líneas del consentimiento están un poco difusas porque presentan a Roan como este man dominante y arrogante, que le dicen que no pero él aún así accede a ella y se le perdona porque "lo hace muy bien" y el placer orgásmico basta para olvidar que habías dicho que no. Es una representación de cómo funciona el machismo, creo yo, el típico "ella no me está diciendo que no, solo intenta resistirse pero yo puedo hacerla cambiar de opinión porque lo que le voy a hacer le va a gustar".
En un punto de la historia, para evitar que Kate se siga resistiendo a quedarse en la tierra Fae, Roan secuestra a Caden, el medio hermano niño de Kate y le dice que ella tiene que ir a resolver el laberinto de su reino, que si lo logra, tanto ella como Caden pueden regresar a su hogar, pero si no, se quedarán y por cada noche de fracaso de Kate, Roan le va a quitar algo de ella misma. Kate acepta el trato así no más, sin preguntar qué significa que le va a quitar algo importante cada noche, y lo peor es que al final de cada noche, el Roan va a laberinto a buscarla y cualquier queja se opaca porque de nuevo, la cercanía de Roan hace que Kate se vuelva un ser que no piensa, una papa andante, y todo escala rapidísimo a sexo salvaje porque Roan es un dios del sexo, evidentemente.
He was not something ethereal— he was more than feathers, magic, and moonlight. This was a virile, muscled sex god.
La primera noche en que Roan le quita algo, lo que le quita es un recuerdo, el recuerdo de haber conocido a un chico que la invitó a salir en el pasado. Le quitó el recuerdo para que ella no tuviera más hombres en su mente que no fuera él. Re tranqui y romántico.
Here is your bargain. Starting at dawn in an hour’s time you will have a month to solve my labyrinth. If you do, you and your brother may leave. But each night, I shall come for you at twilight and you will give a part of yourself to me in whatever way I desire. And if you do not solve the labyrinth by the month’s end, I will own you . . . forever.”
Otra cosa es en sí Roan. ¿Cuál es su obsesión con Kate? Nunca lo sabemos. Desde que la conoce se obsesiona con poseerla, con que ella sea suya, con que no se vaya de su lado, porque "nunca me había sentido así, Kate hace que me sienta vivo y feliz y enamorado", From the moment he’d met her, Kate had exceeded every expectation he’d had of what it would mean to keep her here with him. She’d touched him— deeply— to the point that he couldn’t think unless those thoughts included her. pero ¿por qué?
Su relación en el mundo Fae parece ser enteramente sexual y una dinámica dominante/sumisa, amo/mascota ¿de dónde me sacas que la ama con todo su corazón? Es un rey Fae de un milenio de vida y se encaprichó con una humana de 18 años de la nada y ahora da la vida por y para ella, la desea de todas las formas posibles y no ve una vida sin ella, pero no hay justificación real para eso. Nunca me dieron un motivo real por el que Roan sienta atracción a Kate y no podemos decir que por su hermosa personalidad, porque su personalidad junto a Roan se basa en gemir, asentir y decir que sí.
El libro también tiene cosas buenas. Hay una subtrama de una guerra entre el mundo de los Fae de la oscuridad y los de la luz, y por allá en el 70% del libro esto toma relevancia, esa parte me tuvo muy enganchada, porque hubo trama real, no solo "romance" sexual y posesivo. En un punto Kate llega a ser una Mary Stu, la persona que salva el mundo antiguo de los Fae con el poder del amor hace Roan. Porque sí, aunque no intercambian una conversación profunda en todo el libro, a punta de orgasmos Kate se enamoró profundamente de Roan y se dio cuenta de que la vida con él es todo lo que había deseado para su vida. Kate mueve dos dedos con el poder del amor, salva el reino y se vuelve una ídola entre la comunidad Fae, con tan solo 18 años y un sueño.
She had conquered death itself with her love for Roan, and among the Fae there was no greater accomplishment.
Me entretuvo mucho, me enganchó por la prosa de la autora, me quedé porque esperé durante todo el libro que me dieran a la protagonista valiente, fuerte y empoderada (si bien sí tuvo sus momentos de "soy única y especial y no tengo miedo a este mundo lleno de seres mágicos y peligrosos", todo se veía borrado ante la presencia de un hombre y para mí eso es perpetuar la debilidad femenina y el trope de damisela en apuros. Perdón, damisela VIRGEN en apuros) que yo esperaba y aunque me quedé esperando, no me arrepiento de leerlo. Es autoconclusivo, los personajes secundarios la dieron toda para sacar adelante este libro y devoraron, amé a Magda, a Patch, a Eudora y a Rath, su presencia en las escenas les daba dinamismo y un poco más de personalidad al personaje de Kate.
Al final le agarré cariño a la Kate, creo que reflexionar respecto a que su actitud concuerda con una ADOLESCENTE de 18 años que está siendo manipulada sexualmente y que no sabe nada de la vida y que está siendo querida por un man de un milenio de viejo, me ayudó a comprender su actuar ingenuo, deslumbrado y apresurado. Me parece curioso pensar en cómo serán esas protagonistas cuando tengan 30 años, si quizás piensan en su adolescencia y se dan cuenta de cómo fueron abordadas por un viejo verde.
Sí lo recomiendo, es un buen libro en la medida de calidad de la escritura, el worldbuilding y los personajes secundarios. No lo leería de nuevo, pero sí lo disfruté.
September 4, 2025
3.75 ⭐️ - My rating is 90% based on the vibes, if I’m being completely honest. I loved the film The Labyrinth growing up and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me, so this was a really fun homage to The Labyrinth, but a LOT spicier! 😂
I was afraid I wasn’t going to like it in the beginning because of the whole “I’m going to kidnap you and you’ll be my human pet and like it” thing… but I have to say, the character growth in this book was done really well! I would recommend this one for a fun time, especially if you’re a fan of The Labyrinth!
I was afraid I wasn’t going to like it in the beginning because of the whole “I’m going to kidnap you and you’ll be my human pet and like it” thing… but I have to say, the character growth in this book was done really well! I would recommend this one for a fun time, especially if you’re a fan of The Labyrinth!
August 14, 2025
I started reading this book very excited with the premise and concept. The start was quite good in my opinion and it's the part where the adventure shines more (more on this later), but as the book went on there was less adventure and the shallowness of the characters and their relationships became more and more obvious. However, I'd say this is a decent light read if you want a retelling of Labyrinth that includes explicit scenes and some adventure.
What I liked the most about this book was adventure when Kate was starting to solve the Labyrinth. The challenges there were properly explained and exposed, and Kate's actions and thoughts felt the most real (compared with the rest of the book). There I could see she is brave and cares about others, and doesn't mind getting in danger because of that (again, more on this later). But the best thing was that I felt the love of the author for folklore and the original Labyrinth movie.
Sadly the adventure at the end of the book was a disappointment. I wish the author would have taken more time to narrate that part, made the book longer, so the scenes there where as vivid as the first encounters. The end part feels like a quick summary of "this monster appeared, but she focused on that thing and defeated it" repeated like 3 or 4 times.
Another big disappointment and thing I wish was longer was the development of the relationship between Kate and Roan, because it feels very forced and unreal, and honestly, it's a bit problematic since . Not only that but the way Kate's behaviour changes the moment Roan appears, without him doing anything for that, didn't make a lot of sense, especially at the start. And that made it very conflicting with the image of Kate being strong and brave, because she can't even say no to Roan besides wanting to leave, but then he appears and she agrees to anything, and even wants it.
The only relationship I feel was better showcase was Kate and Caden's. Ignoring the fact Kate does whatever Roan wants when he appears and forgets about his brother being in an unknown place and alone in those moments. But, I really liked that Kate didn't hate Caden due to what her stepmother was doing. And I think Caden is pretty well portrayed as an innocent kid and actually the only person that actually cares about Kate (maybe Patch and Magda too).
The spicy part was fine. There were like 3-4 scenes so it doesn't really get in the way of the action/adventure, but they were explicit and more intense than the previous one, so if you're looking for that it's fine. Although personally due to the relationship feeling so fake I couldn't really enjoy reading that part much.
This is an ARC review, however this is my honest opinion.
What I liked the most about this book was adventure when Kate was starting to solve the Labyrinth. The challenges there were properly explained and exposed, and Kate's actions and thoughts felt the most real (compared with the rest of the book). There I could see she is brave and cares about others, and doesn't mind getting in danger because of that (again, more on this later). But the best thing was that I felt the love of the author for folklore and the original Labyrinth movie.
Sadly the adventure at the end of the book was a disappointment. I wish the author would have taken more time to narrate that part, made the book longer, so the scenes there where as vivid as the first encounters. The end part feels like a quick summary of "this monster appeared, but she focused on that thing and defeated it" repeated like 3 or 4 times.
Another big disappointment and thing I wish was longer was the development of the relationship between Kate and Roan, because it feels very forced and unreal, and honestly, it's a bit problematic since . Not only that but the way Kate's behaviour changes the moment Roan appears, without him doing anything for that, didn't make a lot of sense, especially at the start. And that made it very conflicting with the image of Kate being strong and brave, because she can't even say no to Roan besides wanting to leave, but then he appears and she agrees to anything, and even wants it.
The only relationship I feel was better showcase was Kate and Caden's. Ignoring the fact Kate does whatever Roan wants when he appears and forgets about his brother being in an unknown place and alone in those moments. But, I really liked that Kate didn't hate Caden due to what her stepmother was doing. And I think Caden is pretty well portrayed as an innocent kid and actually the only person that actually cares about Kate (maybe Patch and Magda too).
The spicy part was fine. There were like 3-4 scenes so it doesn't really get in the way of the action/adventure, but they were explicit and more intense than the previous one, so if you're looking for that it's fine. Although personally due to the relationship feeling so fake I couldn't really enjoy reading that part much.
This is an ARC review, however this is my honest opinion.
July 18, 2025
In "The Lord of the Labyrinth”, Emma Castle spins a mesmerizing tale of enchantment, peril, and self discovery.
Kate’s journey begins with a desperate wish for escape from her tumultuous home life, leading her to rescue an injured barn owl. This act of compassion propels her into a realm governed by a dark fae king, and to where the stakes are nothing short of life changing! 😮
Kate awakens to a chilling reality, she is now the war prize of the enigmatic Lord of the Labyrinth. With only thirty nights to navigate her way out of the labyrinth and regain her freedom, the clock is ticking, creating an urgency that griped me from the start.
The author’s imagination of the labyrinth is brought to life, filled with twisting paths, magical creatures, and challenges that test Kate. As she confronts the trials within this strange world, her character goes from a frightened girl to a determined young woman willing to fight for her freedom and family.
The dynamic between Kate and the dark fae king Roan is captivating. Their relationship is full of tension/menace and tenderness. As their bond deepens, Kate grapples with her feelings for a captor who embodies both danger and allure, creating an emotional tug of war that kept me reading well past my bedtime. 😜
The pacing of the novel is well thought out, maintaining a steady pace that had moments of action and moments of emotion.
The author’s writing is so full of life, it brings the labyrinth to vivid life. The world building just added to the whole story, making it easy to become lost in the fae realm.
As the deadline looms, the sense of urgency escalates, building suspense and keeping us on the edge of our seats. Will Kate find her way home before the thirty nights are over? Or will she be forever entwined in the dark, seductive world of her captor?
Overall, "The Lord of the Labyrinth" is a delightful blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. Emma Castle has crafted a compelling story that explores themes of freedom and love.
This book will appeal to fans of fairy tale retellings and those who enjoy a gripping story filled with magic and emotion.
Highly recommended for anyone seeking an escape into a beautifully wrought world where love and peril intertwine!
It does have “Labyrinth” the movie feel to it, but as I loved that movie I didn’t mind 😉 and the author even admits this is a retelling.
And the special edition part? Well it contains a honeymoon bonus, a playlist and a few other things.
It’s a highly recommended read.
🦋
*Copy supplied for review
Kate’s journey begins with a desperate wish for escape from her tumultuous home life, leading her to rescue an injured barn owl. This act of compassion propels her into a realm governed by a dark fae king, and to where the stakes are nothing short of life changing! 😮
Kate awakens to a chilling reality, she is now the war prize of the enigmatic Lord of the Labyrinth. With only thirty nights to navigate her way out of the labyrinth and regain her freedom, the clock is ticking, creating an urgency that griped me from the start.
The author’s imagination of the labyrinth is brought to life, filled with twisting paths, magical creatures, and challenges that test Kate. As she confronts the trials within this strange world, her character goes from a frightened girl to a determined young woman willing to fight for her freedom and family.
The dynamic between Kate and the dark fae king Roan is captivating. Their relationship is full of tension/menace and tenderness. As their bond deepens, Kate grapples with her feelings for a captor who embodies both danger and allure, creating an emotional tug of war that kept me reading well past my bedtime. 😜
The pacing of the novel is well thought out, maintaining a steady pace that had moments of action and moments of emotion.
The author’s writing is so full of life, it brings the labyrinth to vivid life. The world building just added to the whole story, making it easy to become lost in the fae realm.
As the deadline looms, the sense of urgency escalates, building suspense and keeping us on the edge of our seats. Will Kate find her way home before the thirty nights are over? Or will she be forever entwined in the dark, seductive world of her captor?
Overall, "The Lord of the Labyrinth" is a delightful blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. Emma Castle has crafted a compelling story that explores themes of freedom and love.
This book will appeal to fans of fairy tale retellings and those who enjoy a gripping story filled with magic and emotion.
Highly recommended for anyone seeking an escape into a beautifully wrought world where love and peril intertwine!
It does have “Labyrinth” the movie feel to it, but as I loved that movie I didn’t mind 😉 and the author even admits this is a retelling.
And the special edition part? Well it contains a honeymoon bonus, a playlist and a few other things.
It’s a highly recommended read.
🦋
*Copy supplied for review
August 22, 2025
“Lord of the Labyrinth” by Emma Castle is a New Adult spicy romance that pays homage to the 1986 cult classic “The Labyrinth” as well as legends like “King Arthur” and fairy tales such as “Sleeping Beauty.” Kate is home from college during Winter Break and has never felt more alone when an owl bursts through her car window. Bringing it home for the weekend, she wishes she could escape. That owl is Unseelie King Roan Arun, and he grants her wish and whisks her away to the Twilight Court. Between Roan breaking a treaty since the time of King Arthur and her desire to return to her brother, will Kate return to her home on Earth or will she find her home in the Twilight Court? Together, Castle guides us through a Labyrinth of nostalgia, first love, loss, attraction, and love over fear.
🌠TROPES🌠:
✨They save each other’s lives
✨Found Family
✨First love
✨“She is mine”
✨She is a Knight in shining armor
At 🌶️🌶️🌶️, this New Adult book is steamy. Kate’s first experiences in love and desire are explored with Roan as she experiences tension, heat, and love in a court where sex and love are not shamed but encouraged.
The pacing of this book was balanced, spending more time on pivotal moments and less on moments that are in between. In moments where the MC (it is dual-POV) feels panic, pressure, or urgency, the pacing reflects that.
Castle does well to make you feel for the characters. There were moments were I felt genuine sympathy for Roan as well as disappointment. I found myself sighing and saying, “Oh, Roan, no,” at his actions (he had good intentions). I recognized Kate’s desire to be loved and her putting herself into a box to keep from being other people’s problem. I loved that Kate became the hero of her own story.
“Lord of the Labyrinth” is inspired by “The Labyrinth,” but its divergence makes it shine. Castle’s intricate usage of legends and fairy tales can make readers yell out, “I know that one!” I appreciated the allusion and references to Arthurian legends, although they are left in a stasis of sorts, but it does add a level of mysticism and a “wow” factor to the world of the Fae. Castle pulls from creatures of myths and fairy tales all over the world, and I loved it! I loved the implementation of the Bride fairytale and the tale of the Labyrinth.
Readers will remember their first love, first desire, and their passion to forge their path in this read!
🌠TROPES🌠:
✨They save each other’s lives
✨Found Family
✨First love
✨“She is mine”
✨She is a Knight in shining armor
At 🌶️🌶️🌶️, this New Adult book is steamy. Kate’s first experiences in love and desire are explored with Roan as she experiences tension, heat, and love in a court where sex and love are not shamed but encouraged.
The pacing of this book was balanced, spending more time on pivotal moments and less on moments that are in between. In moments where the MC (it is dual-POV) feels panic, pressure, or urgency, the pacing reflects that.
Castle does well to make you feel for the characters. There were moments were I felt genuine sympathy for Roan as well as disappointment. I found myself sighing and saying, “Oh, Roan, no,” at his actions (he had good intentions). I recognized Kate’s desire to be loved and her putting herself into a box to keep from being other people’s problem. I loved that Kate became the hero of her own story.
“Lord of the Labyrinth” is inspired by “The Labyrinth,” but its divergence makes it shine. Castle’s intricate usage of legends and fairy tales can make readers yell out, “I know that one!” I appreciated the allusion and references to Arthurian legends, although they are left in a stasis of sorts, but it does add a level of mysticism and a “wow” factor to the world of the Fae. Castle pulls from creatures of myths and fairy tales all over the world, and I loved it! I loved the implementation of the Bride fairytale and the tale of the Labyrinth.
Readers will remember their first love, first desire, and their passion to forge their path in this read!
July 22, 2025
If Jareth, the Goblin King, from the Labyrinth holds a special place in your heart and libido, then this might be the book you have been looking for. The Lord of the Labyrinth is an adult fantasy romance retelling of the original movie that leans into the spice.
I won't lie—it took me a moment to navigate the areas that borrowed heavily from the original storyline versus those that break away and forge their own path. Part of this is probably due to having grown up watching Labyrinth on repeat and memorizing lines from the film. As someone who is not a casual fan of the original, I was excited about how such a beloved cult classic would translate to adult romance.
Emma Castle does succeed in capturing much of what made Jareth compelling with her character Roan Arun. His charm, arrogance, and vulnerability all translate well to the page. The Labyrinth itself feels appropriately magical, and some of the supporting characters are familiar and lovable.
However, my main complaint lies with the protagonist Kate, who is supposed to be 18. The barely-legal aspect gave me serious Twilight-style ick. Why would an immortal being who has watched centuries go by find almost instant love with someone who just graduated high school and started college? Kate's dialogue and internal monologue also don't consistently match her supposed age, which became increasingly distracting as the story progressed. This felt like a missed opportunity that could have been easily remedied by making her 22 and in her final year of college, or a recent graduate navigating post-college uncertainty. I understand Castle's desire to stick closer to the original ages, but the barely-legal vibe undermines what could otherwise be a satisfying adult reimagining of a beloved story. Additionally, I find myself at a crossroads: wishing we had more scenes with Kate's two friends from the labyrinth, Patch and Magda, while still not wanting to sacrifice any of the scenes with Roan.
Despite my dislike of the protagonist's age, fans hungry for more Jareth will likely find enough to enjoy here. Castle clearly understands the character's appeal and delivers on the promise of exploring a more adult-themed version of the story that many of us have craved.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I won't lie—it took me a moment to navigate the areas that borrowed heavily from the original storyline versus those that break away and forge their own path. Part of this is probably due to having grown up watching Labyrinth on repeat and memorizing lines from the film. As someone who is not a casual fan of the original, I was excited about how such a beloved cult classic would translate to adult romance.
Emma Castle does succeed in capturing much of what made Jareth compelling with her character Roan Arun. His charm, arrogance, and vulnerability all translate well to the page. The Labyrinth itself feels appropriately magical, and some of the supporting characters are familiar and lovable.
However, my main complaint lies with the protagonist Kate, who is supposed to be 18. The barely-legal aspect gave me serious Twilight-style ick. Why would an immortal being who has watched centuries go by find almost instant love with someone who just graduated high school and started college? Kate's dialogue and internal monologue also don't consistently match her supposed age, which became increasingly distracting as the story progressed. This felt like a missed opportunity that could have been easily remedied by making her 22 and in her final year of college, or a recent graduate navigating post-college uncertainty. I understand Castle's desire to stick closer to the original ages, but the barely-legal vibe undermines what could otherwise be a satisfying adult reimagining of a beloved story. Additionally, I find myself at a crossroads: wishing we had more scenes with Kate's two friends from the labyrinth, Patch and Magda, while still not wanting to sacrifice any of the scenes with Roan.
Despite my dislike of the protagonist's age, fans hungry for more Jareth will likely find enough to enjoy here. Castle clearly understands the character's appeal and delivers on the promise of exploring a more adult-themed version of the story that many of us have craved.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 19, 2025
3.5 stars-LORD OF THE LABYRINTH by Emma Castle is a contemporary, adult, fantasy romance story line focusing on dark Fae Roan Arun, King of the Twilight Court, and eighteen year old human woman Kate Winslow.
Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Roan and Kate) LORD OF THE LABYRINTH follows Kate Winslow as she struggles with her place in the family. It is Christmas Eve, and Kate Winslow believes her stepmother has turned her father against her, and when she tries to run, Kate’s car hits an owl, and our heroine must nurse the owl back to health but all is not as it appears to be, and Kate finds herself wishing for a different life, away from the family she no longer recognizes. Unbeknownst to Kate, the owl is dark Fae King Roan Arun, and he is about to grant Kate her wish for a different life, far from the people she knows, and into a realm of darkness and magic.
Akin to Jim Henson’s The Labyrinth™ starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, LORD Of THE LABYRINTH focuses on the coming of age of a young woman whose immaturity pushes the boundaries of her family’s tolerance. Believing her step-mother has replaced her mother in her father’s eye, Kate is often confrontational and wishes for another life but when Kate’s ‘wish’ comes true, our heroine must battle her fears in an effort to save herself, free her brother, and eventually liberate the Dark Fae King from a century long sleep in the darkness.
LORD OF THE LABYRINTH is an enchanting story of magic and mayhem, power and control, acceptance and love. Kate Winslow must accept the reality of the world in which she resides, a world that manifests as the monster of her nightmares, and the growth needed to accept the reality of her circumstance. Kate must choose, and her choices will affect the people she leaves behind.
LORD OF THE LABYRINTH reads like a young adult/ middle grade story line with the exception of the adult $ex scenes. There is more telling than showing, and in this, I struggled to place myself into the world I could only imagine as a world seen on the big screen or TV. As Kate must endure the tasks to save her brother, our heroine learns some valuable lessons along the way.
copy supplied for review
Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Roan and Kate) LORD OF THE LABYRINTH follows Kate Winslow as she struggles with her place in the family. It is Christmas Eve, and Kate Winslow believes her stepmother has turned her father against her, and when she tries to run, Kate’s car hits an owl, and our heroine must nurse the owl back to health but all is not as it appears to be, and Kate finds herself wishing for a different life, away from the family she no longer recognizes. Unbeknownst to Kate, the owl is dark Fae King Roan Arun, and he is about to grant Kate her wish for a different life, far from the people she knows, and into a realm of darkness and magic.
Akin to Jim Henson’s The Labyrinth™ starring David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, LORD Of THE LABYRINTH focuses on the coming of age of a young woman whose immaturity pushes the boundaries of her family’s tolerance. Believing her step-mother has replaced her mother in her father’s eye, Kate is often confrontational and wishes for another life but when Kate’s ‘wish’ comes true, our heroine must battle her fears in an effort to save herself, free her brother, and eventually liberate the Dark Fae King from a century long sleep in the darkness.
LORD OF THE LABYRINTH is an enchanting story of magic and mayhem, power and control, acceptance and love. Kate Winslow must accept the reality of the world in which she resides, a world that manifests as the monster of her nightmares, and the growth needed to accept the reality of her circumstance. Kate must choose, and her choices will affect the people she leaves behind.
LORD OF THE LABYRINTH reads like a young adult/ middle grade story line with the exception of the adult $ex scenes. There is more telling than showing, and in this, I struggled to place myself into the world I could only imagine as a world seen on the big screen or TV. As Kate must endure the tasks to save her brother, our heroine learns some valuable lessons along the way.
copy supplied for review
September 11, 2025
Thank you so much to Emma Castle and to BookSirens for gifting me this Arc.
I give this book 4 stars and 3 chili peppers.
I had a lot of fun with this story! I have not seen the Labyrinth movie but I do know a lot about it so I was able to pick up on some of the little things from the movie. I think that if you have seen the movie and you enjoyed it, then you will love this book! It will give you all the nostalgic feelings with adult spice.
I absolutely loved how our MMC is immediately possessive and protective over our FMC. The story starts off with our MMC in the human world in his owl form. He flies into the FMC's car and injures his wing. FMC takes the owl home to care for him until she can take him to a rehab center. During this time she wishes out loud that the owl could fly her away from this world. Our MMC immediately turns into his Fae King self and takes her to his Fae kingdom. Our FMC is not happy about this and makes it very clear to MMC that it is not okay to kidnap her and bring her to his world. I love that MMC is very oblivious of this and thinks that it is perfectly acceptable because he was granting her wish and who would not want to be with him in his Fae kingdom. FMC tells MMC that she is not his, she will not do what he wants, and she wants to go home. The two then agree to a bargain that if she can complete his Labyrinth and make it to the center, then she can go home.
We then have a fun adventure of FMC going through the Labyrinth and meeting new characters.
The banter between the two and her sassiness and determination was a lot of fun to read. There is an instant attraction between the two and despite her not wanting to give in to her "kidnapper" she does give in pretty quickly. So we do have spice and it does start early on. I really enjoyed this story but I do wish it would have been a little longer. The writing, storyline, Fae Kingdom, and characters are all great. I just felt like the story was a little rushed and cut short. I would have enjoyed reading more in this world with these characters.
I had a great time with this story and would recommend it to anyone wanting a spicy story with a Fae King and a sassy human. (also to anyone who loves the Labyrinth movie)
I give this book 4 stars and 3 chili peppers.
I had a lot of fun with this story! I have not seen the Labyrinth movie but I do know a lot about it so I was able to pick up on some of the little things from the movie. I think that if you have seen the movie and you enjoyed it, then you will love this book! It will give you all the nostalgic feelings with adult spice.
I absolutely loved how our MMC is immediately possessive and protective over our FMC. The story starts off with our MMC in the human world in his owl form. He flies into the FMC's car and injures his wing. FMC takes the owl home to care for him until she can take him to a rehab center. During this time she wishes out loud that the owl could fly her away from this world. Our MMC immediately turns into his Fae King self and takes her to his Fae kingdom. Our FMC is not happy about this and makes it very clear to MMC that it is not okay to kidnap her and bring her to his world. I love that MMC is very oblivious of this and thinks that it is perfectly acceptable because he was granting her wish and who would not want to be with him in his Fae kingdom. FMC tells MMC that she is not his, she will not do what he wants, and she wants to go home. The two then agree to a bargain that if she can complete his Labyrinth and make it to the center, then she can go home.
We then have a fun adventure of FMC going through the Labyrinth and meeting new characters.
The banter between the two and her sassiness and determination was a lot of fun to read. There is an instant attraction between the two and despite her not wanting to give in to her "kidnapper" she does give in pretty quickly. So we do have spice and it does start early on. I really enjoyed this story but I do wish it would have been a little longer. The writing, storyline, Fae Kingdom, and characters are all great. I just felt like the story was a little rushed and cut short. I would have enjoyed reading more in this world with these characters.
I had a great time with this story and would recommend it to anyone wanting a spicy story with a Fae King and a sassy human. (also to anyone who loves the Labyrinth movie)
July 9, 2025
Tired of her conniving stepmother’s machinations to isolate her from the rest of the family, Kate Winslow attempts to get some air when she finds an injured owl. Rescuing the owl gives Kate purpose, but an unwary wish results in her being stolen away by the dark fae king, Roan. Beautiful and seductive, Roan wants to possess Kate entirely. But Kate is determined to return to her brother, so a bargain is struck: if Kate can solve Roan’s labyrinth in time, she can return home. If she can’t, she will remain Roan’s pet forever.
The Lord of the Labyrinth is a retelling of the classic Jim Henson movie with some interesting changes. At eighteen, Kate has some maturity though she still isn’t very worldly or all that experienced. She is not entirely sure what to do with her attraction to Roan, though she knows she wants true love rather than to just be owned. As she makes her way through the labyrinth, she acts out of common decency, astounding the fae around her. Her kindheartedness makes her easy prey for Roan, who essentially overwhelms her with his attention.
I found Roan to be extremely problematic. Roan is absolutely obsessed with Kate, which unfortunately is distracting him from the brewing war between the seelie and unseelie. He finds himself willing to do whatever it takes to keep Kate safe and in his powers. Desperate to maintain control, Roan threatens Kate’s brother and her friends. He also actively manipulates Kate’s memories. He wants to wholly own Kate in every way. While the fae don’t act human, his obsessive, toxic behavior is largely ignored, and we are basically supposed to just believe he loves Kate. I just wanted a truly selfless act on his part to show that he was putting Kate’s needs above his own to really buy into his love.
Ultimately, Kate does make some major decisions and takes action in her own life, leading to an interesting, different ending from the original story. I just struggled to really believe in the personal connection between the two leads as their relationship was largely physical and manipulative. However, the book was still a fun read for anyone who loved Labrinth but wished the little brother was less important.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Lord of the Labyrinth is a retelling of the classic Jim Henson movie with some interesting changes. At eighteen, Kate has some maturity though she still isn’t very worldly or all that experienced. She is not entirely sure what to do with her attraction to Roan, though she knows she wants true love rather than to just be owned. As she makes her way through the labyrinth, she acts out of common decency, astounding the fae around her. Her kindheartedness makes her easy prey for Roan, who essentially overwhelms her with his attention.
I found Roan to be extremely problematic. Roan is absolutely obsessed with Kate, which unfortunately is distracting him from the brewing war between the seelie and unseelie. He finds himself willing to do whatever it takes to keep Kate safe and in his powers. Desperate to maintain control, Roan threatens Kate’s brother and her friends. He also actively manipulates Kate’s memories. He wants to wholly own Kate in every way. While the fae don’t act human, his obsessive, toxic behavior is largely ignored, and we are basically supposed to just believe he loves Kate. I just wanted a truly selfless act on his part to show that he was putting Kate’s needs above his own to really buy into his love.
Ultimately, Kate does make some major decisions and takes action in her own life, leading to an interesting, different ending from the original story. I just struggled to really believe in the personal connection between the two leads as their relationship was largely physical and manipulative. However, the book was still a fun read for anyone who loved Labrinth but wished the little brother was less important.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 17, 2025
The film Labyrinth starring David Bowie and 'those' trousers is a core childhood memory for me. I've watched the film so many times with my feelings evolving as I matured. So when I realised that this book was based on the film (the author describes this novel as a 'love letter' to Labyrinth) I knew I had to read it.
I think it's important to say that even if I wasn't a stalwart Labyrinth fan I think there is plenty in this story to delight any romantasy reader. There is a lot of Fae lore and solid world building which doesn't depend on your knowledge of the original film. The male lead, Roan is a well developed character in his own right and we learn so much about him compared to the mysterious Jareth in Labyrinth. The main character, Kate is also much more well rounded. I enjoyed how feisty and completely lacking in any sense of self preservation she was.
However, if you are familiar with the film there are so many Easter eggs for you. The side characters, some of the obstacles in the Labyrinth and of course the ball scene all felt very authentic. In particular, the ball really evoked in me the spirit of the film.
For a fairly short novel there is a lot of action packed in. Along with the romance plot there's a Fae war and we are introduced to a secondary pairing which felt like a solid set up for a second novel. The story didn't feel rushed and I enjoyed the resolution of all the plots.
My favourite part was definitely the final thirty pages and I loved the way the author used the Labyrinth as a metaphor for Roan's mind.
I'm not reading a lot of romance at the moment so I did find the the pace a little jarring at times. Both characters fell hard and fast and there was some morally gray behaviour which I felt was very easily forgiven. But I really don't think these issues would bother a romance reader.
Overall, this was such a fun and authentic homage to the film whilst also being an excellent fantasy romance in its own right. If a sequel is in the works I would absolutely pick it up.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I think it's important to say that even if I wasn't a stalwart Labyrinth fan I think there is plenty in this story to delight any romantasy reader. There is a lot of Fae lore and solid world building which doesn't depend on your knowledge of the original film. The male lead, Roan is a well developed character in his own right and we learn so much about him compared to the mysterious Jareth in Labyrinth. The main character, Kate is also much more well rounded. I enjoyed how feisty and completely lacking in any sense of self preservation she was.
However, if you are familiar with the film there are so many Easter eggs for you. The side characters, some of the obstacles in the Labyrinth and of course the ball scene all felt very authentic. In particular, the ball really evoked in me the spirit of the film.
For a fairly short novel there is a lot of action packed in. Along with the romance plot there's a Fae war and we are introduced to a secondary pairing which felt like a solid set up for a second novel. The story didn't feel rushed and I enjoyed the resolution of all the plots.
My favourite part was definitely the final thirty pages and I loved the way the author used the Labyrinth as a metaphor for Roan's mind.
I'm not reading a lot of romance at the moment so I did find the the pace a little jarring at times. Both characters fell hard and fast and there was some morally gray behaviour which I felt was very easily forgiven. But I really don't think these issues would bother a romance reader.
Overall, this was such a fun and authentic homage to the film whilst also being an excellent fantasy romance in its own right. If a sequel is in the works I would absolutely pick it up.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 10, 2025
3.5 stars rounded to 3.
There are moments the fmc is TSTL or her initial personality is not congruent midway in this book. That was a star off for me.
I enjoyed the start and it sucked me in. Somewhere along the way the writing stalled. Probably when she got tossed into the labyrinth after her brother showed up and became some super hero.
The story got harder for me to stick with after that. It did sort of come back to life for me after she got out of the labyrinth and found her brother.
I just think it’s bizarre when writers make their fmc hero’s for everyone-as if no one else can do anything for themselves EXCEPT FOR THE HEROINE. It’s weird to read. She saves a troll from getting a beat down from other trolls? FR? 🙄She dives into a pond w terrifying water creatures and saves another magical creature only to die herself? Really? 🙄🤦🏻♀️
And for a bit there I thought she was going to spend the entire book dying and coming back to life thanks to the MC. That’s how old that got super fast.
I think this book had a lot of potential but like I said above at a certain point it got repetitive and hard for me to even pick up to read. 🤷🏻♀️
It was my favorite book of the month. So there’s that. 😆In the end it was an enjoyable read. Just that middle part was boring and dumb imho.
I know I am hard on indie writers but at a certain point someone needs to start working on their story flow and story board ideas.
Editing was pretty solid tho. No glaring issues. I think I saw one misspelled word. Which is excellent.
HEA
Purchased the special edition for extended epilouge.
MF
No cheating
There are moments the fmc is TSTL or her initial personality is not congruent midway in this book. That was a star off for me.
I enjoyed the start and it sucked me in. Somewhere along the way the writing stalled. Probably when she got tossed into the labyrinth after her brother showed up and became some super hero.
The story got harder for me to stick with after that. It did sort of come back to life for me after she got out of the labyrinth and found her brother.
I just think it’s bizarre when writers make their fmc hero’s for everyone-as if no one else can do anything for themselves EXCEPT FOR THE HEROINE. It’s weird to read. She saves a troll from getting a beat down from other trolls? FR? 🙄She dives into a pond w terrifying water creatures and saves another magical creature only to die herself? Really? 🙄🤦🏻♀️
And for a bit there I thought she was going to spend the entire book dying and coming back to life thanks to the MC. That’s how old that got super fast.
I think this book had a lot of potential but like I said above at a certain point it got repetitive and hard for me to even pick up to read. 🤷🏻♀️
It was my favorite book of the month. So there’s that. 😆In the end it was an enjoyable read. Just that middle part was boring and dumb imho.
I know I am hard on indie writers but at a certain point someone needs to start working on their story flow and story board ideas.
Editing was pretty solid tho. No glaring issues. I think I saw one misspelled word. Which is excellent.
HEA
Purchased the special edition for extended epilouge.
MF
No cheating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2025
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️
THIS BOOK🥹🥹🥲🥲
It literally bought my whole childhood back and roaring to life🥹 i have loved the movie The Labyrinth since i was a kid & this was a first reading a Labyrinth retelling and i have to say.. Emma SMASHED IT🥹
It was like reliving the whole thing but in an adult world brought to life🥹
The writing and universe of this book was written so so beautifully whilst also keeping the Labyrinth retelling close throughout.
I absolutely ADORED Roan & Kate and loved seeing how they first met and how it all came about just like in the movie. I also loved every single damn character Emma put into this book, even the supporting characters, Patch, Magda, Babbitt, Rath, Eudora, little Cayden🥹🥲 (even Lady Kyma, Andvari, Tahlia) literally all of them were all so BEAUTIFULLY written and fit perfectly into this retelling. I loved the whole progression of characters throughout this book and how the plot flowed too! Honestly shed a few tears later into the book with everything that happened👀🥲🥹
I had so many emotions! The shock, the tension, the heartbreak, the grief, the adventure, on the edge of my seat throughout the battles, and the pure LOVE and PASSION throughout this book🥹
God i loved every SECOND of this book and anyone like me that grew up watching The Labyrinth and loved it as much as i did, you HAVE TO READ THIS it will bring that whole universe to life in such an amazing way🥹🥰
Emma you’ve done absolutely incredibly at bringing this world to life again and i adored every second of it! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC 😍🥰❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
THIS BOOK🥹🥹🥲🥲
It literally bought my whole childhood back and roaring to life🥹 i have loved the movie The Labyrinth since i was a kid & this was a first reading a Labyrinth retelling and i have to say.. Emma SMASHED IT🥹
It was like reliving the whole thing but in an adult world brought to life🥹
The writing and universe of this book was written so so beautifully whilst also keeping the Labyrinth retelling close throughout.
I absolutely ADORED Roan & Kate and loved seeing how they first met and how it all came about just like in the movie. I also loved every single damn character Emma put into this book, even the supporting characters, Patch, Magda, Babbitt, Rath, Eudora, little Cayden🥹🥲 (even Lady Kyma, Andvari, Tahlia) literally all of them were all so BEAUTIFULLY written and fit perfectly into this retelling. I loved the whole progression of characters throughout this book and how the plot flowed too! Honestly shed a few tears later into the book with everything that happened👀🥲🥹
I had so many emotions! The shock, the tension, the heartbreak, the grief, the adventure, on the edge of my seat throughout the battles, and the pure LOVE and PASSION throughout this book🥹
God i loved every SECOND of this book and anyone like me that grew up watching The Labyrinth and loved it as much as i did, you HAVE TO READ THIS it will bring that whole universe to life in such an amazing way🥹🥰
Emma you’ve done absolutely incredibly at bringing this world to life again and i adored every second of it! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC 😍🥰❤️
July 20, 2025
The Lord of the Labyrinth is a wonderful, romantic fantasy that brings together
Lord of the Labyrinth Roan, a dark fae king, whom MFC Kate Winslow finds in his owl form, wounded during a storm. She brings him to her home for healing after a quick vet visit where Roan becomes fascinated with the human and yearns for her to make a wish that will bind her to him forever.
Kate is home to spend the Christmas holidays with her family but it has always been a struggle to get along with her stepmother and this was another of those times which has left her sad and feeling bereft of the family she yearns to have.
I throughly enjoyed this story which was beautifully written and sprinkled with captivating well crafted characters who brought the narrative to life.
Magic, intrigue, spice, drama, family dynamics, and emotion weave their way through a story that captures the imagination as it entertains and brings readers along on a thrilling adventure.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Lord of the Labyrinth Roan, a dark fae king, whom MFC Kate Winslow finds in his owl form, wounded during a storm. She brings him to her home for healing after a quick vet visit where Roan becomes fascinated with the human and yearns for her to make a wish that will bind her to him forever.
Kate is home to spend the Christmas holidays with her family but it has always been a struggle to get along with her stepmother and this was another of those times which has left her sad and feeling bereft of the family she yearns to have.
I throughly enjoyed this story which was beautifully written and sprinkled with captivating well crafted characters who brought the narrative to life.
Magic, intrigue, spice, drama, family dynamics, and emotion weave their way through a story that captures the imagination as it entertains and brings readers along on a thrilling adventure.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 28, 2025
In a word, breathtaking! I couldn't put this one down, I basically read it all in one go. Emma Castle's dark fae story caught me from the very start and kept me in a vice like grip. If you are looking for your next romantasy fix after ACOTAR or Fourth Wing, then step right up, you will love this one.
I adored the world that Emma had created and you can tell she had spent her time researching and building the backstory of the fae realm and the rival factions of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts and the Lord of the Unseelie Court, Lord Roan Arun being temporarily stranded in the human world and being saved by our heroine Kate. Who can resist a handsome dark fae lord who (in my mind anyway) looks a lot like Henry Cavill Geralt style from the Witcher, kidnapping them back to his fae realm to be his.
What I really liked about this one is Kate. Kate is not some simpering, fragile damsel in distress. She is a badass who is brave, beautiful, kind and goes on her our journey to believe in her own self worth and demand more, her life on her own terms. Instead of sitting around accepting her fate, she demands to take on the challenge of making it through the forbidding Labyrinth in order for a chance to win her and her brother's freedom.
The developing chemistry and emerging love affair between the standoffish Roan and the headstrong Kate is delicious and even more heartwarming as it builds to the finale. With shades of Beauty and the Beast and the original Labyrinth film and an array of wonderful side characters too its just a wonderful delight of a read. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a spicy romantasy with a heroine who saves the day.
I adored the world that Emma had created and you can tell she had spent her time researching and building the backstory of the fae realm and the rival factions of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts and the Lord of the Unseelie Court, Lord Roan Arun being temporarily stranded in the human world and being saved by our heroine Kate. Who can resist a handsome dark fae lord who (in my mind anyway) looks a lot like Henry Cavill Geralt style from the Witcher, kidnapping them back to his fae realm to be his.
What I really liked about this one is Kate. Kate is not some simpering, fragile damsel in distress. She is a badass who is brave, beautiful, kind and goes on her our journey to believe in her own self worth and demand more, her life on her own terms. Instead of sitting around accepting her fate, she demands to take on the challenge of making it through the forbidding Labyrinth in order for a chance to win her and her brother's freedom.
The developing chemistry and emerging love affair between the standoffish Roan and the headstrong Kate is delicious and even more heartwarming as it builds to the finale. With shades of Beauty and the Beast and the original Labyrinth film and an array of wonderful side characters too its just a wonderful delight of a read. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a spicy romantasy with a heroine who saves the day.
August 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Lord of the Labyrinth pulled me right into its dark, romantic, and magical world. Emma Castle’s writing is lush and atmospheric, with just the right amount of danger and desire to keep me hooked. The Special Edition extras like the bonus honeymoon epilogue, fairy-tale discussion, and creature glossary made the experience even better.
That said, some plot points felt a bit predictable, and the emotional intensity stayed high from start to finish, which left me wishing for a few slower moments to breathe. Still, the characters were captivating, the world-building was gorgeous, and the romance hit all the right notes.
If you love fae magic, labyrinths full of mystery, and a brooding hero you’re not sure you can trust, this one’s worth getting lost in.
The Lord of the Labyrinth pulled me right into its dark, romantic, and magical world. Emma Castle’s writing is lush and atmospheric, with just the right amount of danger and desire to keep me hooked. The Special Edition extras like the bonus honeymoon epilogue, fairy-tale discussion, and creature glossary made the experience even better.
That said, some plot points felt a bit predictable, and the emotional intensity stayed high from start to finish, which left me wishing for a few slower moments to breathe. Still, the characters were captivating, the world-building was gorgeous, and the romance hit all the right notes.
If you love fae magic, labyrinths full of mystery, and a brooding hero you’re not sure you can trust, this one’s worth getting lost in.
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