A Masterpiece in Blood

Empyreal #2

by Megan Scott

Perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches and Serpent & Dove, this sequel to the sizzling dark romantasy The Temptation of Magic follows fated mates Nicole and Kyan as they attempt to root out the secrets at the heart of a shadowy supernatural organization.

Nicole and Kyan are playing a dangerous game.

Nicole is on the run, hiding from The Wake as she attempts to track down her mother’s last artistic clue and the truth of her death.

Kyan is pretending to still be The Wake’s loyal Empyreal assassin, even though his feelings for Nicole—and the mate bond that ties them together—have changed everything.

Separated, yet determined to be together, Nicole and Kyan must embark on a quest that will take them from the most powerful Vampire in England, to ancient Celtic treasures, and lost Druid sites.

Meanwhile, the Wake sees all, and the Wild Hunt is stirring.

As Nicole and Kyan get close to the dark secrets at the root of the organization, they court complete destruction—of themselves, each other, and all they hold dear.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dark Academia, Romantasy, Gothic, Young Adult, Magic

384 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 18, 2026

About the author

Megan Scott is the Sunday Times Bestselling romance and fantasy author from the North West of England.

Her debut for upper YA, THE TEMPTATION OF MAGIC, is a contemporary fantasy romance published in 2024 with HarperCollins in the UK and US, beginning the EMPYREAL trilogy.

She studied Art History and Classical Civilisation at university and masters level, looking at depictions of myth in nineteenth century art which still inspire her novels.

When she’s not writing or on Pinterest, she’s trying to read as much as her nana, falling more in love with romance books, or paint something she doesn’t want to ceremoniously burn in the garden.

You can find her on:
Instagram: @meganscott_writer
TikTok: @meganscott_writer

Reviews

[Lia Carstairs]

I NEED THIS IN MY HANDS ASAP🥹

[tanvi]

all i want is this masterpiece in my hands today! not six months from now! TODAY!!!

[Whitney]

Please don’t let 2026 be the actual release date. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 I won’t last that long.

[Alex]

2026?!? please say it aint sooooo

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had enjoyed book one a lot but I was worried about one of the tropes in this one and unfortunately it didn’t work for me. While in book one I had really enjoyed the mystery aspects and magic system rather than the love story, in this one I didn’t love the pacing of the plot. I did think that the last 100 pages really twisted the story and I enjoyed the ending, but I think this might not be the series for me. Unfortunately neither of the MCs were interesting, Nicole a tad more than Kyan. I was more interested in the side characters than the main storyline.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eArc.


When I first read The Temptation of Magic I knew that it would slowly work its way to one of my all time favourite reads. The second I knew that A Masterpiece in Blood was coming out, I knew I had to read it - and I currently have 2 copies on pre order - but I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read this as an ARC too.

I LOVE Kyan and Nicole as people, as if they were 2 people that I had been friends with and was finally starting to see them grow into who they were meant to be - and I have to remind myself regularly that they are, in fact, characters of a book.

The multiple perspectives between Bells, Dylan, Kyan, Nicole, and another (who I won't name for fear of spoiling it) just adds extra to the storyline and the overarching development of these people and who they are working to be.

We find out The Wake is worse than we could have imagined, but the determination of 'The Family' is inspiring. The way they band together, act as a true family, a support network is comforting and is something that just adds extra to the overall development of the story and the characters.

I couldn't get enough of the intimacy between Nicole and Kyan, the respectfulness but also the HEAT. the ONE BED. the alone in a CABIN!? Urgh you have hit some of my favourite tropes!

I will say nothing else on the story, except for this, HOW COULD YOU LEAVE IT LIKE THAT!!! My soul is a little bit sad right now and I need time to recover.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the fuck???? I need the sequel RIGHT NOW



The tension and slow burn had me literally so frustrated it was written so well

Megan has such a way with nuance and detail in her writing I love this so much

[The Bookish Chimera - Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

“She loved that he was her new safeplace, that he had helped her understand she was her own one too.”

Let me get this straight: The Temptation of Magic has obsessed me since I read it for the first time 2 years ago. So saying that I had high expectations for A Masterpiece in Blood would be an euphemism. What I didn’t expect, however, was to be stricken even more. I know I’ll need at least another read to seize the whole as my thoughts are still all over the place, weeks after finishing reading (which also means that this review will be messy, sorry about that, that’s the crazy excitement).

That’s one thing I adore with this series: you can read it as pure entertainment, being dragged by the plot, the heists and mysteries. Or you can take your time, appreciate the craft as much in the style as in the way of planning and foreshadowing. You can read it 10 times and still find new things (I know, I did/do that with book 1!!). You can stop with every piece of art, place, double meaning and try to solve the mystery with the characters. I absolutely love these multiple layers of reading, and enjoy all of them. You can also read it in an attempt to analyse the craft, trying to understand how the author managed to put everything together in such a brilliant way (I’ve said that many times, but I need an annotated edition of this series).

BecauseM.S.’s craft is just spectacular. The style, yes (huge yes!), but the storytelling and foreshadowing. There were so many hints in book 1 that landed in this one, so many opportunities to have theories. I can’t even count how many times I yelled while reading this book, as my theories crashed or were confirmed, as I gasped, my heart thundering in my chest. If you had unhinged theories —like I did— you might have been right, but be warned, it's to be even more crashed a few paragraphs later. OMG how crazy that book (and revelations) was!

There’s a bit less space for lyrical writing, as you could expect for a second book in a series that develops, runs at a breathtaking pace, grabs you with its tension. But when we take a breath, when it occurs, it’s mindblowing (the whole middle, OMG).
The pace is a whirlwind of events and emotions, but it also knows when to breathe, the writing taking control then, as soft brushes on a Canva, adornments here to reveal the bigger picture. The Masterpiece.
I had mentioned before how MS’s writing felt synestheasic, and it’s still the case, probably even more than before as synesthesia is an explicit part of Nicole’s experience (which makes her even more precious to me –as I mentioned in my TTOM review, her character and lived experience was one of the times I’ve felt seen the most in a book). Once again, Nicole made me (metaphorically) feel seen with her experiences post unmasking, how she can be overwhelmed by the outside world. This is one of the reasons why TTOM was so precious to me, and I’m glad it was here again, but in a different way.

The tension is once again tensioning. Between Nicole and Kyan, of course, as things get even more heated than in book one (the writing of the spicy scenes was so perfect! But also the other moments that built such heated tension —I’ll just say it’s better than in omegaverses) even though the romance is a bit less central (but just as important to the plot), but also in general. I can’t count the number of times I had to close the book because I was too scared about what could happen next.
There is so much happening in the book that it feels like you run until you're out of breath. Heists. Street fights. Museums. Dangerous new characters. Riddles. Kidnapping. Revelations. And then, breaks, but so important ones (also, can I have a Tène too?)
MS makes you travel. Real places and pieces of art anchor the story in our reality, but the writing makes you feeling you’re actually there, diving deeper in the story. This second book is just as immersive as was the first one and I loved to visit England, Scotland and Ireland (oh, Ireland !!).

Even more than TTOM, AMIB is full of Irish myths. I loved how it mixed mythology retellings as we usually know them (Kyan) but also with an academia view (Nicole). The book/series remains a dark academia one to me (even though the setting is more urban fantasy in this second book), as Nicole is a scholar at her core, and that’s what guides her in her adventures.
There is a lot more about Kyan and his past (my dreams are thanking the author), and SO MUCH MORE about The Wake. OMG so so much more. Revelations, but also discourse, and the opportunity for the author to keep deepening the dystopian supernatural society, discussing power, control and cultural erasure. There are also very feminist moments (the Muse !! <3), especially around erasure or the false impression of safety).

And there is art. Of course, there is art. TTOM’s magical system (and magic for the reader) was based in art, and AMIB keeps going. Arts are at the center of the plot, but also the foundations of who the characters are (Nicole and Remi especially), how they think and act. It’s immersive, beautiful and a lot of my favorites scenes are linked to art. The pieces of art, the museums, the locations are described in such a way that makes you feel you are in here (the Whovian in me was VERY scared because of a sculpture in Liverpool) and live the events in real time with the characters.

The book becomes choral, with many POV which allows MS to develop previously secondary characters but what remains are the family dynamics. The Palmer family is beautiful and not at all toxic like we can see very (too?) often in fantasy (or in our world), and that’s such a precious thing to read. They’re all mostly green flag, even though the morality glimpse a bit (sometimes a lot) in this one as the protective instincts get the upper hand.
That notion of protection is at the center of the book (of course) and it’s a great way to discuss security and freedom, how fear can be used to rule, how culture can be scared —and crushed— for another one to dominate and erase them.

If TTOM was my unicorn of a fantasy (and more), AMIB is my unicorn of a book in general, what I dreamt for, and more. Not only did it survive my excitement about TTOM (and yall know how high it was/is) and confirmed some of my most unhinged theories, but it largely overtook it and confirmed that this series is my favorite fantasy series of all time.

AMIB is brilliant. All consuming. Haunting. Entrancing. Breathtaking. And also hot.
I don’t know what to do with my life while waiting for book 3, except maybe waiting for my physical copy and reread AMIB again and again, filling it with annotations, just like I did with TTOM.
(if it wasn’t clear enough, infinite stars for this one)

Thank you Harper Voyager for the access to the eARC on NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

[A Pixie Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I technically finished A Masterpiece in Blood at 2am, but I was far too emotionally compromised to form a coherent review at the time, so this is me attempting to gather my thoughts now… though I’m still not entirely recovered. Megan really said “let me raise the stakes and ruin your peace” and fully committed to it, especially with that ending. I spent most of this book reacting in real time (through messages to Megan, which she was really lovely about), and by the final stretch I was just staring at the pages in disbelief. It’s the kind of ending that lingers and makes you immediately desperate for the next book.

One of the standout elements for me was the intensity of the relationships. The shift into NA feels very clear here, and it allows for a deeper exploration of emotions, loyalty, and consequences. Everything feels sharper, more layered, and more impactful because of it.
Nicole continues to be such a strong central character. I really appreciated how grounded she feels, particularly because of her family. They’re present, involved, and important to the story rather than just existing in the background, which adds a lot of emotional weight to everything that happens. Kyan and Nicole completely delivered on the tension. The yearning is constant, and the dynamic between them carries that “we would burn the world for each other” energy that makes every interaction feel significant. It never felt repetitive either. Instead, it built steadily throughout the book in a way that kept me fully invested.

Callum was another highlight for me. There’s something so effortlessly likeable about him, and he brings a different kind of energy to the story. His dynamic with Dylan was genuinely one of the softer, more endearing aspects of the book, and I found myself really looking forward to their scenes.
Bells is also someone I’m very curious about moving forward. There are clear hints that there’s more going on with her, and I’m especially interested in how her connection with Callum might develop in the next installment as I feel like there were very strong suggestions towards the end that they might be pivotal in working together.

Plot-wise, there is a lot happening. This isn’t a slow or simple story, and it requires you to pay attention, but that’s part of what makes it so engaging. There are multiple POVs, shifting dynamics, and layers of tension that keep everything moving. Even when I felt overwhelmed, it was in a way that made me want to keep reading rather than step away.

Overall, this book felt bigger, darker, and more emotionally intense than what came before, and I really enjoyed that progression. It expands the world, deepens the characters, and raises the stakes in a way that makes the wait for the next book feel almost unbearable.

And yes… that ending. I am both impressed and emotionally unwell.

I will absolutely be picking up book three as soon as possible, because I need to know what happens next. I truly don't want to be that person always demanding more, and I know there is so much work that goes into writing and editing and publishing a book and I know it takes time and isn't something Megan can just give us immediately.... but also... Megan knows what she did to make me feel like this haha

[Menel ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ✰
↳ eARC

Blood hides more secrets than it reveals.

After enjoying the first book, I was really looking forward to A Masterpiece in Blood. Even though I had a good time reading it and still really enjoyed certain aspects, this second book unfortunately left less of an impression on me.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is clearly its worldbuilding. The lore remains just as interesting and immersive, especially everything related to the creatures and the overall atmosphere of the story. You can really feel that the world is carefully crafted and has its own identity.

I also enjoyed several plot twists and revelations. Some of them were well executed and managed to reignite my interest in the story at key moments. However, I found the pacing quite uneven. The plot takes a long time to truly move forward at the beginning, and some parts felt rather slow. At times, certain elements or reflections became a bit repetitive, which slowed down the reading experience even more.

I also think what I missed the most in this book was perhaps more action or emotional intensity. Even though the story remains interesting, I didn’t feel the same level of attachment or obsession that I had with the first book. There was less of that tension or spark that made me want to keep turning the pages.

Despite that, it was still an enjoyable read with a strong universe and interesting ideas. I’m still looking forward to reading the sequel!


───── ｡⋆ 🩸 ⋆｡ ─────
•Secrets
•Mystery
•Urban fantasy
•Found family
•Dark academia vibes
•Irish myths
•Hunt
•Art & magic


જ⁀➴ Thank you to the author, NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for this eARC <3


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.


3 ✰
↳ service de presse numérique

Le sang cache plus de secrets qu’il n’en révèle.

Après avoir apprécié le premier tome, j’attendais avec impatience A masterpiece in blood . Même si j’ai passé un bon moment et que certains aspects m’ont encore beaucoup plu, ce deuxième tome m’a malheureusement moins marquée.

L’un des points forts du livre reste clairement son univers. Le lore est toujours aussi intéressant et immersif, notamment tout ce qui touche aux créatures et à l’ambiance du récit. On sent que l’univers est travaillé et possède sa propre identité.

J’ai également apprécié plusieurs rebondissements et retournements de situation. Certains étaient bien amenés et réussissaient à relancer l’intérêt de l’intrigue à des moments clés. Cependant, j’ai trouvé que le rythme était assez inégal. Le début de l’intrigue met beaucoup de temps à avancer et certaines parties m’ont semblé longues. Par moments, certains éléments ou réflexions se répétaient un peu ce qui ralentissait un peu la lecture.

Je pense aussi que ce qui m’a le plus manqué dans ce tome, c’est peut-être davantage d’action ou d’intensité émotionnelle. Même si l’histoire reste intéressante, je n’ai pas ressenti le même niveau d’accroche ou d’obsession que pour le premier tome. Il y avait moins cette tension ou cette étincelle qui me donnait envie d’enchaîner les chapitres.

Malgré cela, ça reste une lecture agréable avec un univers toujours aussi solide et des idées intéressantes. J’ai tout de même hâte de lire la suite !


───── ｡⋆ 🩸 ⋆｡ ─────
•Secrets
•Mystère
•Fantaisie urbaine
•Found family
•Dark academia vibes
•Mythes irlandais
•Chasse
•Art et magie

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first book and A Masterpiece in Blood is holding even more mysteries to untangle and the stakes of figuring out her mother's clues hidden in art are even more dangerous than they thought.
We start right where we left off with Nicole and her family on the run and hiding from The Wake while going through the art that supposedly holds answers to saving them all and solving the mystery of her mother's death.
Kyan on the other hand is playing his part as The Wake’s loyal hunter while seeking answers from inside what is brewing behind his back.
The combination of magic, mystery, art, and Celtic folklore is what I loved the most and the way it all blended with the modern world was really well made.
Furthermore, the multiple POV gave the story the perfect dynamic and pacing and I was most curious about Bells and when her character chapters came to play.
A bit of unpopular opinion but as a romantic arc my favourite was the dynamic between Callum and Dylan....all the walls and secrets between them and on some subconscious level they cared for each other gaining trust inch by inch.
The same captivating combination as the first book yet with a bit of a different flavour giving you a lot of answers that were plaguing me from book one but at the same time dropping the bombshell with a plethora of new ones for book 3.

[Bente Kato · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/4 stars

I really liked temptation of magic, so when the second book dropped on NetGalley and I got approved a fed days later I knew immediately what my next read should be. And I finished this in one day (while also having to work haha), so the story was definitely very compelling.


I really loved the development of the story that was set up in book 1 and the characters are also amazing and so diverse. The main thing I loved (just like book 1) was the relationship between Nicole and Kyan, and their reunion was just chiefs kiss, I loved how the author worked to keep these characters together while simultaneously also keeping up the really struggle they have to go through to remain close. And also Callum, I love him and hope he also gets his HAE.

This book however wasn’t a 5 star read for me because there is a lot of information in this book (which in a way also is normal for the second book in a third book), but sometimes it felt really hard to keep track of all the information the author wanted to include in this book and to be able to make a shift of what might be important for later and what are just interesting facts, and this also had it’s consequences for the pacing of the story so now and then.

But all in all, I would definitely recommend this book :)

[Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS
----------------------------------
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A
----------------------------------
This was such a good follow up to The Temptation in Magic! I really enjoyed all the different perspectives during a single scene since this series has so many key players in it!

A Masterpiece in Blood really amped up the stakes and we are just being fed with information and I was screaming through the first 45% until Nicole and Kyan could just see each other again 😭!

Big time thank you to Megan for creating such a unique urban fantasy where Irish lore and art is cherish so deeply and written with love!

I thought this was going to be only a duology but there is to be a third book after THAT ending and I could be happier 🥰!

Thankyou to Megan Scott, HarperCollin UK and NetGalley for a digital ARC of A Masterpiece in Blood.

[Amy Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC ♥️

3⭐️

This is a disappointing rating since the first book was a 5⭐️ read.

The level of research and background checking that must have been done must have been one HELL of a job in of itself, I HIGHLY applaud that.

HOWEVER, for me, this made it a difficult read and honestly made it tedious.

There was too much going here and there, back and forth without any real sort of progression or plot development. It was not exciting to read and I ALMOST DNFed at around 80%

All of the character build up behind Kyan and Nicole felt completely undone and I didn’t feel that ‘connection’ in this book. There ‘relationship’ felt wrong!

I absolutely LOVED and DEVOURED the first book but this book didn’t need to be this long and the series as a whole may have benefited from a lot of editing into a duology.

Unfortunately, I am not excited to pick up the next book and may not continue this series. Such a shame.

[Megan Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it’s about the time that I hand this book over to readers since it’s heading out as e-arcs, and I just want to say: thank you so much for supporting a debut author. You have no idea how much you can impact a writer’s life and how hard it is to get people to even pick up a new author. I appreciate it more than I can express. The love you’ve shared with me for these characters has helped me through so many of the behind-the-scenes waits, delays and dilemmas!

Things you should know about A MASTERPIECE IN BLOOD:
- It is definitely New Adult, no longer upper YA
- It’s more urban fantasy than book one
- It’s got more of a follow-the-clues / quest plot, like National Treasure and The Da Vinci Code (but supernatural), so perfect if you love art history, celtic history, mythology and a good old conspiracy!
- The spice has increased (hence the older age rating) and the characters are slightly older
- There are trigger warnings, which I’ve included below
- There is a pronunciation guide and pretty much all the spellings of these Irish names are *Old Irish* to match the character’s immortal origins, other texts like the Táin and non-fiction on Irish mythology. Therefore, they may look different to what you’re used to if you’re a modern speaker. But, they’re pronounced so that a modern listener could understand, as otherwise many of the names would have sounded unrecognisable in the audiobook! *These have all been checked and recommended by professors of Irish history and modern speakers.

I can’t wait for you all to read!! I absolutely adore this book, even after reading 10+ times. There’s more yearning and heat, more POVs for a richer and more expansive narrative, a faster pace now we’re into the world, and of course: increased stakes. I hope you love it.

Meanwhile, I’m off to finish book three!



TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Needles and blood being drawn
Loss of a parent and traumatic memories
Violence
Torture
Murder
Blood
Scenes of a sexual nature

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK for kindly granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Attention readers, this sequel packs a punch!

If you enjoyed The Temptation of Magic, you will LOVE A Masterpiece in Blood. It has everything I was not so patiently hoping for and more. Not only does the world-building and the conspiracy get deeper and darker (I do love treasure hunts and heists), but the characters get increasingly more interesting with the additional POVs giving you more plotlines to explore at an almost frantic pace that will keep you reading way past dark. While I did struggle with Dylan's, I devoured Callum's chapters and both Bells' and Papa Palmer's had me intrigued.

And the yearning! The slow burn of Nicole and Kyan's fledgling relationship had me hooked.

Can book 3 materialise now, please?

[Laura]

I feel awful about this, but I am having to DNF for now. I really enjoyed the first book, but I just don't seem to want to pick this up. Out of all the characters, I find the MMC and FMC to be the least interesting. Their relationship is very different in this book and I'm not sure I like it (there's only so much hormonal yearning I can take). I found them quite insufferable to be honest! Callum really intrigues me, as does his dynamic with Dylan and Bells too. I may pick up the book again, purely to discover what happens with those characters,

Thank you so much to the publisher for the ARC.

[Moodreadinggal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This absolutely exceeded my expectations. The story took off with the exact momentum from the first one, and never really slowed down. It continued to expand the vibrant world we were introduced to in the first book, and pushed all the characters to new limits. I couldn't put the book down, the tension and mysteries unfolding was delectable. That cliffhanger had me so sad because I desperately want to know what happened next. Absolutely one of my favorite reads this year

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole and Kyan
Forbidden Romance
Dark Academia
One Bed
Yearning
Irish Mythology

I have been so excited for this book since I first read The Temptation of Magic, and I am obsessed with it!!!

I love the relationship development between these two characters! The tension and yearning!!

There is so much happening in this book and definitely requires focus! But I love it so much!

The ending though. I am unwell. I will be diving into book 3 as soon as possible because I need more! So good!

[Kaitlyn]

Patiently awaiting more of Nicole and Kyan :' )

[Valerie Benitez]

I can’t wait ! I loved The Temptation of Magic 🥺😍

[heba]

I'm calling it right now - THIS is my most anticipated read for 2026.

[Lexia0015]

15/07/2025
The COVER is released.
I repeat THE COVER IS RELEASED 😭😭😭😭 along with the resume…
I NEED THIS BOOK FOR YESTERDAY !!!!!!

[Phée]

[08/2025] nooooo she changed the date. It was supposed to be january and now it is april
[30/11/2025] : WHAT SEPTEMBER 2026 ???