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Dueling the Suitors : A King Thrushbeard Retelling
What if the princess unknowingly said 'I do' to the very enemy threatening her kingdom?
Princess Astoria always hated the idea of marriage.
So when her father demands she wed a powerful wizard to defend their kingdom from invasion, Astoria agrees on one her prospective groom must first defeat her in a magical duel and prove himself worthy of her hand.
Suitor after suitor, Astoria bests every magic-born man her father presents, earning her fame across the continent as the Unyielding Princess of Daliston.
When no mages remain to challenge her, a lowly street performer arrives at the castle to face the renowned princess. Little does she know, this mysterious stranger may be the only one powerful enough to defeat her in the duel.
But what happens when her champion turns out to be the one man she never expected?
Dueling the Suitors is one of eleven novels in the INTO THE ENCHANTED series—a standalone collection of no-spice fairytale retellings where magic-born heroines discover their happily ever after. Brimming with magic, mystery, twists, and swoon-worthy moments, these full-length novels can be enjoyed in any order!
Princess Astoria always hated the idea of marriage.
So when her father demands she wed a powerful wizard to defend their kingdom from invasion, Astoria agrees on one her prospective groom must first defeat her in a magical duel and prove himself worthy of her hand.
Suitor after suitor, Astoria bests every magic-born man her father presents, earning her fame across the continent as the Unyielding Princess of Daliston.
When no mages remain to challenge her, a lowly street performer arrives at the castle to face the renowned princess. Little does she know, this mysterious stranger may be the only one powerful enough to defeat her in the duel.
But what happens when her champion turns out to be the one man she never expected?
Dueling the Suitors is one of eleven novels in the INTO THE ENCHANTED series—a standalone collection of no-spice fairytale retellings where magic-born heroines discover their happily ever after. Brimming with magic, mystery, twists, and swoon-worthy moments, these full-length novels can be enjoyed in any order!
ebook
Published January 3, 2025
95 people are currently reading
1376 people want to read
About the author
Karen Daliath
8 books87 followersKaren Daliath is a Christian young adult who loves her Creator more than anything. She loved reading since she could remember whether they were stories or interesting news articles. Though growing up, fiction conquered her full attention, and she has now barely time for non-fiction.
Unlike most authors and her own sister, Karen wasn’t a fan of writing until the Covid-19 pandemic. She started her writing journey on Wattpad with fanfictions in 2020 and then made her debut on Amazon in 2022. Now, writing is the second-best, most beautiful part of Karen’s life she can’t live without.
Karen writes closed-door romances, both contemporary and fairytale, through which she hopes to share the love of her Christ. She lives with her younger sister (Katelyn Daliath, author of RED ROSE OF ORDELIA) and her parents. When she is not writing, she is lost in a book to escape reality, singing, having bookish talks with her sister, or helping her mom around the house with cooking and cleaning.
More of her beloved book babies are coming in the future, so make sure you follow Karen on Instagram @kjdaliathauthor
Unlike most authors and her own sister, Karen wasn’t a fan of writing until the Covid-19 pandemic. She started her writing journey on Wattpad with fanfictions in 2020 and then made her debut on Amazon in 2022. Now, writing is the second-best, most beautiful part of Karen’s life she can’t live without.
Karen writes closed-door romances, both contemporary and fairytale, through which she hopes to share the love of her Christ. She lives with her younger sister (Katelyn Daliath, author of RED ROSE OF ORDELIA) and her parents. When she is not writing, she is lost in a book to escape reality, singing, having bookish talks with her sister, or helping her mom around the house with cooking and cleaning.
More of her beloved book babies are coming in the future, so make sure you follow Karen on Instagram @kjdaliathauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
December 9, 2024
This King Thrushbeard retelling is such an intriguing and fun read! I stayed up late trying to find out what was going to happen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
The characters were well done. Astoria is bossy, arrogant, and determined. I loved watching her growth from the almost annoying young woman to the strong, caring, courageous woman she could be. I loved her sidekick, Skylar! I’ve never read a book with red panda sidekicks, much less magical ones! Cyrus is so flirty and determined to win over Astoria. I love all their banter.
The plot was well paced full of twists, some I figured out others I went in circles trying to figure it out, and two that blindsided me. That ending was so good! I loved all the duels. This story was full of action, mystery, hidden identities, and betrayal.
I can’t wait to read more from this author. Highly recommend this book!
Read if you enjoy:
✨enemies-to-lovers
✨hidden identities
✨magical animal sidekicks
✨magical duels
✨betrayal
✨he falls first
✨”forced” political power marriage
✨prophecy
✨chosen one
The characters were well done. Astoria is bossy, arrogant, and determined. I loved watching her growth from the almost annoying young woman to the strong, caring, courageous woman she could be. I loved her sidekick, Skylar! I’ve never read a book with red panda sidekicks, much less magical ones! Cyrus is so flirty and determined to win over Astoria. I love all their banter.
The plot was well paced full of twists, some I figured out others I went in circles trying to figure it out, and two that blindsided me. That ending was so good! I loved all the duels. This story was full of action, mystery, hidden identities, and betrayal.
I can’t wait to read more from this author. Highly recommend this book!
Read if you enjoy:
✨enemies-to-lovers
✨hidden identities
✨magical animal sidekicks
✨magical duels
✨betrayal
✨he falls first
✨”forced” political power marriage
✨prophecy
✨chosen one
December 10, 2024
I’m a bit torn on this one. I liked the story and for the most part found it gripping. King Thrushbeard is one of my favorite fairy tales and this one had an intriguing spin on it. That said, I really disliked Astoria’s character and found her beyond annoying. She was completely intolerable until about halfway through, and even then only showed marginal improvements. The ending with Rowan and the General also seemed forced and poorly executed. There were many redeeming qualities to the book, but the characters and character interactions caused it to fall short for me.
Content:
There’s no foul language or sex. There is some violence, but it’s minimal. The romance is clean and doesn’t go beyond kissing. There is a lot of magic. There are many references to the Creator, praying and even a few scripture references.
Content:
There’s no foul language or sex. There is some violence, but it’s minimal. The romance is clean and doesn’t go beyond kissing. There is a lot of magic. There are many references to the Creator, praying and even a few scripture references.
December 4, 2024
This was an enchanting King Thrushbeard retelling. I loved the character development in this, and it had the perfect balance of enemy to lover tension, redemption, and hilarious banter and magical retaliations.
I loved Astoria's feisty and outspoken attitude, and the way she uses her mage powers and wit to duel with contenders for her hand in marriage and ridicules their attempts, but she also carries a lot of arrogance.
Her plan was flawless until a surprising stranger turns up and throws her world into chaos, and challenges her character perfectly.
The flirting, magical pranks, nicknames, and all the hate to love you energy was swoonworthy and entertaining, and I loved the way they had to earn trust, love and forgiveness over time.
The sibling relationships were very wholesome too, and a lot of the side characters have their own battles to face.
There are lots of tense moments, unexpected betrayals, and I loved all the magical elements, including the adorable telepathic animal companions.
This was utterly charming, with sprinklings of action, a slow burn romance, feisty battles, and lots of intriguing reveals.
✨ "You are not ready for this, Princess"
"Oh, please. I was born ready"
✨"She didn't need a union to magnify her powers, and she would prove to every man on the continent what a woman could do"
✨"I told you, Princess, you will be mine once this duel is over. Don't say I didn't warn you"
✨"You, my beloved wife, my Little Dragon, and my darling Astra, are worth kneeling to my enemies for"
I loved Astoria's feisty and outspoken attitude, and the way she uses her mage powers and wit to duel with contenders for her hand in marriage and ridicules their attempts, but she also carries a lot of arrogance.
Her plan was flawless until a surprising stranger turns up and throws her world into chaos, and challenges her character perfectly.
The flirting, magical pranks, nicknames, and all the hate to love you energy was swoonworthy and entertaining, and I loved the way they had to earn trust, love and forgiveness over time.
The sibling relationships were very wholesome too, and a lot of the side characters have their own battles to face.
There are lots of tense moments, unexpected betrayals, and I loved all the magical elements, including the adorable telepathic animal companions.
This was utterly charming, with sprinklings of action, a slow burn romance, feisty battles, and lots of intriguing reveals.
✨ "You are not ready for this, Princess"
"Oh, please. I was born ready"
✨"She didn't need a union to magnify her powers, and she would prove to every man on the continent what a woman could do"
✨"I told you, Princess, you will be mine once this duel is over. Don't say I didn't warn you"
✨"You, my beloved wife, my Little Dragon, and my darling Astra, are worth kneeling to my enemies for"
December 6, 2024
This book was sooo good! At first, you can't help but dislike the heroine but if you read the fairytale, I don't think you're supposed to like her. The hero is one that just made me chuckle repeatedly and I love the swoony, sweet moments later in the book between the two of them. There's some fun plot twists that I enjoyed trying to guess and see come to fruition. The ending, however, was the best of all!
Honestly, I highly recommend this book, it was so good and I'm definitely going to be reading more of Daliath's books!
Honestly, I highly recommend this book, it was so good and I'm definitely going to be reading more of Daliath's books!
November 23, 2024
So this is the first King Thrushbeard retelling that I remember reading, and I had to look up a synopsis after a while because the FMC annoyed me so much that I was curious if it was the author's creation or based off the original story. I was actually happy to see her knocked down a couple pegs because she was just so full of herself.
The first twist was pretty obvious, but as a retelling it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise if you know the original tale. There were multiple twists later on that did take me by surprise. I really hope to learn more about the world and characters here at some point because they're written really well.
The first twist was pretty obvious, but as a retelling it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise if you know the original tale. There were multiple twists later on that did take me by surprise. I really hope to learn more about the world and characters here at some point because they're written really well.
February 16, 2025
4.5⭐️
This book was great! I couldn't put it down. The enemies to lovers was top notch! The fighting, bickering, yelling, and messing around. Quite a few laughs. Their chemistry was amazing. I genuinely liked all the characters, and I'm glad her brothers are getting their own stories! Also... sweetheart Jasper... the friend zoned guy. The villain is great, and I truly didn't expect it to be Rowan! Like, what?? Definitely recommend this book!
Also....RED PANDAS as magical pets!!! What...? My absolute favorite animal! 😍
This book was great! I couldn't put it down. The enemies to lovers was top notch! The fighting, bickering, yelling, and messing around. Quite a few laughs. Their chemistry was amazing. I genuinely liked all the characters, and I'm glad her brothers are getting their own stories! Also... sweetheart Jasper... the friend zoned guy. The villain is great, and I truly didn't expect it to be Rowan! Like, what?? Definitely recommend this book!
Also....RED PANDAS as magical pets!!! What...? My absolute favorite animal! 😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2024
What a wonderful tale of an independent princess who has to come to terms with with fulfilling a prophecy, enemies to lovers, and a few twists along the way.
Definitely recommend this read!
Definitely recommend this read!
December 25, 2024
5 of 5 Stars
Wow! This book is absolutely AMAZING! I had no idea what I was getting into reading this book. I have never heard of the King Thrushbeard fairy tale, but that didn’t lessen just how much I loved this story. Wow, this book may be my new favorite fantasy book! And definitely my new favorite fairy tale retelling! Karen Daliath did an absolutely phenomenal job on this story. I was hooked on Astoria and her husband’s story from the very first chapter. Their romance was just…*SWOON! There were so many unexpected twists in this one, it was truly a pleasure to read! If you haven’t bought this book, you need to!
I received an ARC copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.
Wow! This book is absolutely AMAZING! I had no idea what I was getting into reading this book. I have never heard of the King Thrushbeard fairy tale, but that didn’t lessen just how much I loved this story. Wow, this book may be my new favorite fantasy book! And definitely my new favorite fairy tale retelling! Karen Daliath did an absolutely phenomenal job on this story. I was hooked on Astoria and her husband’s story from the very first chapter. Their romance was just…*SWOON! There were so many unexpected twists in this one, it was truly a pleasure to read! If you haven’t bought this book, you need to!
I received an ARC copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.
December 6, 2024
4.75 rounded up to 5.
This story was so enjoyable! I really loved it!! I breezed through this story. The author’s writing style is very readable and there are so many beautiful quotes in this story.
I know this is a King Thrushbeard retelling, but it had some Beauty and the Beast vibes and I LOVE Beauty and the Beast.
I will admit I had a hard time liking Astoria. However, this follows the original tale of King Thrushbeard. The princess was arrogant and not particularly likable and had to be humbled in the original tale. It was nice seeing Astoria’s growth throughout the story.
On the other hand, I ADORED the male lead. Loved him. He was amazing. He falls into one of my favorite categories for MMCs.
Also, a red panda animal familiar? What kind of perfection is that? I LOVE red pandas. I love the connection between Astoria and Skylar.
Also, Emmett, what an amazing brother. Loved him to pieces. He was so sweet, supportive, and protective. Who wouldn’t want an older brother like him?
There are other characters I enjoyed, but I don’t want to give away any plot points :)
I can honestly say, the twists in the story didn’t surprise me, but that didn’t take away from the plot. I enjoy trying to figure out “mysteries” and have spent most my life reading mystery novels, so I tend to figure out books, movies, shows, rather easily.
The twists were WONDERFUL and well-written.
Also, as a Christian, I loved all the faith elements. ♥
This story had it all: sweet moments, witty banter, cute nicknames, funny moments, mystery, family moments, and action. I highly, highly recommend it. There was only one thing that made me uncomfortable and I will put it below because I don’t want to post any spoilers here.
Read this book if you enjoy:
Witty banter
Sweet Sibling Moments
Enemies to Lovers
Cute Animal Familiars
Feisty female leads
Taking Care of him when he is sick
This one scene made me drop it from a 5 to a 4.75
This story was so enjoyable! I really loved it!! I breezed through this story. The author’s writing style is very readable and there are so many beautiful quotes in this story.
I know this is a King Thrushbeard retelling, but it had some Beauty and the Beast vibes and I LOVE Beauty and the Beast.
I will admit I had a hard time liking Astoria. However, this follows the original tale of King Thrushbeard. The princess was arrogant and not particularly likable and had to be humbled in the original tale. It was nice seeing Astoria’s growth throughout the story.
On the other hand, I ADORED the male lead. Loved him. He was amazing. He falls into one of my favorite categories for MMCs.
Also, a red panda animal familiar? What kind of perfection is that? I LOVE red pandas. I love the connection between Astoria and Skylar.
Also, Emmett, what an amazing brother. Loved him to pieces. He was so sweet, supportive, and protective. Who wouldn’t want an older brother like him?
There are other characters I enjoyed, but I don’t want to give away any plot points :)
I can honestly say, the twists in the story didn’t surprise me, but that didn’t take away from the plot. I enjoy trying to figure out “mysteries” and have spent most my life reading mystery novels, so I tend to figure out books, movies, shows, rather easily.
The twists were WONDERFUL and well-written.
Also, as a Christian, I loved all the faith elements. ♥
This story had it all: sweet moments, witty banter, cute nicknames, funny moments, mystery, family moments, and action. I highly, highly recommend it. There was only one thing that made me uncomfortable and I will put it below because I don’t want to post any spoilers here.
Read this book if you enjoy:
Witty banter
Sweet Sibling Moments
Enemies to Lovers
Cute Animal Familiars
Feisty female leads
Taking Care of him when he is sick
This one scene made me drop it from a 5 to a 4.75
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2024
Astoria is a powerful mage who refuses to be told who to marry. As her father presses the matter, she makes him a deal to challenge her suitors to a magical duel. The one to best her will win her hand.
Silas is a mysterious mage who has a secret. He accepts the challenge and agrees to duel against the one everyone talks about as being unbeatable. Can he best her and win her hand? And if he does, will he ever win her heart?
Dueling the Suitors is an enemies to lovers story full of plot twists, hidden identities and magical action and adventure.
I LOVED reading this book and cannot wait to read other books by Karen Daliath. She is such a talented author. Go check her out!!
✨ Dueling The Suitors coming 12.6.24 ✨
✨ Book blurb: ✨
__________________
What if the princess unknowingly said 'I do' to the very enemy threatening her kingdom?
Princess Astoria always hated the idea of marriage.
So when her father demands she wed a powerful wizard to defend their kingdom from invasion, Astoria agrees on one condition: her prospective groom must first defeat her in a magical duel and prove himself worthy of her hand.
Suitor after suitor, Astoria bests every magic-born man her father presents, earning her fame across the continent as the Unyielding Princess of Daliston.
When no mages remain to challenge her, a lowly street performer arrives at the castle to face the renowned princess. Little does she know, this mysterious stranger may be the only one powerful enough to defeat her in the duel.
But what happens when her champion turns out to be the one man she never expected?
✨Dueling the Suitors is one of eleven novels in the INTO THE ENCHANTED series—a standalone collection of no-spice fairytale retellings where magic-born heroines discover their happily ever after. Brimming with magic, mystery, twists, and swoon-worthy moments, these full-length novels can be enjoyed in any order!
Silas is a mysterious mage who has a secret. He accepts the challenge and agrees to duel against the one everyone talks about as being unbeatable. Can he best her and win her hand? And if he does, will he ever win her heart?
Dueling the Suitors is an enemies to lovers story full of plot twists, hidden identities and magical action and adventure.
I LOVED reading this book and cannot wait to read other books by Karen Daliath. She is such a talented author. Go check her out!!
✨ Dueling The Suitors coming 12.6.24 ✨
✨ Book blurb: ✨
__________________
What if the princess unknowingly said 'I do' to the very enemy threatening her kingdom?
Princess Astoria always hated the idea of marriage.
So when her father demands she wed a powerful wizard to defend their kingdom from invasion, Astoria agrees on one condition: her prospective groom must first defeat her in a magical duel and prove himself worthy of her hand.
Suitor after suitor, Astoria bests every magic-born man her father presents, earning her fame across the continent as the Unyielding Princess of Daliston.
When no mages remain to challenge her, a lowly street performer arrives at the castle to face the renowned princess. Little does she know, this mysterious stranger may be the only one powerful enough to defeat her in the duel.
But what happens when her champion turns out to be the one man she never expected?
✨Dueling the Suitors is one of eleven novels in the INTO THE ENCHANTED series—a standalone collection of no-spice fairytale retellings where magic-born heroines discover their happily ever after. Brimming with magic, mystery, twists, and swoon-worthy moments, these full-length novels can be enjoyed in any order!
December 1, 2024
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I LOVE retellings of King Thrushbeard! Retellings of this great tale are scarce but the ones that exist are great. Dueling the Suitors was a beautiful and unique reimagining of the fairytale. What if the princess fought for her right not to marry? What are her reasons for not wanting to marry? What if Thrushbeard was of magical origins? I loved the added interest. Also, I loved the furry sidekicks! So cute.
Astoria was a complex character. I wasn’t sure if I would like her at first but I grew to love her. She has a lot of motives behind her actions. Our leading man was endearing and patient. There was a good amount of banter and teasing. Their interactions were very enjoyable and I kept looking forward to their next meeting.
Honestly, I am so glad and thankful to @kjdaliathauthor for an ARC of Dueling the Suitors. It was a fabulous take on an old tale with a slightly gothic feel and an amazing romance. I can’t wait to read more from this lovely author! All in all, a great read!
No-spice rating: mild kissing
Language: Clean
Faith Elements: (the Creator is only mentioned once or twice)
Tropes:
Arranged Marriage
Banter
She tends him while he’s sick
Loveable fluffy side kicks
Touch her and 💀
Pranks
I LOVE retellings of King Thrushbeard! Retellings of this great tale are scarce but the ones that exist are great. Dueling the Suitors was a beautiful and unique reimagining of the fairytale. What if the princess fought for her right not to marry? What are her reasons for not wanting to marry? What if Thrushbeard was of magical origins? I loved the added interest. Also, I loved the furry sidekicks! So cute.
Astoria was a complex character. I wasn’t sure if I would like her at first but I grew to love her. She has a lot of motives behind her actions. Our leading man was endearing and patient. There was a good amount of banter and teasing. Their interactions were very enjoyable and I kept looking forward to their next meeting.
Honestly, I am so glad and thankful to @kjdaliathauthor for an ARC of Dueling the Suitors. It was a fabulous take on an old tale with a slightly gothic feel and an amazing romance. I can’t wait to read more from this lovely author! All in all, a great read!
No-spice rating: mild kissing
Language: Clean
Faith Elements: (the Creator is only mentioned once or twice)
Tropes:
Arranged Marriage
Banter
She tends him while he’s sick
Loveable fluffy side kicks
Touch her and 💀
Pranks
November 24, 2024
* This is an ARC review*
In this retelling of the King Thrushbeard fairytale, a princess determined not to marry agrees to do so only if her suitor can beat her in a magical duel. Being a very powerful mage, she feels she has nothing to lose until the one day she is beaten by the one man she never suspected would dual for her hand. Forced in a marriage she never wanted, she begins to learn that things are not quite what they seem, and what she expected is not actually her destiny.
I really liked the princess, Astoria. She’s a little more fiery that I can relate to, but I liked that she’s not the snobby princess that is in the original stories. I loved seeing her relationship grow with the other characters in the story, especially her brother Silas. I also appreciated the growing romance between her and the MMC, didn’t feel too sudden but more believable in my opinion.
The pacing of the story was good, I felt that the events happened at a good pace with enough excitement throughout to keep me coming back for more. There were times during some of the characters duels that I thought a little more could have been added, but I did enjoy what was there.
The author’s writing style was descriptive and flowed naturally which helped keep me in the story. There were a couple times in the beginning of the book that I did feel a bit lost, but then my questions were answered as I continued reading and I was able to enjoy the story.
I would recommend this book to any who want an original take on a lesser-known fairytale. The story was fun, the romance was sweet and clean, and there was a slight reference to Christianity—which being a Christian woman myself I could appreciate.
If you’ve read to the end on my review, thank you and enjoy the book!
In this retelling of the King Thrushbeard fairytale, a princess determined not to marry agrees to do so only if her suitor can beat her in a magical duel. Being a very powerful mage, she feels she has nothing to lose until the one day she is beaten by the one man she never suspected would dual for her hand. Forced in a marriage she never wanted, she begins to learn that things are not quite what they seem, and what she expected is not actually her destiny.
I really liked the princess, Astoria. She’s a little more fiery that I can relate to, but I liked that she’s not the snobby princess that is in the original stories. I loved seeing her relationship grow with the other characters in the story, especially her brother Silas. I also appreciated the growing romance between her and the MMC, didn’t feel too sudden but more believable in my opinion.
The pacing of the story was good, I felt that the events happened at a good pace with enough excitement throughout to keep me coming back for more. There were times during some of the characters duels that I thought a little more could have been added, but I did enjoy what was there.
The author’s writing style was descriptive and flowed naturally which helped keep me in the story. There were a couple times in the beginning of the book that I did feel a bit lost, but then my questions were answered as I continued reading and I was able to enjoy the story.
I would recommend this book to any who want an original take on a lesser-known fairytale. The story was fun, the romance was sweet and clean, and there was a slight reference to Christianity—which being a Christian woman myself I could appreciate.
If you’ve read to the end on my review, thank you and enjoy the book!
January 6, 2025
✨Dueling the Suitors by Karen Daliath was such an intriguing King Thrushbeard Retelling! If you loved Merida's independence streak competing for her own hand in Disney's Brave, then you'll love Astoria, the sassy & spunky fmc in this book! She does have some growing up to do, but her character matures nicely throughout the story! This was such a unique retelling filled with twists & turns, magical duels, witty banter, a telepathic red fox panda companion (who was my favorite character!) and a sweet, swoony romance!
💛I loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves unique & clean fairytale retellings! Thank you Karen for the honor of being able to read your book as an arc!
🌟✨🌟✨🌟
💛I loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves unique & clean fairytale retellings! Thank you Karen for the honor of being able to read your book as an arc!
🌟✨🌟✨🌟
November 29, 2024
ARC READ
5⭐️
TROPE
A King Thrushbread Retelling
Forced Marriage
This is my first ARC read ever and it did not dissapoint. I did not knew anything about King Thrushbread so did a quick Google scan. The book has story, funny side characters, the cute little pets, magic, banter, and romance. It's fairly a light read as compared to other fantasies. It can be a great read for someone interested to start fantasy genre.
➡️ The character development of heroine from arrogant prince to mighty empress.✔️
➡️ The siblings bond and family moments. ✔️
➡️ The Banter between the lead ✔️
“You are mesmerizing, Little Dragon.” The enchantment broke. Little Dragon. She glared at him.
“Don’t tempt me to smack your stupid, handsome face.”
“You think I am handsome, darling?”
➡️ The Perfect amount of Romance ✔️
“He can take my throne, strip me of my powers, destroy my empire, but not you. Never you. And I would choose you over the world, over and over again.”
5⭐️
TROPE
A King Thrushbread Retelling
Forced Marriage
This is my first ARC read ever and it did not dissapoint. I did not knew anything about King Thrushbread so did a quick Google scan. The book has story, funny side characters, the cute little pets, magic, banter, and romance. It's fairly a light read as compared to other fantasies. It can be a great read for someone interested to start fantasy genre.
➡️ The character development of heroine from arrogant prince to mighty empress.✔️
➡️ The siblings bond and family moments. ✔️
➡️ The Banter between the lead ✔️
“You are mesmerizing, Little Dragon.” The enchantment broke. Little Dragon. She glared at him.
“Don’t tempt me to smack your stupid, handsome face.”
“You think I am handsome, darling?”
➡️ The Perfect amount of Romance ✔️
“He can take my throne, strip me of my powers, destroy my empire, but not you. Never you. And I would choose you over the world, over and over again.”
December 6, 2024
ARC Review ✨️
♡Fantastic Retelling♡
Astoria has never wanted to get married. She's always hated the idea of it until her father forces it upon her. She agrees but on one condition. The groom has to defeat her in a magical duel to prove he's worthy. After going through many duels and no one defeating her, she finally meets a mystery man who just might be the one, but it's someone she could've never expected it to be.
This story was so highly fascinating and such a great retelling of King Thrushbeard. The author's writing easily captured my attention, and I enjoyed it so much! The banter was amazing and so funny sometimes. There was also a lot of character growth, and I feel that helped make the story even better! I am so looking forward to more from this author!
Tropes:
♡He falls first
☆Fairytale retelling
♡Arranged marriage
☆Enemies to Lovers
Thanks so much to the author for the ARC!
♡Fantastic Retelling♡
Astoria has never wanted to get married. She's always hated the idea of it until her father forces it upon her. She agrees but on one condition. The groom has to defeat her in a magical duel to prove he's worthy. After going through many duels and no one defeating her, she finally meets a mystery man who just might be the one, but it's someone she could've never expected it to be.
This story was so highly fascinating and such a great retelling of King Thrushbeard. The author's writing easily captured my attention, and I enjoyed it so much! The banter was amazing and so funny sometimes. There was also a lot of character growth, and I feel that helped make the story even better! I am so looking forward to more from this author!
Tropes:
♡He falls first
☆Fairytale retelling
♡Arranged marriage
☆Enemies to Lovers
Thanks so much to the author for the ARC!
February 11, 2025
Loved it!!
Dueling the Suitors was such a fantastic book! What a unique twist having Astria duel all the mages, to win her hand. I really enjoyed Silas/Cyrus's banter as he applied the "you attract more bees with sugar/honey" approach to his ill-tempered bride. I couldn't stop reading the story and stayed up way too long into the morning, but it was totally worth it. There is no swearing or bedroom scenes, and i would happily share this book with my tennaged daughter. I can't wait to read more books from Karen Daliath!!
Dueling the Suitors was such a fantastic book! What a unique twist having Astria duel all the mages, to win her hand. I really enjoyed Silas/Cyrus's banter as he applied the "you attract more bees with sugar/honey" approach to his ill-tempered bride. I couldn't stop reading the story and stayed up way too long into the morning, but it was totally worth it. There is no swearing or bedroom scenes, and i would happily share this book with my tennaged daughter. I can't wait to read more books from Karen Daliath!!
October 28, 2024
This was such a sweet book to read! It peeked my interest at the very beginning and I only wanted to read it faster to figure out what was going to happen 😁 I absolutely loved the sibling relationship between the FMC and her brothers, it was so wholesome it made me tear up! Definitely one of my favorite reads of this year!
January 11, 2026
a fun book with unexpected twists
I really enjoyed this one! A few unexpected twists which made the book even better than expected.
The writing was definitely aimed at a younger audience, but enjoyable all the same!
I really enjoyed this one! A few unexpected twists which made the book even better than expected.
The writing was definitely aimed at a younger audience, but enjoyable all the same!
January 21, 2025
YA Romantasy | Banters | Enemies to Lovers | Marriage of Convenience| He falls first and harder | Girl boss FL | Green Flag ML | Nicknames | what else do you need it was a 5 ⭐read | just pick it up | One sitting read| 🖤
July 26, 2025
The idea of the book was really good but the execution of it was…. Less than good… the grammatical errors and oddly formed sentences among other things kind of messed with the story telling and world that Karen could’ve created. Overall it was disappointing… but great idea, maybe a revised edit of it could give the book a more polished feeling.
August 28, 2025
It was fine.
December 9, 2024
Dueling the Suitors has become my favorite books written by Karen Daliath. This book was fantastic! I found the plot fascinating and it quickly pulled me. There were so many twists and turns! Dueling the Suitors was hard to put down and I may have stayed up too late reading a few nights. This is one of the best and most unique retellings of King Thrushbeard I have read! I loved the enemies to lovers and redemptive aspects of the story, it made a well developed and gripping plot. The banter between Cyrus and Astoria was the best! Full of snarky comebacks that turned endearing over time! The romance was sweet and never went past kissing. All the side characters were well developed. I loved Astoria’s relationship with her older brother. It was the sweetest! Such a wonderful read and highly recommend!
I volunteered to read an ARC copy of the book and all thoughts are my own.
I volunteered to read an ARC copy of the book and all thoughts are my own.
December 30, 2024
An adventurous action-packed King Thrushbeard retelling
Astoria enjoys trash-talking her dueling opponents. She is grumpy, stubborn, snarky, and quirky, which should not be surprising since the only one who really showed her love was her older brother Emmett and her pet panda. Cyrus is a surprisingly honorable man and desires the best for his people. I didn’t like the fact that there was a lot of infidelity among the royals, so I was pleased with Cyrus’ promises of faithfulness to Astoria. There are rumors, betrayals, secrets, plot twists and turns, and lots of action. This was a fun read with creative world building and with possible future intrigues.
Astoria enjoys trash-talking her dueling opponents. She is grumpy, stubborn, snarky, and quirky, which should not be surprising since the only one who really showed her love was her older brother Emmett and her pet panda. Cyrus is a surprisingly honorable man and desires the best for his people. I didn’t like the fact that there was a lot of infidelity among the royals, so I was pleased with Cyrus’ promises of faithfulness to Astoria. There are rumors, betrayals, secrets, plot twists and turns, and lots of action. This was a fun read with creative world building and with possible future intrigues.
January 4, 2025
Fun story!
I really enjoyed this story. The writing was fast pasted and I finished it in a day. There were some grammar errors but some of my reviews have those too ;)
The FMC had some serious growing to do and by the end managed to be quite likable. Glad I read this one.
I really enjoyed this story. The writing was fast pasted and I finished it in a day. There were some grammar errors but some of my reviews have those too ;)
The FMC had some serious growing to do and by the end managed to be quite likable. Glad I read this one.
December 8, 2024
Ooh, I loved this book!!
The story/retelling: so unique and fresh and I liked it a whole lot! Loved the magic twists!
The characters: soooo good! I really enjoyed them all and even the ones with a little twist and turns in them! ;)
Definitely recommend!
The story/retelling: so unique and fresh and I liked it a whole lot! Loved the magic twists!
The characters: soooo good! I really enjoyed them all and even the ones with a little twist and turns in them! ;)
Definitely recommend!
November 27, 2024
Thrushbeard retellings are one of my favorites, because there is so much potential for a strong redemptive arc. This version was so different and it captured my attention from the first page. It took elements from the story and woven a tale that was new and gripping.
I could not put the book down and was so happy with how this ended.
I could not put the book down and was so happy with how this ended.
November 9, 2024
This book was a beautiful story of trusting someone and letting down your walls for them to see you. Astoria and the MMC had such a cute dynamic and their banter was top tier.
Astoria starts the book very reluctant to marry anyone and she's determined to not appear weak. Stuck in a home where she doesn't get much parental love, she learns to harden herself to those around her. Until he comes along and shows her it's ok to lean on others.
There were so many twists in the story that I was not expecting, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
The world building was unique and easy to follow, and the authors writing flowed so beautifully.
Tropes:
• Marriage of convenience
• Soulmates
• He falls first and harder
• Secrets and Betrayals
• Family secrets
• Found family
• Powerful FMC
• He kneels for nobody but her
Astoria starts the book very reluctant to marry anyone and she's determined to not appear weak. Stuck in a home where she doesn't get much parental love, she learns to harden herself to those around her. Until he comes along and shows her it's ok to lean on others.
There were so many twists in the story that I was not expecting, and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
The world building was unique and easy to follow, and the authors writing flowed so beautifully.
Tropes:
• Marriage of convenience
• Soulmates
• He falls first and harder
• Secrets and Betrayals
• Family secrets
• Found family
• Powerful FMC
• He kneels for nobody but her
October 30, 2024
It captured me from the start.
I love King Thrushbeard tales and am glad they are coming more in vogue, so was eager to start the Dueling Suitors! I love the fact that it is not just a straight retelling, but Karen Daliath gives it her own twists. In a land of magic, power means a great deal, so the use of it by Princess Astoria as the reason for marriage means more than a petty sarcastic natured Princess and I appreciated that turn of events. Because I know the fairy tale, my mind was bouncing with ideas of the mysterious challenger, but it wasn’t as obvious as it would seem. Part marrying strangers, part enemy to lovers, but all Fairy Tale. The reason for travel immediately after marriage is different than many of the tales I have read and was a good lead for the story to follow. Twists and turns from the original bring forth an even more exciting version of the tale. The author doesn’t just repeat the tale, she makes it her own in a wonderful way. Love, revenge and miscommunication abound. I couldn’t put it down. This wasn’t my first Karen Daliath book, but so far it is my favorite.
I received a free ARC copy of this and review it freely.
I love King Thrushbeard tales and am glad they are coming more in vogue, so was eager to start the Dueling Suitors! I love the fact that it is not just a straight retelling, but Karen Daliath gives it her own twists. In a land of magic, power means a great deal, so the use of it by Princess Astoria as the reason for marriage means more than a petty sarcastic natured Princess and I appreciated that turn of events. Because I know the fairy tale, my mind was bouncing with ideas of the mysterious challenger, but it wasn’t as obvious as it would seem. Part marrying strangers, part enemy to lovers, but all Fairy Tale. The reason for travel immediately after marriage is different than many of the tales I have read and was a good lead for the story to follow. Twists and turns from the original bring forth an even more exciting version of the tale. The author doesn’t just repeat the tale, she makes it her own in a wonderful way. Love, revenge and miscommunication abound. I couldn’t put it down. This wasn’t my first Karen Daliath book, but so far it is my favorite.
I received a free ARC copy of this and review it freely.
January 8, 2025
Wow, this book completely exceeded my expectations!😃From the very first page, I was hooked, and the unexpected twists kept me on the edge of my seat. The bond between the protagonist and her brothers was so heartfelt and genuine, adding real depth to the story. I also loved the playful banter between her and her husband—it had me laughing out loud. I’ve always enjoyed this type of retelling, and while I was initially worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, I was completely wrong. This was definitely a fantastic read!
November 14, 2024
This story blew me away. Now, I'm not familiar with the original Thrusbeard fairytale. But I can only imagine that this retelling did ample justice to it.
The plot twists were from another realm. I had to restrain myself from waking my roommates at 2:00 am with my squeals, gasps and exclamations.
Cyrus... Sigh. He was just too sweet. His words (especially his inferences to the Creator and even some quotes from scripture) endeared him to me right from the start. And that trick with his identity. Damn, I didn't see that coming.
I was a bit heartbroken for Jasper, so please dear author, strongly consider writing his own story as a spin off.
The descriptions were so smooth I could literally sense every detail.
Karen is a magnificent author and I love every story she writes, this was no exception.
I received this book as an ARC. All opinions are my honest views.
The plot twists were from another realm. I had to restrain myself from waking my roommates at 2:00 am with my squeals, gasps and exclamations.
Cyrus... Sigh. He was just too sweet. His words (especially his inferences to the Creator and even some quotes from scripture) endeared him to me right from the start. And that trick with his identity. Damn, I didn't see that coming.
I was a bit heartbroken for Jasper, so please dear author, strongly consider writing his own story as a spin off.
The descriptions were so smooth I could literally sense every detail.
Karen is a magnificent author and I love every story she writes, this was no exception.
I received this book as an ARC. All opinions are my honest views.
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