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Knights of Mellora #1
The Knight of the Trove
What if the princess didn’t want to be rescued from the dragon?
As the well-trained knight of a dragon’s trove, former princess Nesrin would rather fight off suitors than invite one in. Twelve years ago, Nesrin’s uncle murdered her mother and stole her deceased father’s throne. Nesrin lived under her uncle’s brutal thumb for years until she was rescued by a benevolent dragon. Now a grown woman, she protects herself and the dragon trove from the interloping “rescuers” her uncle sends to retrieve her so he can marry her off to the highest bidder.
In a neighboring kingdom, Kas was forced to take monastic orders when he was a child, but the handsome monk volunteered when his country needed someone to find the lost artifact Nesrin’s uncle a magical golden casket rumored to make any army invincible. Forbidden from fighting by his vows but desperate to do his part in the coming war, he arrives on Nesrin’s doorstep with a quest she can’t refuse. If they can find the casket first, the nations united against her uncle’s iron rule might have a fighting chance.
As Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy through a dangerous world, their budding trust blooms into a love Nesrin never wanted and Kas is forbidden to feel. But when the casket falls into the hands of the enemy and an evil far worse than Nesrin’s uncle is unleashed, Nesrin and Kas must trust their love and work together to imprison it before the world burns.
This high fantasy romance delivers a slow-burn, forbidden love between a sword-wielding knight and her cinnamon roll monk. Funny and heartfelt, this series-opening quest takes readers across the dangerously beautiful world of Mellora, through foreign palaces, sprawling libraries, into the den of manticores, the bedroom of a knight, and finally to a showdown between good and evil.
As the well-trained knight of a dragon’s trove, former princess Nesrin would rather fight off suitors than invite one in. Twelve years ago, Nesrin’s uncle murdered her mother and stole her deceased father’s throne. Nesrin lived under her uncle’s brutal thumb for years until she was rescued by a benevolent dragon. Now a grown woman, she protects herself and the dragon trove from the interloping “rescuers” her uncle sends to retrieve her so he can marry her off to the highest bidder.
In a neighboring kingdom, Kas was forced to take monastic orders when he was a child, but the handsome monk volunteered when his country needed someone to find the lost artifact Nesrin’s uncle a magical golden casket rumored to make any army invincible. Forbidden from fighting by his vows but desperate to do his part in the coming war, he arrives on Nesrin’s doorstep with a quest she can’t refuse. If they can find the casket first, the nations united against her uncle’s iron rule might have a fighting chance.
As Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy through a dangerous world, their budding trust blooms into a love Nesrin never wanted and Kas is forbidden to feel. But when the casket falls into the hands of the enemy and an evil far worse than Nesrin’s uncle is unleashed, Nesrin and Kas must trust their love and work together to imprison it before the world burns.
This high fantasy romance delivers a slow-burn, forbidden love between a sword-wielding knight and her cinnamon roll monk. Funny and heartfelt, this series-opening quest takes readers across the dangerously beautiful world of Mellora, through foreign palaces, sprawling libraries, into the den of manticores, the bedroom of a knight, and finally to a showdown between good and evil.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2024
10 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Holly Rose
4 books58 followersHolly Rose is the author of Follow Your Bliss (The Dream House Girls #1), Until the Stars Fall (Interstellar Witches #1) and The Knight of the Trove (The Knights of Mellora #1). She lives in Louisiana with her husband, two sons, and two cats, where sadly, there are no dragons. She eats too much cheese fries, loves stargazing, and writes books about people falling in love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 21, 2024
This book was truly amazing. The first book in the Knights of Mellora Series, a new YA high fantasy series with a damsel in distress, dragons, magical artifacts, adventures and swords. This book made me laugh, have fun, cry, scream and move. I loved the world-building right away: from Ady's trove, to Estria, we discovered the fantastic world of Mellora. In several moments I would certainly have preferred that the settings were a little more described and investigated, but I hope that this will happen in the next books of the series.
As for the characters, the author has not missed. I loved every single character. The villains were on point, I would have liked to see them in more scenes, in particular I would have liked the last scene (the battle scene) to be longer just to give more space to these characters, especially Seviiranth. For our main characters, I completely and totally fell in love with Kas, a monk, a fighter, our perfect cinnamon roll bookboyfriend, I loved him from the first page to the last. He really changed the standards when it comes to bookboyfriends (especially after the necklace scene). Nesrin, our damsel in distress, our perfect damsel who doesn't need a knight to save her because she can save herself. She's definitely a worthy protagonist, strong and combative, I loved every nuance of her. Nesrin is definitely one of the toughest protagonists I've ever read about, who never needed a man, until Kas came along. For the romance plot, let's say that I was lost right from the start: slow-burn and forbidden romance are among my favorite tropes so I already knew I would go crazy for the romance plot. Indeed I was not wrong, Nesrin and Kas' relationship was beautifully written and well-constructed. I can't wait to see how this wonderful story will evolve in the next books!
As for the characters, the author has not missed. I loved every single character. The villains were on point, I would have liked to see them in more scenes, in particular I would have liked the last scene (the battle scene) to be longer just to give more space to these characters, especially Seviiranth. For our main characters, I completely and totally fell in love with Kas, a monk, a fighter, our perfect cinnamon roll bookboyfriend, I loved him from the first page to the last. He really changed the standards when it comes to bookboyfriends (especially after the necklace scene). Nesrin, our damsel in distress, our perfect damsel who doesn't need a knight to save her because she can save herself. She's definitely a worthy protagonist, strong and combative, I loved every nuance of her. Nesrin is definitely one of the toughest protagonists I've ever read about, who never needed a man, until Kas came along. For the romance plot, let's say that I was lost right from the start: slow-burn and forbidden romance are among my favorite tropes so I already knew I would go crazy for the romance plot. Indeed I was not wrong, Nesrin and Kas' relationship was beautifully written and well-constructed. I can't wait to see how this wonderful story will evolve in the next books!
September 23, 2024
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
I WOULD DIE FOR KAS. My little baby Cinnamon Roll.
With such a strong opening line I was unsure if it could maintain momentum but it did and I absolutely loved this book. I thought it probably could’ve been built up a bit more but it was still quite detailed and will probably continue to expand as the books go on.
Absolutely loved everything about the dragons and was pleasantly surprised by differences in their lore compared to other stories I've read. I think its hard to go wrong with Dragons but this was beyond what I was expecting.
The sexual tension in the book left me reeling. No spoilers but the necklace/teeth scene was 5 stars by itself 😂
I laughed, I sobbed and called a few characters c**ts so all in all I think it’s safe to say I was invested!
My husband was reading at one part over my shoulder and the few pages he read had him asking me for the title so he can read it himself - high praise from him!!
Can’t wait for more books in this universe!
I WOULD DIE FOR KAS. My little baby Cinnamon Roll.
With such a strong opening line I was unsure if it could maintain momentum but it did and I absolutely loved this book. I thought it probably could’ve been built up a bit more but it was still quite detailed and will probably continue to expand as the books go on.
Absolutely loved everything about the dragons and was pleasantly surprised by differences in their lore compared to other stories I've read. I think its hard to go wrong with Dragons but this was beyond what I was expecting.
The sexual tension in the book left me reeling. No spoilers but the necklace/teeth scene was 5 stars by itself 😂
I laughed, I sobbed and called a few characters c**ts so all in all I think it’s safe to say I was invested!
My husband was reading at one part over my shoulder and the few pages he read had him asking me for the title so he can read it himself - high praise from him!!
Can’t wait for more books in this universe!
September 17, 2024
Thank you to Holly Rose for an ARC of The Knight of the Trove. My last read was an absolute slog (I won’t go into detail) so The Knight of the Trove was a much needed palette cleanser.
At a snappy 500 pages or so, it’s a breezy and charming subversion of the damsel in distress trope, making a fierce young princess our dragons companion, and her love interest a soft, intelligent and completely off limits (but incredibly HOT) monk. Talk about a slow burn, that dance chapter had me SCREAMING.
The dynamic is fresh and original for a genre full of warrior to warrior romances and I ate it up. The writing and story is slightly more on the YA than the NA side of the scale, but I devoured it in one whole day so big thumbs up from me.
At a snappy 500 pages or so, it’s a breezy and charming subversion of the damsel in distress trope, making a fierce young princess our dragons companion, and her love interest a soft, intelligent and completely off limits (but incredibly HOT) monk. Talk about a slow burn, that dance chapter had me SCREAMING.
The dynamic is fresh and original for a genre full of warrior to warrior romances and I ate it up. The writing and story is slightly more on the YA than the NA side of the scale, but I devoured it in one whole day so big thumbs up from me.
September 22, 2024
Forget morally grey men, forget brooding shadow daddies, and forget the billionaire Mafia bosses... I want a pacifist, cinnamon roll, bookish monk/prince!
Oh my gosh, you guys!!! This book!!!! THE KNIGHT OF THE TROVE by Holly Rose is sooooo good! I was in love from the get-go!
Far off places ✅️
Daring sword fights ✅️
Magic spells ✅️
A Prince in Disguise ✅️
Dragon battles ✅️
Friends to Lovers ✅️
Grumpy x Sunshine ✅️
Pining ✅️
Bed Chem ✅️
This book has it all! I adored everything about it. I loved the reverse damsel theme, placing Princess Nesrin not as a damsel guarded by a bloodthirsty dragon awaiting a dashing Prince to rescue her but as the fierce and fiery warrior guarding the trove and her own freedom. I loved how relatably grumpy and irritable and antisocial Nesrin was throughout the entire book; just absolutely done with men and their shit! I laughed out loud from the beginning when she was beating up the boys, taking their toys, and sending them on their way to lick their wounds!
And then enters The Bookish Prince of Veytia, a monk of Hivathe, Kasper Oh!
*swoons dramatically* 🤤😍🥰
I mean it when I say forget the morally grey morons, what you really need in your heart is a pacifist, bookish, cinnamon roll determined to achieve his quest to find a sacred artefact to protect the world from devastation. This is a man who won't even ride a mule when he's got a limb-threatening injury for fear of needlessly harming the tough old beast! A man who tries so valiantly to maintain his vows in the face of temptation even though they were vows he never wanted to take.
I'm in love with Kas, is what I'm saying.
And the quest! The world-building! The characters, creatures, magic, and the plot!!! You guys, I don't know what witchcraft Holly Rose was working when she wrote this book, but it needs to be studied. The Knight of The Trove is addictive, fast-paced, and full of conflict, battles, and realism!!! Oh! The realism! I loved that when our daring duo ran into trouble on their quest, they actually struggled to survive. There were touch-and-go moments! They weren't just BAMF fighters able to overcome every obstacle.
Honestly, when this book drops on 8th October 2024, it's going to be big! You NEED to read it! I immediately messaged my friend to get her signed up to read the ARC, too, because I needed someone to gush to about it!
The pining! The tension! The magic! The Grumpy x Sunshine vibes of our leading romantic pairing! So, so, so, so, good!!
It's absolutely a 5-star read! No, it's a 7/5. That's how good it is! All the stars! Infinite stars!
I am in awe of what Holly has created with this masterpiece, and I can't wait to watch it blow up on Booktok.
Oh my gosh, you guys!!! This book!!!! THE KNIGHT OF THE TROVE by Holly Rose is sooooo good! I was in love from the get-go!
Far off places ✅️
Daring sword fights ✅️
Magic spells ✅️
A Prince in Disguise ✅️
Dragon battles ✅️
Friends to Lovers ✅️
Grumpy x Sunshine ✅️
Pining ✅️
Bed Chem ✅️
This book has it all! I adored everything about it. I loved the reverse damsel theme, placing Princess Nesrin not as a damsel guarded by a bloodthirsty dragon awaiting a dashing Prince to rescue her but as the fierce and fiery warrior guarding the trove and her own freedom. I loved how relatably grumpy and irritable and antisocial Nesrin was throughout the entire book; just absolutely done with men and their shit! I laughed out loud from the beginning when she was beating up the boys, taking their toys, and sending them on their way to lick their wounds!
And then enters The Bookish Prince of Veytia, a monk of Hivathe, Kasper Oh!
*swoons dramatically* 🤤😍🥰
I mean it when I say forget the morally grey morons, what you really need in your heart is a pacifist, bookish, cinnamon roll determined to achieve his quest to find a sacred artefact to protect the world from devastation. This is a man who won't even ride a mule when he's got a limb-threatening injury for fear of needlessly harming the tough old beast! A man who tries so valiantly to maintain his vows in the face of temptation even though they were vows he never wanted to take.
I'm in love with Kas, is what I'm saying.
And the quest! The world-building! The characters, creatures, magic, and the plot!!! You guys, I don't know what witchcraft Holly Rose was working when she wrote this book, but it needs to be studied. The Knight of The Trove is addictive, fast-paced, and full of conflict, battles, and realism!!! Oh! The realism! I loved that when our daring duo ran into trouble on their quest, they actually struggled to survive. There were touch-and-go moments! They weren't just BAMF fighters able to overcome every obstacle.
Honestly, when this book drops on 8th October 2024, it's going to be big! You NEED to read it! I immediately messaged my friend to get her signed up to read the ARC, too, because I needed someone to gush to about it!
The pining! The tension! The magic! The Grumpy x Sunshine vibes of our leading romantic pairing! So, so, so, so, good!!
It's absolutely a 5-star read! No, it's a 7/5. That's how good it is! All the stars! Infinite stars!
I am in awe of what Holly has created with this masterpiece, and I can't wait to watch it blow up on Booktok.
October 2, 2024
✨ ARC Review ✨
The Knight of the Trove by Holly Rose
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ (for that one scene…🔥)
This book was exactly the wholesome read I needed and absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried and I devoured it in a little less than 2 days.
Nesrin is a strong, lovable and fun character and it is easy to fall in love with her. Additional, her counterpart Kas, the bookish prince, is the sweetest love interest I have read about it a long time.
Holly’s take on Dragons, their troves and their Knights is absolutely stunning. The princess being her own knight, not a damsel and but a capable, independent human being, was everything I have always wanted in a knights tale.
Forget mortally grey men. I want a sweet, kind, smart and strong man like Kas.
Their love story, in my opinion, is the best one I have read in a long time. Definitely in 2024.
The pining, tension, adventure, the world building and the way Holly weaves her story is absolutely stunning.
It’s a MUST read for me. Coming out on the 8th of October 2024.
I can’t wait to see this blow up!
The Knight of the Trove by Holly Rose
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️ (for that one scene…🔥)
This book was exactly the wholesome read I needed and absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried and I devoured it in a little less than 2 days.
Nesrin is a strong, lovable and fun character and it is easy to fall in love with her. Additional, her counterpart Kas, the bookish prince, is the sweetest love interest I have read about it a long time.
Holly’s take on Dragons, their troves and their Knights is absolutely stunning. The princess being her own knight, not a damsel and but a capable, independent human being, was everything I have always wanted in a knights tale.
Forget mortally grey men. I want a sweet, kind, smart and strong man like Kas.
Their love story, in my opinion, is the best one I have read in a long time. Definitely in 2024.
The pining, tension, adventure, the world building and the way Holly weaves her story is absolutely stunning.
It’s a MUST read for me. Coming out on the 8th of October 2024.
I can’t wait to see this blow up!
October 14, 2024
In this sweeping new adult fantasy series from Holly Rose, The Knight of the Trove is filled with dragons, magical artifacts, knights, swoonworthy monks, and of course, a feisty main character who is most certainly not a damsel in distress. Nesrin, the niece of the cruel king who has made her life a personal hell once he came into power, has spent twelve years living with a benevolent dragon and staying hidden away from the world—until a monk shows up with a quest that demands to be filled for the sake of the world.
While Nesrin clearly is going through some trauma, she is determined to see the end of this quest and bring down her uncle for good. It is an admirable quality in Nesrin that makes up for what she lacks, which is of course the experience as a real knight fighting against the bad guys with life on the line as she has been holed up for so long and the mistakes that she made in the face of it. Regardless, Nesrin didn’t let anything deter her from doing what is right all the while going for what she wants.
The growing relationship she has with Kasper, her traveling companion, was very interesting to see develop into something neither of them expected. The playful banter was very amusing, but it was the connection they had that convinced me they were truly amazing together. I swooned for every moment they shared together and my heart had hurt every time I was reminded that Kasper had made vows as a monk even though they were vows he never wanted to make.
(I just love Kasper so much, I can gush about him all day long.)
This isn’t a romantasy without some fantastical elements. There are dragons used in a very good way that I had never considered before, and I loved that twist so much. There are some really good lore between the gods and the old evil that has been locked up for centuries, which was the main focus of the story, and I devoured every minute of it.
Although the fantasy was intriguing enough to read the book alone, I have to say that pacing was pretty fast and sometimes it would give me a whiplash when there was a time jump in between several chapters. I would love to see more details of their journey as they trekked about the realm in search of the magical artifact.
The Knight of the Trove is a magnificent start to Holly Rose’s new adult romantasy series and readers are sure to be lured into the story, following every twists and turns until the very last page. It has the premise of becoming something big, and I look forward to it when it releases on October 8th, 2024.
I highly recommend this to readers who are fans of the Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.
While Nesrin clearly is going through some trauma, she is determined to see the end of this quest and bring down her uncle for good. It is an admirable quality in Nesrin that makes up for what she lacks, which is of course the experience as a real knight fighting against the bad guys with life on the line as she has been holed up for so long and the mistakes that she made in the face of it. Regardless, Nesrin didn’t let anything deter her from doing what is right all the while going for what she wants.
The growing relationship she has with Kasper, her traveling companion, was very interesting to see develop into something neither of them expected. The playful banter was very amusing, but it was the connection they had that convinced me they were truly amazing together. I swooned for every moment they shared together and my heart had hurt every time I was reminded that Kasper had made vows as a monk even though they were vows he never wanted to make.
(I just love Kasper so much, I can gush about him all day long.)
This isn’t a romantasy without some fantastical elements. There are dragons used in a very good way that I had never considered before, and I loved that twist so much. There are some really good lore between the gods and the old evil that has been locked up for centuries, which was the main focus of the story, and I devoured every minute of it.
Although the fantasy was intriguing enough to read the book alone, I have to say that pacing was pretty fast and sometimes it would give me a whiplash when there was a time jump in between several chapters. I would love to see more details of their journey as they trekked about the realm in search of the magical artifact.
The Knight of the Trove is a magnificent start to Holly Rose’s new adult romantasy series and readers are sure to be lured into the story, following every twists and turns until the very last page. It has the premise of becoming something big, and I look forward to it when it releases on October 8th, 2024.
I highly recommend this to readers who are fans of the Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones.
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.
September 20, 2024
I had the amazing opportunity to experience the mind of Author (Holly Rose) by receiving an ARC from Holly, for her new upcoming book✨
(The Knight Of The Trove)
Fantastic read!!!! Holly Rose, takes you through a beautiful story between the MFC & MMC! with a thrilling journey of love and adventure that unfolds into captivating romantasy that I adore so much by the author❤️✨
Every page brimmed with enchanting written characters/MFC/MMC with twists and turns that kept me on edge
I couldn’t stop reading from the first page to the last!
The world-building is a beauty bursting with journeys to the exhilarating plots🥰🔥
To the heartfelt moments🥹That Holly Rose, engrossed me into making this enjoyable read even more fun with exciting tropes that delivered a slow-burn, forbidden love between a sword-wielding knight and her cinnamon roll monk-(“Kas”) which is now my new book BF🥹🩷 he is so funny and heartfelt/adorable!!! especially with the love he brings to my girlie Nesrin-MFC) I love her so much & her personality is my favorite she brings the energy to the table with her beautiful ways and sparky attitude alongside her vibrant spirit and strength that illuminate every moment, making her the heartbeat/star🤩 of the room! Her unique personality inspires and captivates so well in this story reflecting a beautiful energy that resonates deeply by the author’s creativity.
Holly, gave me everything with this series-with opening quest taking me across the dangerously high-end world of Mellora, through foreign palaces, sprawling libraries, into the den of manticores-(Chef kisses🥰) and finally to a showdown between good and evil.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Read:)
Pre-order
The Knight Of The Trove
By Holly Rose, Today and join in the adventure and you can do just that by visiting the author’s social media @writerhollyrose on IG
Book will be release on
October 8th 2024 don’t miss out❤️✨
But in the meantime till then you should definitely check out other books by Holly Rose, which you will see and enjoy on her Instagram page✨
(The Knight Of The Trove)
Fantastic read!!!! Holly Rose, takes you through a beautiful story between the MFC & MMC! with a thrilling journey of love and adventure that unfolds into captivating romantasy that I adore so much by the author❤️✨
Every page brimmed with enchanting written characters/MFC/MMC with twists and turns that kept me on edge
I couldn’t stop reading from the first page to the last!
The world-building is a beauty bursting with journeys to the exhilarating plots🥰🔥
To the heartfelt moments🥹That Holly Rose, engrossed me into making this enjoyable read even more fun with exciting tropes that delivered a slow-burn, forbidden love between a sword-wielding knight and her cinnamon roll monk-(“Kas”) which is now my new book BF🥹🩷 he is so funny and heartfelt/adorable!!! especially with the love he brings to my girlie Nesrin-MFC) I love her so much & her personality is my favorite she brings the energy to the table with her beautiful ways and sparky attitude alongside her vibrant spirit and strength that illuminate every moment, making her the heartbeat/star🤩 of the room! Her unique personality inspires and captivates so well in this story reflecting a beautiful energy that resonates deeply by the author’s creativity.
Holly, gave me everything with this series-with opening quest taking me across the dangerously high-end world of Mellora, through foreign palaces, sprawling libraries, into the den of manticores-(Chef kisses🥰) and finally to a showdown between good and evil.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Read:)
Pre-order
The Knight Of The Trove
By Holly Rose, Today and join in the adventure and you can do just that by visiting the author’s social media @writerhollyrose on IG
Book will be release on
October 8th 2024 don’t miss out❤️✨
But in the meantime till then you should definitely check out other books by Holly Rose, which you will see and enjoy on her Instagram page✨
March 7, 2025
Thank you to Holly Rose and Star Siren Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
4.5/5 stars - I loved this! While it leans more YA (besides one spicy scene IYKYK), I thought it was such a good story. Characters were extremely likable, the journey was challenging, and I love a happy ending. Kas is the perfect MMC. I really enjoyed the pulling in of Prince Forth towards the end - made me very curious to see that the author is writing a book for him! I enjoy books in the same universe so I’m excited.
4.5/5 stars - I loved this! While it leans more YA (besides one spicy scene IYKYK), I thought it was such a good story. Characters were extremely likable, the journey was challenging, and I love a happy ending. Kas is the perfect MMC. I really enjoyed the pulling in of Prince Forth towards the end - made me very curious to see that the author is writing a book for him! I enjoy books in the same universe so I’m excited.
October 5, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley & Star Siren Press for the opportunity to read & review this e-ARC.
“What if the princess didn’t want to be rescued from the dragon?”
The blurb of this book really drew me in! I loved that it was written around a quest that kind of gave me the nostalgic feelings of playing video games - through the different steps the characters had to take, we briefly got a glimpse of other kingdoms, which was nice. I do wish there was a little more world building though as these seemed a little rushed.
I really liked that Nesrin (FMC) didn’t need to be saved and was the knight, whereas Kas (MMC) was more soft and gave golden retriever vibes. I do feel like the FMC was done a disservice by her inner monologue, as she occasionally came across as annoying with repeating thoughts of “does he love me, is he flirting with other girls” etc, it just seems to take away from her “I don’t need a man” character.
The relationship between Nesrin & Kas was definitely a slow burn, but it was cute to watch it develop. It was refreshing that the MMC was all around good, and not morally grey (I love a morally grey MMC, don’t get me wrong, but it was nice to have a change!).
I really liked Ady’s (the dragon) character, she was funny and well written! I just wish we saw more of her throughout the book. The other side characters weren’t really fleshed out enough for me to care for them, but hopefully in future books that will change.
This definitely reads more YA than adult - except for one open-door scene near the end.
To wrap up, this was a quick & easy read. This is book 1 of a series, and I’ll probably pick up the second book when released.
“What if the princess didn’t want to be rescued from the dragon?”
The blurb of this book really drew me in! I loved that it was written around a quest that kind of gave me the nostalgic feelings of playing video games - through the different steps the characters had to take, we briefly got a glimpse of other kingdoms, which was nice. I do wish there was a little more world building though as these seemed a little rushed.
I really liked that Nesrin (FMC) didn’t need to be saved and was the knight, whereas Kas (MMC) was more soft and gave golden retriever vibes. I do feel like the FMC was done a disservice by her inner monologue, as she occasionally came across as annoying with repeating thoughts of “does he love me, is he flirting with other girls” etc, it just seems to take away from her “I don’t need a man” character.
The relationship between Nesrin & Kas was definitely a slow burn, but it was cute to watch it develop. It was refreshing that the MMC was all around good, and not morally grey (I love a morally grey MMC, don’t get me wrong, but it was nice to have a change!).
I really liked Ady’s (the dragon) character, she was funny and well written! I just wish we saw more of her throughout the book. The other side characters weren’t really fleshed out enough for me to care for them, but hopefully in future books that will change.
This definitely reads more YA than adult - except for one open-door scene near the end.
To wrap up, this was a quick & easy read. This is book 1 of a series, and I’ll probably pick up the second book when released.
September 17, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Victory editing for the Arc in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars.
This was a fun romantasy book! It gave me Camelot meets Laura Croft or Indiana Jones vibes. There was knights and dragons and a quest that felt very Holy Grail and the FMC being a badass mystery solver and fighter.
The MMC really was a hot cinnamon roll but it was cute dynamics as him being a non violent Monk and her being a Knight of the Dragons Trove. I will say I was suprised at how often she got hurt for someone who spent their life fighting and besting Princes and Lords who came to try and take her from the Trove. I wanted her to beat Lord Asher more than anything and was suprised she failed twice against him with all her experience.
There was some crazy cool battling in some caves the end battle at the end as well. I love me some good old fashioned murdering of fhe bad guys.
This is a solid 4.5 for me only because some more editing could have been done near the end. Example: One line said "Galter turned to quietly confer quietly." More little rushed mis wording at the end could be looked at but other than that it's a solidly written novel! I also appreciated it was shorter than those oversaturated 500 page High Fantasy filled with too much exposition. This was the perfect length executed with a great mix of plot, character growth, romance and a little spice.
Thanks again Netgalley and to Holly Rose for a great book.
This was a fun romantasy book! It gave me Camelot meets Laura Croft or Indiana Jones vibes. There was knights and dragons and a quest that felt very Holy Grail and the FMC being a badass mystery solver and fighter.
The MMC really was a hot cinnamon roll but it was cute dynamics as him being a non violent Monk and her being a Knight of the Dragons Trove. I will say I was suprised at how often she got hurt for someone who spent their life fighting and besting Princes and Lords who came to try and take her from the Trove. I wanted her to beat Lord Asher more than anything and was suprised she failed twice against him with all her experience.
There was some crazy cool battling in some caves the end battle at the end as well. I love me some good old fashioned murdering of fhe bad guys.
This is a solid 4.5 for me only because some more editing could have been done near the end. Example: One line said "Galter turned to quietly confer quietly." More little rushed mis wording at the end could be looked at but other than that it's a solidly written novel! I also appreciated it was shorter than those oversaturated 500 page High Fantasy filled with too much exposition. This was the perfect length executed with a great mix of plot, character growth, romance and a little spice.
Thanks again Netgalley and to Holly Rose for a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2024
Another great and quick fantasy!
A badass, strong and independent princess who knows her way around a weapon. Dragons. Unwanted suitors. And a whole lot of drama and politics between kingdoms.
I really loved these characters, they were so fun, funny and I really enjoyed the dynamics between them. And how those changed and developed as the story went on. And that really does make me excited to continue reading the series.
This book has really unique dragon lore (and I love when I find unique lore and backgrounds for a rather common thing you'd find in a genre).
Kas is such a golden retriever, soft cinnamon roll kind of character (AND HE'S BOOKISH), so he was so instantly loveable. That's the way to make me love a book and to instantly get connected to it - make me immediately fall in love with a character.
Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
A badass, strong and independent princess who knows her way around a weapon. Dragons. Unwanted suitors. And a whole lot of drama and politics between kingdoms.
I really loved these characters, they were so fun, funny and I really enjoyed the dynamics between them. And how those changed and developed as the story went on. And that really does make me excited to continue reading the series.
This book has really unique dragon lore (and I love when I find unique lore and backgrounds for a rather common thing you'd find in a genre).
Kas is such a golden retriever, soft cinnamon roll kind of character (AND HE'S BOOKISH), so he was so instantly loveable. That's the way to make me love a book and to instantly get connected to it - make me immediately fall in love with a character.
Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
September 23, 2024
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)
Actual review somewhere around 3.75 stars
This was a quick and easy read. The pacing was good, as was the world building. I loved the personality of Ady. I also liked the not needing to be rescued angle.
Where it loses me a little is despite enjoying them as a couple (and that they weren't instalove!), it felt that they moved a little fast from ignoring their feelings for each other to love. There is one spice scene which tbh, felt a little out of place to me since this generally read as the younger side of YA.
Actual review somewhere around 3.75 stars
This was a quick and easy read. The pacing was good, as was the world building. I loved the personality of Ady. I also liked the not needing to be rescued angle.
Where it loses me a little is despite enjoying them as a couple (and that they weren't instalove!), it felt that they moved a little fast from ignoring their feelings for each other to love. There is one spice scene which tbh, felt a little out of place to me since this generally read as the younger side of YA.
September 9, 2024
Holly Rose has created the perfect blend of intriguing world-building, nail-biting action, and smoldering forbidden romance in this adult romantasy set in the kingdom of Mellora! Cutthroat, ferocious, and snarky, Nesrin is the perfect equal to Kas, her humble cinnamon roll love interest who can be best described as a “green flag”. As a high fantasy, readers will be transported to a lush world filled with dragons, manticores, and magical artifacts, and thrown into realm-altering wars where the stakes are more than just life and death.
THE KNIGHT OF THE TROVE is the perfect opening to the series! I can’t wait to read more!
THE KNIGHT OF THE TROVE is the perfect opening to the series! I can’t wait to read more!
October 6, 2024
Nesrin was offered up as a sacrifice to the Dread Dragon Adydorrstea, but instead of being killed, the dragon offered her a place in her trove. She sometimes wonders if she would have preferred to die after all the princes and “heroes” come to try to rescue her all. The. Time.
Until, one day, a monk prince comes asking for help to find an artifact that her uncle is trying to find that will give him the power to defeat anyone. Nesrin will NOT allow her uncle to get this artifact and agrees to help him.
This was a unique fantasy! It had some comedy, along with adventure and a slow burn romance to die for.
I loved the idea of this princess being the warrior with a monk prince who didn’t know how to fight…supposedly. And yet, she couldn’t really handle blood and death, so her morals were in a good place and I appreciated her protectiveness with more of a morally good outlook on life.
The romance was oh so good. I love a good slow burn romance. And this one was basically an enemies to friends to lovers romance. Their relationship built over time since they were traveling together and learned about each other a lot. It was a slow burn because the monk prince had a vow of celibacy and REFUSED to break it. So, it just made the romance and everything about it just that much more delicious.
This had some nice twists, especially at the end and really made for a fun and new romantic adventure that I highly recommend!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Until, one day, a monk prince comes asking for help to find an artifact that her uncle is trying to find that will give him the power to defeat anyone. Nesrin will NOT allow her uncle to get this artifact and agrees to help him.
This was a unique fantasy! It had some comedy, along with adventure and a slow burn romance to die for.
I loved the idea of this princess being the warrior with a monk prince who didn’t know how to fight…supposedly. And yet, she couldn’t really handle blood and death, so her morals were in a good place and I appreciated her protectiveness with more of a morally good outlook on life.
The romance was oh so good. I love a good slow burn romance. And this one was basically an enemies to friends to lovers romance. Their relationship built over time since they were traveling together and learned about each other a lot. It was a slow burn because the monk prince had a vow of celibacy and REFUSED to break it. So, it just made the romance and everything about it just that much more delicious.
This had some nice twists, especially at the end and really made for a fun and new romantic adventure that I highly recommend!
I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 22, 2024
Nesrin was sacrificed to a dragon to bring peace to her Uncle's kingdom after a dragon began harassing him endlessly. Turns out, being sacrificed can lead to good things sometimes? She becomes a knight for that dragon, the Dread Dragon Adydorrstea, and gets to make her own choices. She also gets to kick the butts of any potential suitors who come to bother her. When a handsome, unsuspecting monk comes to the trove, Nesrin volunteers for a quest to find a mystical golden casket before her Uncle to save Mellora from her tyrannical Uncle.
I will admit, I wasn't sure about talking dragons at first, but I was into it within a chapter or two. The plot is fast-paced, easy to read, and very easy to devour in no time. The slow-burn is definitely slow but so worth it in the end. I wouldn't say this is a "spicey" book by any means but just a whole-hearted sweet love story. The ending leaves you so gushing. I don't cry at books, but there were some stupidly happy tears at the ending. My favorite quote from the book is this:
"We keep trading the roles of dumbass and smartass."
Can I just say, isn't this the painful truth of all relationships, plutonic and romantic?
I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone wanting a simple, heart-warming love story. This is the kind of story that can get you out of a reading slump or pick you up after a darker read this spooky season.
Author Blurb:
"What if the princess didn’t want to be rescued from the dragon?
As the well-trained knight of a dragon’s trove, former princess Nesrin would rather fight off suitors than invite one in. Twelve years ago, Nesrin’s uncle murdered her mother and stole her deceased father’s throne. Nesrin lived under her uncle’s brutal thumb for years until she was rescued by a benevolent dragon. Now a grown woman, she protects herself and the dragon trove from the interloping “rescuers” her uncle sends to retrieve her so he can marry her off to the highest bidder.
In a neighboring kingdom, Kas was forced to take monastic orders when he was a child, but the handsome monk volunteered when his country needed someone to find the lost artifact Nesrin’s uncle seeks: a magical golden casket rumored to make any army invincible. Forbidden from fighting by his vows but desperate to do his part in the coming war, he arrives on Nesrin’s doorstep with a quest she can’t refuse. If they can find the casket first, the nations united against her uncle’s iron rule might have a fighting chance.
As Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy through a dangerous world, their budding trust blooms into a love Nesrin never wanted and Kas is forbidden to feel. But when the casket falls into the hands of the enemy and an evil far worse than Nesrin’s uncle is unleashed, Nesrin and Kas must trust their love and work together to imprison it before the world burns.
This high fantasy romance delivers a slow-burn, forbidden love between a sword-wielding knight and her cinnamon roll monk. Funny and heartfelt, this series-opening quest takes readers across the dangerously beautiful world of Mellora, through foreign palaces, sprawling libraries, into the den of manticores, the bedroom of a knight, and finally to a showdown between good and evil."
I will admit, I wasn't sure about talking dragons at first, but I was into it within a chapter or two. The plot is fast-paced, easy to read, and very easy to devour in no time. The slow-burn is definitely slow but so worth it in the end. I wouldn't say this is a "spicey" book by any means but just a whole-hearted sweet love story. The ending leaves you so gushing. I don't cry at books, but there were some stupidly happy tears at the ending. My favorite quote from the book is this:
"We keep trading the roles of dumbass and smartass."
Can I just say, isn't this the painful truth of all relationships, plutonic and romantic?
I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone wanting a simple, heart-warming love story. This is the kind of story that can get you out of a reading slump or pick you up after a darker read this spooky season.
Author Blurb:
"What if the princess didn’t want to be rescued from the dragon?
As the well-trained knight of a dragon’s trove, former princess Nesrin would rather fight off suitors than invite one in. Twelve years ago, Nesrin’s uncle murdered her mother and stole her deceased father’s throne. Nesrin lived under her uncle’s brutal thumb for years until she was rescued by a benevolent dragon. Now a grown woman, she protects herself and the dragon trove from the interloping “rescuers” her uncle sends to retrieve her so he can marry her off to the highest bidder.
In a neighboring kingdom, Kas was forced to take monastic orders when he was a child, but the handsome monk volunteered when his country needed someone to find the lost artifact Nesrin’s uncle seeks: a magical golden casket rumored to make any army invincible. Forbidden from fighting by his vows but desperate to do his part in the coming war, he arrives on Nesrin’s doorstep with a quest she can’t refuse. If they can find the casket first, the nations united against her uncle’s iron rule might have a fighting chance.
As Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy through a dangerous world, their budding trust blooms into a love Nesrin never wanted and Kas is forbidden to feel. But when the casket falls into the hands of the enemy and an evil far worse than Nesrin’s uncle is unleashed, Nesrin and Kas must trust their love and work together to imprison it before the world burns.
This high fantasy romance delivers a slow-burn, forbidden love between a sword-wielding knight and her cinnamon roll monk. Funny and heartfelt, this series-opening quest takes readers across the dangerously beautiful world of Mellora, through foreign palaces, sprawling libraries, into the den of manticores, the bedroom of a knight, and finally to a showdown between good and evil."
November 26, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!
I actually started this about 2 months ago, and then kept struggling to finish it. There wasn't any particular reason, I think I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. But I've now finished it, and I found it to be a pretty good fantasy story overall.
Nesrin is a Knight of the Trove - a princess who was 'sacrificed' to a dragon, who instead ended up being taken in by the dragon. She was sacrificed by her evil uncle, who stole the throne after her father died and is now enemy number one amongst the world. She now helps defend Ady's trove and has become a beloved companion of the dragon. As one might expect, she frequently gets princes turning out trying to 'save' her, but she's pretty quick to show them who's the real boss here. Until Kas.
Kas is a Prince of Veytia, but as the fourth born son he was sent to a monastery to give his life in worship to the goddess Hivathe. He turns up at the trove to seek Ady's help in discovering something that Nesrin's uncle, Galter, seeks. If Galter finds it, then it could mean the end of the world. Nesrin ends up going on a quest with Kas to find this object, and they both experience a lot of adventures along the way.
Our female heroine is highly independent and capable, but she's not oblivious to how attractive Kas. The problem? Kas is a vestal monk, meaning he took a vow of chastity. As you might expect, this leads to a lot of tension between the two over the course of the book.
I enjoyed the characters in this, and Kas is just a huge cinnamon role of a man. He's such a sweetheart, and it's not fair he's THAT sweet whilst being that hot as well. It's a good job he's such a nice guy. Nesrin is headstrong and capable, but I appreciated how she was willing to acknowledge her faults when things went wrong. They both bounced off each other really well, and their failures were bolstered by the others strength. Ady was amusing, as you might expect a powerful dragon to be.
My main issue with this book is the pacing. It feels like it should have been a duology, with the book split in half. This is because everything moves far too fast given how much travelling they're doing. I got to the end of the book and thought 'is it realistic they fell in love?' but then remembered that they'd basically travelled around the known world in the space of a book. Which is one of the big problems for me - there's no sense of time or scale.
They will spend one chapter in one city, and then decide to go somewhere else and the next chapter is them already at the place. There's no mention of how long it takes to get anywhere, so it get's a little Game of Thrones Season 8 in that it feels like they're fast-travelling. This also means that we don't really get to know anyone outside of Nes, Kas and Ady. Prince Ashur is evil for...some reason, and he doesn't get to be truly fleshed out. We're casually introduced to other important people, yet they get a few sentences before we never see them again. So this definitely needed to be fleshed out more with more time spent in these areas.
I actually started this about 2 months ago, and then kept struggling to finish it. There wasn't any particular reason, I think I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. But I've now finished it, and I found it to be a pretty good fantasy story overall.
Nesrin is a Knight of the Trove - a princess who was 'sacrificed' to a dragon, who instead ended up being taken in by the dragon. She was sacrificed by her evil uncle, who stole the throne after her father died and is now enemy number one amongst the world. She now helps defend Ady's trove and has become a beloved companion of the dragon. As one might expect, she frequently gets princes turning out trying to 'save' her, but she's pretty quick to show them who's the real boss here. Until Kas.
Kas is a Prince of Veytia, but as the fourth born son he was sent to a monastery to give his life in worship to the goddess Hivathe. He turns up at the trove to seek Ady's help in discovering something that Nesrin's uncle, Galter, seeks. If Galter finds it, then it could mean the end of the world. Nesrin ends up going on a quest with Kas to find this object, and they both experience a lot of adventures along the way.
Our female heroine is highly independent and capable, but she's not oblivious to how attractive Kas. The problem? Kas is a vestal monk, meaning he took a vow of chastity. As you might expect, this leads to a lot of tension between the two over the course of the book.
I enjoyed the characters in this, and Kas is just a huge cinnamon role of a man. He's such a sweetheart, and it's not fair he's THAT sweet whilst being that hot as well. It's a good job he's such a nice guy. Nesrin is headstrong and capable, but I appreciated how she was willing to acknowledge her faults when things went wrong. They both bounced off each other really well, and their failures were bolstered by the others strength. Ady was amusing, as you might expect a powerful dragon to be.
My main issue with this book is the pacing. It feels like it should have been a duology, with the book split in half. This is because everything moves far too fast given how much travelling they're doing. I got to the end of the book and thought 'is it realistic they fell in love?' but then remembered that they'd basically travelled around the known world in the space of a book. Which is one of the big problems for me - there's no sense of time or scale.
They will spend one chapter in one city, and then decide to go somewhere else and the next chapter is them already at the place. There's no mention of how long it takes to get anywhere, so it get's a little Game of Thrones Season 8 in that it feels like they're fast-travelling. This also means that we don't really get to know anyone outside of Nes, Kas and Ady. Prince Ashur is evil for...some reason, and he doesn't get to be truly fleshed out. We're casually introduced to other important people, yet they get a few sentences before we never see them again. So this definitely needed to be fleshed out more with more time spent in these areas.
October 7, 2024
Okay wow like literally wow
I cannot with this book
Arc Review coming
The book showed up on my Instagram one day, and when I pressed on the authors profile and read what it was about and that she opened up her book for ARCs, I was like yes this book is calling to me and I really really need to read it. It isn’t a want but it’s a NEED. I wasn’t able to put this book down, it’s amazing in every way possible plus did I mention that there’s a Dragon 🧡 I was so happy that I got accepted for an ARC. From the first line, the book immediately sucked me.
Also, the map is stunning in every way possible 😍
Can we just start with the opening line of “ “I was sacrificed in the usual way: bound to a pole and left for a dragon I was told would eat me alive.” Like excuse me 🥵😱
Dragon that can talk like Smaug from LOTR love that
Forbidden Romance with the sweetest monk who is hot af
Dragon with magic 🧡🧡🧡
A book that made me cry, made me giggle just a bit, made me hurt, made me find a hot/monk book boyfriend whose name is Kas btw, made me smile. You know what just a book that made me feel everything
I’m a dragon obsessive girlie
I’ve loved dragons for the longest time so to have a book like this with a dragon ( is there more than one, I don’t know that’s for you to find out 🤐)
My mental health has been spiralling, being overwhelmed, high anxiety and stress levels going up. This book was the perfect escape from daily life problems that I really don’t want to deal with. Also, the world building was so good, the author was so sweet. Also, the Epilogue made my heart melt. If you love dragons as much as I do, please do me a favour and pick up this book up because I am telling you that you will not regret it. I’ve become an obsessed Fantasy girlie this year and this book is the cherry on top.
It’s over a 5 star read, I don’t think I can even tell you how many stars this book deserves but let’s just say it’s a lot. Would I do a re-read of this book, 100% I would.
Will this book be one of my fav this year? Obviously
I just want to say thank you to the author for creating such a beautiful and unique story that made me love fantasy even more 🩷
Can’t wait for book 2 🧡
I’m so happy to have been an ARC reader for this beauty of a book.
Also, the cover is stunning af 🩷🩷🩷🩷
I cannot with this book
Arc Review coming
The book showed up on my Instagram one day, and when I pressed on the authors profile and read what it was about and that she opened up her book for ARCs, I was like yes this book is calling to me and I really really need to read it. It isn’t a want but it’s a NEED. I wasn’t able to put this book down, it’s amazing in every way possible plus did I mention that there’s a Dragon 🧡 I was so happy that I got accepted for an ARC. From the first line, the book immediately sucked me.
Also, the map is stunning in every way possible 😍
Can we just start with the opening line of “ “I was sacrificed in the usual way: bound to a pole and left for a dragon I was told would eat me alive.” Like excuse me 🥵😱
Dragon that can talk like Smaug from LOTR love that
Forbidden Romance with the sweetest monk who is hot af
Dragon with magic 🧡🧡🧡
A book that made me cry, made me giggle just a bit, made me hurt, made me find a hot/monk book boyfriend whose name is Kas btw, made me smile. You know what just a book that made me feel everything
I’m a dragon obsessive girlie
I’ve loved dragons for the longest time so to have a book like this with a dragon ( is there more than one, I don’t know that’s for you to find out 🤐)
My mental health has been spiralling, being overwhelmed, high anxiety and stress levels going up. This book was the perfect escape from daily life problems that I really don’t want to deal with. Also, the world building was so good, the author was so sweet. Also, the Epilogue made my heart melt. If you love dragons as much as I do, please do me a favour and pick up this book up because I am telling you that you will not regret it. I’ve become an obsessed Fantasy girlie this year and this book is the cherry on top.
It’s over a 5 star read, I don’t think I can even tell you how many stars this book deserves but let’s just say it’s a lot. Would I do a re-read of this book, 100% I would.
Will this book be one of my fav this year? Obviously
I just want to say thank you to the author for creating such a beautiful and unique story that made me love fantasy even more 🩷
Can’t wait for book 2 🧡
I’m so happy to have been an ARC reader for this beauty of a book.
Also, the cover is stunning af 🩷🩷🩷🩷
October 6, 2024
(ARC)The Knight of the Trove by Holly Rose
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy Romance
Spice: 2/5
Age rating: 18+ (explicit)
✨Slow Burn
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Grouchy MMC
✨Friends-to-lovers
✨She protects him
Is it for you?
Great for fans of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, and fantasy romance.
A quick rundown:
As the well-trained knight of a dragon’s trove, former princess Nesrin would rather fight off suitors than invite one in. Twelve years ago, Nesrin’s uncle murdered her mother and stole her deceased father’s throne. Nesrin lived under her uncle’s brutal thumb for years until she was rescued by a benevolent dragon. Now a grown woman, she protects herself and the dragon trove from the interloping “rescuers” her uncle sends to retrieve her so he can marry her off to the highest bidder.
In a neighboring kingdom, Kas was forced to take monastic orders when he was a child, but the handsome monk volunteered when his country needed someone to find the lost artifact Nesrin’s uncle a magical golden casket rumored to make any army invincible. Forbidden from fighting by his vows but desperate to do his part in the coming war, he arrives on Nesrin’s doorstep with a quest she can’t refuse. If they can find the casket first, the nations united against her uncle’s iron rule might have a fighting chance.
As Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy through a dangerous world, their budding trust blooms into a love Nesrin never wanted and Kas is forbidden to feel. But when the casket falls into the hands of the enemy and an evil far worse than Nesrin’s uncle is unleashed, Nesrin and Kas must trust their love and work together to imprison it before the world burns.
My rating:
4⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. The dragons were a major highlight for me with their unique lore. The author did a great job of evolving and growing the characters throughout the story. I really loved the MMC and found him to be so sweet. I mean how can we not love a bookish man?! I was slightly confused with the opening and wish there was a bit more explanation of the situation for readers. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it❤️Thank you so much for providing this ARC for me to read!
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy Romance
Spice: 2/5
Age rating: 18+ (explicit)
✨Slow Burn
✨Grumpy x Sunshine
✨Grouchy MMC
✨Friends-to-lovers
✨She protects him
Is it for you?
Great for fans of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, and fantasy romance.
A quick rundown:
As the well-trained knight of a dragon’s trove, former princess Nesrin would rather fight off suitors than invite one in. Twelve years ago, Nesrin’s uncle murdered her mother and stole her deceased father’s throne. Nesrin lived under her uncle’s brutal thumb for years until she was rescued by a benevolent dragon. Now a grown woman, she protects herself and the dragon trove from the interloping “rescuers” her uncle sends to retrieve her so he can marry her off to the highest bidder.
In a neighboring kingdom, Kas was forced to take monastic orders when he was a child, but the handsome monk volunteered when his country needed someone to find the lost artifact Nesrin’s uncle a magical golden casket rumored to make any army invincible. Forbidden from fighting by his vows but desperate to do his part in the coming war, he arrives on Nesrin’s doorstep with a quest she can’t refuse. If they can find the casket first, the nations united against her uncle’s iron rule might have a fighting chance.
As Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy through a dangerous world, their budding trust blooms into a love Nesrin never wanted and Kas is forbidden to feel. But when the casket falls into the hands of the enemy and an evil far worse than Nesrin’s uncle is unleashed, Nesrin and Kas must trust their love and work together to imprison it before the world burns.
My rating:
4⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. The dragons were a major highlight for me with their unique lore. The author did a great job of evolving and growing the characters throughout the story. I really loved the MMC and found him to be so sweet. I mean how can we not love a bookish man?! I was slightly confused with the opening and wish there was a bit more explanation of the situation for readers. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I would recommend it❤️Thank you so much for providing this ARC for me to read!
September 25, 2024
Nesrin, after being sacrificed to a dragon in her youth, became the Knight of a dragon’s trove. Kas, a vestal monk, has been sent to find a magical artifact, what it contains and where it is located no one knows. This artifact may be the key to stopping a war from raging and destroying many, but can they find the artifact and save the kingdoms, or will it fall into the wrong hands and chaos being destruction?
At first the book felt slow for me, but then with a whirlwind I felt caught up in the plot and the characters. I loved that Holly Rose broke some stereotypical things we see in fantasy books, especially related to the main characters. Nesrin wasn’t described as fragile but yet incredibly strong or a perfect fighter, in fact she repeatedly makes mistakes in fights that land her in trouble or with injuries. She has trauma and it’s clear that it impacts her actions and reactions, and I really appreciate that reality to a character. Kas, is the definition of a good guy and I love it in every sense!
Even if I didn’t connect to Nesrin, I felt complete buy-in on the plot and the premise of this story. I enjoyed the epic quest, the search for things lost and hidden, the betrayals, and the unfolding of small puzzle pieces all together. All while tying up the book, so that even though additional books are planned, you can have a nice tied up ending for the novel. I’m very excited to read the next in the series!
The only thing I wish I would have gotten more of from this book is more of the action and fighting scenes described in particular near the end of the book. I think there were some opportunities for good tension and stress to be built as fights were described whether had by the main characters or them watching fights unfold by some of the important supporting ones. I also wanted a little more venom from Galter, to really give me that I hate you cause my friend hates you feeling.
Overall this was a great read and I give it 4.5 stars, but rounded up to 5.
Thank you to NetGalley and Star Siren Press for the opportunity to read this ARC, it was amazing!
At first the book felt slow for me, but then with a whirlwind I felt caught up in the plot and the characters. I loved that Holly Rose broke some stereotypical things we see in fantasy books, especially related to the main characters. Nesrin wasn’t described as fragile but yet incredibly strong or a perfect fighter, in fact she repeatedly makes mistakes in fights that land her in trouble or with injuries. She has trauma and it’s clear that it impacts her actions and reactions, and I really appreciate that reality to a character. Kas, is the definition of a good guy and I love it in every sense!
Even if I didn’t connect to Nesrin, I felt complete buy-in on the plot and the premise of this story. I enjoyed the epic quest, the search for things lost and hidden, the betrayals, and the unfolding of small puzzle pieces all together. All while tying up the book, so that even though additional books are planned, you can have a nice tied up ending for the novel. I’m very excited to read the next in the series!
The only thing I wish I would have gotten more of from this book is more of the action and fighting scenes described in particular near the end of the book. I think there were some opportunities for good tension and stress to be built as fights were described whether had by the main characters or them watching fights unfold by some of the important supporting ones. I also wanted a little more venom from Galter, to really give me that I hate you cause my friend hates you feeling.
Overall this was a great read and I give it 4.5 stars, but rounded up to 5.
Thank you to NetGalley and Star Siren Press for the opportunity to read this ARC, it was amazing!
October 17, 2024
I wanted to read this book based on its premise, with two reverse-tropes. (If you’ve read the blurb, this won’t be a spoiler.) The FMC, Nesrin, was offered as a sacrifice to a dragon as a child, but instead of being eaten, the dragon brought to live at a castle. As this news spreads, many knights come to the castle to challenge the dragon to free her – and she doesn’t want to go! (Trope #1) Over the years, she is trained and ultimately becomes the titular Knight of the Trove, fighting off her own potential suitors. (Could this be its own reverse-trope?) But one day, she is assigned to protect a knowledgeable monk who is on an important and dangerous mission. (Trope #2, female knight protecting the man.)
Even more than the premise, I loved the dragon magic that fills the castle & grounds that house the trove (the dragon’s hoard of riches.) Continually heated baths, medicines and foods created on demand, the ability to easily change design elements…. Like Nesrin, I wouldn’t want to leave the trove, either! And it was also breathtakingly beautiful. I‘d certainly like to see some fan art of that castle.
However, the focus of the book doesn’t remain at the castle: war is coming and ancient artifacts might release dangerous cursed powers. Nesrin and Kas, both estranged royalty themselves, head out on a research mission as the knight and monk they’ve become, to try to investigate concerning rumors and hopefully stop the evil tyrant, Nesrin’s vicious uncle, from gaining magical power. While I enjoyed the book, especially the vibrant characters, there are certain things I found myself wishing were different... The pacing of the book’s adventures was good, but the action didn’t really grip me. Ady the dragon was a bit too coy. Some of the sad backstories lingered on, making me sad, too. (There are always tragic backstories in fantasies. I don’t know why Kas’s bothered me.)
If there was a spin-off off featuring Ady herself, I would definitely give that a read. She’s a very interesting character.
Even more than the premise, I loved the dragon magic that fills the castle & grounds that house the trove (the dragon’s hoard of riches.) Continually heated baths, medicines and foods created on demand, the ability to easily change design elements…. Like Nesrin, I wouldn’t want to leave the trove, either! And it was also breathtakingly beautiful. I‘d certainly like to see some fan art of that castle.
However, the focus of the book doesn’t remain at the castle: war is coming and ancient artifacts might release dangerous cursed powers. Nesrin and Kas, both estranged royalty themselves, head out on a research mission as the knight and monk they’ve become, to try to investigate concerning rumors and hopefully stop the evil tyrant, Nesrin’s vicious uncle, from gaining magical power. While I enjoyed the book, especially the vibrant characters, there are certain things I found myself wishing were different... The pacing of the book’s adventures was good, but the action didn’t really grip me. Ady the dragon was a bit too coy. Some of the sad backstories lingered on, making me sad, too. (There are always tragic backstories in fantasies. I don’t know why Kas’s bothered me.)
If there was a spin-off off featuring Ady herself, I would definitely give that a read. She’s a very interesting character.
October 3, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Level: 🌶️/5
Sloooooow burn alert! If you're ready for a magical, slow-burn fantasy romance with a unique pairing, The Knight of the Trove by @writerhollyrose is your next read! This adventurous tale introduces us to Nesrin, a grumpy warrior who was sacrificed to the dragon (Ady) by her uncle but, instead of being killed, joins the dragon's trove. She’s naive, sheltered from the outside world, and a force to be reckoned with!
On the other hand, we have Kas, a cinnamon roll monk with a heart of gold, who’s taken a vow of celibacy. Together, these two opposites are thrown into a breathtaking adventure, hunting down a casket that could give Nesrin's uncle the advantage to destroy and conquer territories. The chemistry between them? Undeniable! Their banter is heartwarming and hilarious, and despite Kas’s monk vows, the tension simmers between them.
I have to admit, it took me a little while to get fully into the story, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. The steam pool scene with the white monkeys? Absolute gold 😂. One of my favorite parts!
Trigger Warnings:
Graphic: Blood, gore, violence, grief, death of parents, on-page animal death, sexual content, rescue from building collapse
Moderate: Child abuse (told in memory), war
Minor: Cursing, emotional abuse, panic attack
Favorite Quote:
"Child or monk, evil people didn’t care about your principles and were eager to subvert your innocence."
This is only book 1, so there’s plenty more to come, and I’m really hoping to see more of Forth and Calanddria in the next books! The Knight of the Trove is an exciting adventure with witty characters, a beautiful slow-burn romance, and tons of potential for future stories. Thrilled I got the chance to read this ARC and can’t wait to see what’s next! Thank you Holly for the adventure!
Spice Level: 🌶️/5
Sloooooow burn alert! If you're ready for a magical, slow-burn fantasy romance with a unique pairing, The Knight of the Trove by @writerhollyrose is your next read! This adventurous tale introduces us to Nesrin, a grumpy warrior who was sacrificed to the dragon (Ady) by her uncle but, instead of being killed, joins the dragon's trove. She’s naive, sheltered from the outside world, and a force to be reckoned with!
On the other hand, we have Kas, a cinnamon roll monk with a heart of gold, who’s taken a vow of celibacy. Together, these two opposites are thrown into a breathtaking adventure, hunting down a casket that could give Nesrin's uncle the advantage to destroy and conquer territories. The chemistry between them? Undeniable! Their banter is heartwarming and hilarious, and despite Kas’s monk vows, the tension simmers between them.
I have to admit, it took me a little while to get fully into the story, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. The steam pool scene with the white monkeys? Absolute gold 😂. One of my favorite parts!
Trigger Warnings:
Graphic: Blood, gore, violence, grief, death of parents, on-page animal death, sexual content, rescue from building collapse
Moderate: Child abuse (told in memory), war
Minor: Cursing, emotional abuse, panic attack
Favorite Quote:
"Child or monk, evil people didn’t care about your principles and were eager to subvert your innocence."
This is only book 1, so there’s plenty more to come, and I’m really hoping to see more of Forth and Calanddria in the next books! The Knight of the Trove is an exciting adventure with witty characters, a beautiful slow-burn romance, and tons of potential for future stories. Thrilled I got the chance to read this ARC and can’t wait to see what’s next! Thank you Holly for the adventure!
October 3, 2024
The Knight of the Trove
Thank you @writerhollyrose for an ARC copy of this book, I feel so privileged to have received this, and it was ✨AMAZING✨!
Nesrin may live in a trove with a dragon, but she is not a damsel in distress. She herself fights off any prince that dares try and rescue her from a place they don’t realise she loves to be. When a monk of Hivathe (a goddess), called Kasper arrives, her usually private and secretive dragon friend seems more than happy to share secrets of historical magic and spells a corrupt King wishes to find. In order to stop this King getting hold of these items, Nesrin and Kasper embark on a journey to beat him to it.
This book is so refreshing, it is always nice to see a strong female main character, and Nesrin is definitely that! Even after being abandoned and left to be eaten by dragons, she finds a dragon willing to take her in. She is feisty, funny and has the most impeccable choice of people she keeps around her.
Kasper is soft, sweet but strong; he is unlike any other male character I have read about. He is so morally just (as you’d expect with him being a monk) and he is so caring and treats Nesrin with nothing but compassion and kindness.
The romance between Nesrin and Kasper is so stunningly crafted, I wish Kasper was real and my husband.
The magic and dragons are like nothing else, the plot is unpredictably gripping and fast paced. The world building is epic, the writing is done so well it is easy to visualise and imagine just want the author wants you too.
A highly recommended book, and one I am so glad I have read…add this to your TBR’s if you like fantasy!
Thank you @writerhollyrose for an ARC copy of this book, I feel so privileged to have received this, and it was ✨AMAZING✨!
Nesrin may live in a trove with a dragon, but she is not a damsel in distress. She herself fights off any prince that dares try and rescue her from a place they don’t realise she loves to be. When a monk of Hivathe (a goddess), called Kasper arrives, her usually private and secretive dragon friend seems more than happy to share secrets of historical magic and spells a corrupt King wishes to find. In order to stop this King getting hold of these items, Nesrin and Kasper embark on a journey to beat him to it.
This book is so refreshing, it is always nice to see a strong female main character, and Nesrin is definitely that! Even after being abandoned and left to be eaten by dragons, she finds a dragon willing to take her in. She is feisty, funny and has the most impeccable choice of people she keeps around her.
Kasper is soft, sweet but strong; he is unlike any other male character I have read about. He is so morally just (as you’d expect with him being a monk) and he is so caring and treats Nesrin with nothing but compassion and kindness.
The romance between Nesrin and Kasper is so stunningly crafted, I wish Kasper was real and my husband.
The magic and dragons are like nothing else, the plot is unpredictably gripping and fast paced. The world building is epic, the writing is done so well it is easy to visualise and imagine just want the author wants you too.
A highly recommended book, and one I am so glad I have read…add this to your TBR’s if you like fantasy!
October 23, 2024
I went into The Knight of the Trove expecting an adult fantasy, but it leans more into the YA space than I anticipated. That said, it's an enjoyable read for what it is! The plot grabbed me right away—I always love the plot of a strong female lead who isn't looking to be rescued, but this one is unique in that our main character, Nesrin, has a mysterious backstory on why she is now a knight guarding a dragon trove.
I enjoyed learning more about the unique fantasy world of Mellora. There’s a nice mix of adventure, magic, and tension as the story unfolds, especially as Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy and forced to work together. The slow-burn romance is just what fans of the trope would expect, but for me, that’s where I hit a bit of a wall.
Both Nesrin and Kas are sweet and innocent, almost too sweet, for the stakes they face. They felt more innocent and naive than I expected from characters living through such brutal times. Their softness, while endearing at times, made it hard for me to fully connect with their chemistry. I found myself wishing they were more hardened or ruthless in certain moments, especially given everything they've been through.
That said, if you're into soft, tender heroes, slow-burn love, and forbidden romance, this book will deliver. The writing is strong, the pacing works, and the quest they embark on is compelling. Just know going in that it reads more like YA fantasy than adult, which might impact your enjoyment depending on what you’re looking for.
Thank you to Netgalley and Star Siren Press for an eARC of this book!
I enjoyed learning more about the unique fantasy world of Mellora. There’s a nice mix of adventure, magic, and tension as the story unfolds, especially as Nesrin and Kas are pursued by the enemy and forced to work together. The slow-burn romance is just what fans of the trope would expect, but for me, that’s where I hit a bit of a wall.
Both Nesrin and Kas are sweet and innocent, almost too sweet, for the stakes they face. They felt more innocent and naive than I expected from characters living through such brutal times. Their softness, while endearing at times, made it hard for me to fully connect with their chemistry. I found myself wishing they were more hardened or ruthless in certain moments, especially given everything they've been through.
That said, if you're into soft, tender heroes, slow-burn love, and forbidden romance, this book will deliver. The writing is strong, the pacing works, and the quest they embark on is compelling. Just know going in that it reads more like YA fantasy than adult, which might impact your enjoyment depending on what you’re looking for.
Thank you to Netgalley and Star Siren Press for an eARC of this book!
October 8, 2024
Fun and fast paced book; no cliffhangers!
We are introduced to our MCs Kasper and Nesrin, two people who come from lives that is removed from the turbulent waters of War yet come together to find a magical golden casket to stop Nesrin's power hungry, murderous uncle from gaining more power and building up his new empire. Nesrin, a dragon's Knight, trained to fight, fights off suitors who have been sent to "save" her, and Kasper, sent to the monestary as a boy and has volunteered to race to find the casket.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, I devoured it in a few short hours! This story is fast paced, everything moves quick and we have to keep on our toes right along with Nesrin and Kas as they venture out of their comfort zones on their quest. The fight scenes are great, the banter and friendship that grows between Nesrin and Kas is great and builds well; no insta-love but they learn to trust each other on their journey! The writing style felt more akin to a young adult novel, but the fight scenes and the intimate scene suggests otherwise. I did appreciate the TW at the beginning, while few, did help me while reading this, so thank you for including it right at front.
The ending was great, we do not end on a nail biting cliffhanger but instead we are left with a bunch of questions that still need to be answered!
Thank you NetGalley, Star Siren Press, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
September 18, 2024
The knight of the trove
Genre- Romantasy
Rating- 4 Stars
Release Date- 8th October
This Romantasy book was actually sooo good. I was a bit sceptical because it's more of a cute Romantasy book if that makes sense, the romance side of it anyway. I normally read dark Romantasy with morally grey mmc but decided to switch it up a little and I'm glad I did!
The mmc is a monk and a walking green flag, the fmc is a badass princess that doesn't want to be rescued from the dragon and is also a knight to the trove.
It definitely had me gripped from the very beginning, that first line!?
' I was sacrificed in the usual way: bound to a pole and left for a dragon I was told would eat me alive'
This had me giggling so bad, there is banter with the dragons and between the main characters.
I loved the dragon(ady) so much. I was mind blown towards the end! Amazing plot twist, had me gasping. Was such an incredible story.
This is a slow burn BUT it was so worth it. This has spice BTW (Only one scene but it was chef's kiss, loved it) So don't go into this thinking you are going to get a lot of spice.
"The sight of blood doesn't bother me. The sight of your blood spilled by that monster bothers me"
Tropes-
Banter
Dragons
Slow burn
Forbidden romance
Strong FMC
One bed
She Teaches him
Genre- Romantasy
Rating- 4 Stars
Release Date- 8th October
This Romantasy book was actually sooo good. I was a bit sceptical because it's more of a cute Romantasy book if that makes sense, the romance side of it anyway. I normally read dark Romantasy with morally grey mmc but decided to switch it up a little and I'm glad I did!
The mmc is a monk and a walking green flag, the fmc is a badass princess that doesn't want to be rescued from the dragon and is also a knight to the trove.
It definitely had me gripped from the very beginning, that first line!?
' I was sacrificed in the usual way: bound to a pole and left for a dragon I was told would eat me alive'
This had me giggling so bad, there is banter with the dragons and between the main characters.
I loved the dragon(ady) so much. I was mind blown towards the end! Amazing plot twist, had me gasping. Was such an incredible story.
This is a slow burn BUT it was so worth it. This has spice BTW (Only one scene but it was chef's kiss, loved it) So don't go into this thinking you are going to get a lot of spice.
"The sight of blood doesn't bother me. The sight of your blood spilled by that monster bothers me"
Tropes-
Banter
Dragons
Slow burn
Forbidden romance
Strong FMC
One bed
She Teaches him
September 20, 2024
Thank you to the author Holly Rose for the opportunity to read the eARC! All opinions are my own.
I want to preface this review with the admission that I do not normally read indie fantasy. I haven’t actually found any that I truly adored. But when I saw this has a feisty but introverted FMC and a cinnamon roll MMC… I decided, “let’s give it a shot!”
And I am SO Sooooo glad I did. This was such a fun and exciting experience. It’s like Princess Bride if she was a Knight and he was a Monk and they journeyed together more. I absolutely adored their banter and the delectable slow burn romance between them. I was squealing and smiling so much while reading.
Obviously this book is a Romantasy, but I also really liked the world building. It’s not super dense or complicated. Very easy to understand and I appreciate that because sometimes I get overwhelmed by complex fantasy topics. 🙈 This was just a fun and exhilarating ride!
I really hope more people will read this book and I can also say: it’s a “standalone” and the series will focus on different characters from the world! I’m actually quite excited about this because I was hoping to get a nice solid conclusion but also because the next book has a really interesting protagonist! 👀👀
Highly recommend to slow burn Romantasy fans! And yes, there is spice. 🌶️
I want to preface this review with the admission that I do not normally read indie fantasy. I haven’t actually found any that I truly adored. But when I saw this has a feisty but introverted FMC and a cinnamon roll MMC… I decided, “let’s give it a shot!”
And I am SO Sooooo glad I did. This was such a fun and exciting experience. It’s like Princess Bride if she was a Knight and he was a Monk and they journeyed together more. I absolutely adored their banter and the delectable slow burn romance between them. I was squealing and smiling so much while reading.
Obviously this book is a Romantasy, but I also really liked the world building. It’s not super dense or complicated. Very easy to understand and I appreciate that because sometimes I get overwhelmed by complex fantasy topics. 🙈 This was just a fun and exhilarating ride!
I really hope more people will read this book and I can also say: it’s a “standalone” and the series will focus on different characters from the world! I’m actually quite excited about this because I was hoping to get a nice solid conclusion but also because the next book has a really interesting protagonist! 👀👀
Highly recommend to slow burn Romantasy fans! And yes, there is spice. 🌶️
dnf
September 30, 2024Sadly this book was a DNF for me. I was so hooked on the blurb, so excited to be an ARC reader. And I really believe that the story has so much potential but I just could not go on with the book after about 30%.
What bothered me:
- the pacing was really odd, incredibly slow at times and then other times just blink here we are
- the backstory was not established too well imo and dropped rather unnatural into conversations or thoughts
- I could not care for the characters and a lot about them did not make sense, including the dragon. So how does the dragon get people into the trove to train the princess? Does she bed the princes that come by to rescue her and then these guys just leave? Like that does not sound like something a guy who thinks himself great enough to fight a dragon would do.
- the way the story was established, how the MCs meet and then deal with each other. Who asks after a few hours "When will you trust me?" Sorry but nobody nowhere at any time would just trust a stranger, be it monk or no monk.
All this just accumulated and the read was such a drag. Im might be willing to give it another try in the future, especially since other reviewers seemed rather happy with the story. But right now I just cant.
Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
What bothered me:
- the pacing was really odd, incredibly slow at times and then other times just blink here we are
- the backstory was not established too well imo and dropped rather unnatural into conversations or thoughts
- I could not care for the characters and a lot about them did not make sense, including the dragon. So how does the dragon get people into the trove to train the princess? Does she bed the princes that come by to rescue her and then these guys just leave? Like that does not sound like something a guy who thinks himself great enough to fight a dragon would do.
- the way the story was established, how the MCs meet and then deal with each other. Who asks after a few hours "When will you trust me?" Sorry but nobody nowhere at any time would just trust a stranger, be it monk or no monk.
All this just accumulated and the read was such a drag. Im might be willing to give it another try in the future, especially since other reviewers seemed rather happy with the story. But right now I just cant.
Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
October 11, 2024
Okay so here we go, let me tell you my thoughts on this book. I enjoyed it, it was a relatively quick read and I could've had it done sooner if it weren't for life and distractions.
I like both Nesrin, and Kas they both have flaws but work together the tension between them could be cut with a knife honestly and I was so happy when that moment finally happened where they admitted their feelings to one another. The whole book is spent building their relationship up and then yearning for each other but won't do anything because Kas is a monk and refuses to forsake his vows. When danger comes Kas refuses to pick up a weapon and cause harm leaving Nesrin to almost die on almost several occasions. It was nice when they revealed to each other their traumas and how they are connected that bonding moment was really sweet pulled on the heart strings.
Okay moving on from that to the actual story Kas approaches the dragons trove in which Nesrin resides after having been taken in by ady (she's one of the few dragons in this story) with news that Nesrins uncle whom is a cruel emperor that craves war is hunting for a cask a object that holds magical a being to become all powerful and he and Nesrin must go on a mission to find information about the cask and it's whereabouts.
There were some parts of this story that dragged but that's okay in the end I did really enjoy this read
I like both Nesrin, and Kas they both have flaws but work together the tension between them could be cut with a knife honestly and I was so happy when that moment finally happened where they admitted their feelings to one another. The whole book is spent building their relationship up and then yearning for each other but won't do anything because Kas is a monk and refuses to forsake his vows. When danger comes Kas refuses to pick up a weapon and cause harm leaving Nesrin to almost die on almost several occasions. It was nice when they revealed to each other their traumas and how they are connected that bonding moment was really sweet pulled on the heart strings.
Okay moving on from that to the actual story Kas approaches the dragons trove in which Nesrin resides after having been taken in by ady (she's one of the few dragons in this story) with news that Nesrins uncle whom is a cruel emperor that craves war is hunting for a cask a object that holds magical a being to become all powerful and he and Nesrin must go on a mission to find information about the cask and it's whereabouts.
There were some parts of this story that dragged but that's okay in the end I did really enjoy this read
September 25, 2024
“…our shadows always follow us, no matter how hard we try to stay in the light.”
“The Knight of the Trove,” by Holly Rose
What I loved:
-The traditional damsel in distress fairytale story with princes going to a castle protected by a dragon to save the princess trapped inside but this princess doesn’t need saving because she isn’t trapped at all.
-The Arabian setting, I’ve noticed a lot of books being written in the setting of a desert and I’m here for it. The perfect imagery and also unique difference when the traditional fairytale isn’t even in the traditional type of place.
-Tension between the love interest because he is a monk and trying not to break his vows despite him never wanting to be a monk at all.
-Strong FMC X Soft MMC
-The trauma in the past of the main characters. These characters were written so well and solid and felt everything they felt.
There was nothing I would’ve changed in the book. 5 out of 5 stars. Can’t wait for the next book in The Knights of Mellora series.
-Dragons
-Arabian
-Strong FMC X Soft MMC
-Monk X Princess
-SA Trauma
Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.
“Why were there so many different ways to be controlled by your family?”
“The Knight of the Trove,” by Holly Rose
What I loved:
-The traditional damsel in distress fairytale story with princes going to a castle protected by a dragon to save the princess trapped inside but this princess doesn’t need saving because she isn’t trapped at all.
-The Arabian setting, I’ve noticed a lot of books being written in the setting of a desert and I’m here for it. The perfect imagery and also unique difference when the traditional fairytale isn’t even in the traditional type of place.
-Tension between the love interest because he is a monk and trying not to break his vows despite him never wanting to be a monk at all.
-Strong FMC X Soft MMC
-The trauma in the past of the main characters. These characters were written so well and solid and felt everything they felt.
There was nothing I would’ve changed in the book. 5 out of 5 stars. Can’t wait for the next book in The Knights of Mellora series.
-Dragons
-Arabian
-Strong FMC X Soft MMC
-Monk X Princess
-SA Trauma
Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.
“Why were there so many different ways to be controlled by your family?”
September 26, 2024
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to read an ARC copy of this book, which releases on October 8th 2024.
This was such a fantastic book and really flipped the script from the stereotypical damsel in distress saved by the morally grey hunk.
I was hooked from the moment the dragon-protected damsel, Princess Nesrin, knight of the dragon’s trove, disarmed and turned away the umpteenth prince who tried to ‘rescue her’ from her beloved home.
Enter a pacifist and bookish vestal monk, Prince Kasper, who is a complete cinnamon roll and a ray of sunshine compared to Nesrin’s grumpy, distrustful attitude, who completely stole my heart.
The duo had oodles of forbidden chemistry during their pining slow burn, and I loved how conflicted Kas was about his feelings towards Nesrin the whole time. Their quest was intriguing and included so much rich world-building without it feeling like an info dump.
It featured an incredibly unique take on dragons that I had not seen before, and I adored Ady, especially when she kept referring to Kas as ‘sexy eyes’ to Nesrin.
I was a little surprised to see the story tie up somewhat neatly by the end of the book, knowing that this would be a series, but I cannot wait to read the next book about Prince Forth!
This was such a fantastic book and really flipped the script from the stereotypical damsel in distress saved by the morally grey hunk.
I was hooked from the moment the dragon-protected damsel, Princess Nesrin, knight of the dragon’s trove, disarmed and turned away the umpteenth prince who tried to ‘rescue her’ from her beloved home.
Enter a pacifist and bookish vestal monk, Prince Kasper, who is a complete cinnamon roll and a ray of sunshine compared to Nesrin’s grumpy, distrustful attitude, who completely stole my heart.
The duo had oodles of forbidden chemistry during their pining slow burn, and I loved how conflicted Kas was about his feelings towards Nesrin the whole time. Their quest was intriguing and included so much rich world-building without it feeling like an info dump.
It featured an incredibly unique take on dragons that I had not seen before, and I adored Ady, especially when she kept referring to Kas as ‘sexy eyes’ to Nesrin.
I was a little surprised to see the story tie up somewhat neatly by the end of the book, knowing that this would be a series, but I cannot wait to read the next book about Prince Forth!
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