What do you think?
Rate this book
The World of the Orphium Maere #1
The Consulate
An immortal warrior & the necromancer who burned her house down. Five missing swords. Three underworld dynasties at odds with the mundane world. One big heist.
Ember Verona’s immortal life is a mess. Her best friend just got out of prison and like the rest of their sistren, wants nothing to do with her. The swords that gave the guardians of Orphium their parapsych powers have been missing for hundreds of years.
Nothing seems able to change that, or to put the Orphium Maere back together again. Until Ares Necroline, the leader of Orphium’s necromancers, tips Ember off to the swords’ location. They are up for auction at the National Gallery’s annual Gala. Can Ember get the swords, and her sistren, back before tipping off the Authority?
Ember must choose. Work with the man who burned her house to the ground and ruined her life—or do this on her own and risk falling into useless obscurity.
Find out which she chooses. The Consulate is a sizzling hot modern romantasy, filled with ghosts, a mysterious underworld and a heaping serving of romance. The World of the Orphium Maere is a series of interconnected standalone paranormal romantasies from Allison Carr Waechter, the author of Dark Night Golden Dawn.
Ember Verona’s immortal life is a mess. Her best friend just got out of prison and like the rest of their sistren, wants nothing to do with her. The swords that gave the guardians of Orphium their parapsych powers have been missing for hundreds of years.
Nothing seems able to change that, or to put the Orphium Maere back together again. Until Ares Necroline, the leader of Orphium’s necromancers, tips Ember off to the swords’ location. They are up for auction at the National Gallery’s annual Gala. Can Ember get the swords, and her sistren, back before tipping off the Authority?
Ember must choose. Work with the man who burned her house to the ground and ruined her life—or do this on her own and risk falling into useless obscurity.
Find out which she chooses. The Consulate is a sizzling hot modern romantasy, filled with ghosts, a mysterious underworld and a heaping serving of romance. The World of the Orphium Maere is a series of interconnected standalone paranormal romantasies from Allison Carr Waechter, the author of Dark Night Golden Dawn.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
73 people are currently reading
973 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
April 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
This book follows Ember (an immortal warrior) and Ares (a necromancer), who have a VERY long history with one another. Ember’s life went up into flames when her home (who she shares with other immortal warriors) literally goes up in flames, rendering one of their members severely hurt and the rest of the members go their own way, causing the group to dissolve. Ember also carries a grudge against Ares, who was the one who set fire to their house. However, after some development in searching for her group’s lost swords, Ember realizes that she requires Ares’ assistance and the two learn to navigate this newly found relationship.
I enjoyed the world building of this book, but it did get confusing at times trying to keep track of all the organizations and highly recommend making sure you read the descriptions of the different organizations located in the beginning of the book. I loved how dedicated Ember is to her immortal warrior family despite everyone leaving and essentially rendering the group disbanded. Ember does her best to keep it together, but the loneliness gets to her as she is navigating her immortal life. She continues to work on bringing everyone back together again, while searching for their swords (source of their power) with the help of Ares. Their relationship progression was great to see despite hesitancy on both sides. Thank you to MTMC Tours and Allison Carr Waechter for this gifted copy ✨
This book follows Ember (an immortal warrior) and Ares (a necromancer), who have a VERY long history with one another. Ember’s life went up into flames when her home (who she shares with other immortal warriors) literally goes up in flames, rendering one of their members severely hurt and the rest of the members go their own way, causing the group to dissolve. Ember also carries a grudge against Ares, who was the one who set fire to their house. However, after some development in searching for her group’s lost swords, Ember realizes that she requires Ares’ assistance and the two learn to navigate this newly found relationship.
I enjoyed the world building of this book, but it did get confusing at times trying to keep track of all the organizations and highly recommend making sure you read the descriptions of the different organizations located in the beginning of the book. I loved how dedicated Ember is to her immortal warrior family despite everyone leaving and essentially rendering the group disbanded. Ember does her best to keep it together, but the loneliness gets to her as she is navigating her immortal life. She continues to work on bringing everyone back together again, while searching for their swords (source of their power) with the help of Ares. Their relationship progression was great to see despite hesitancy on both sides. Thank you to MTMC Tours and Allison Carr Waechter for this gifted copy ✨
October 25, 2024
yes
The vibes of this book are 🤌🏻🤌🏻 spooky, rainy and neon lights 🤌🏻
The best part of this book is the UNIQUENESS of the world, magic and beings. I want more of this.
- immortal female warrior x gumpy cinnamon roll necromancer
- He burned her house down years ago but now they need each others help
- Mutual pining
- A Darcy hand flex moment
- Two stressed and lonely people fall in love
- She’s more powerful then him and he likes it
- “Let’s commit crime” 🤝 “only if I can have you against the wall after” couple
This is a stand-alone with more to come and I’m very EXCITED!
Cons
For what this was, the world building was very dense and very clunky. If it had been longer, I would’ve really liked it because by the time that I had gotten stable on the worldbuilding, the book was basically over and it was wasted. I feel like if I had book/ content, I would’ve been able to get it under me and feel more comfortable in the world , but it didn’t happen because the book was so short.
The vibes of this book are 🤌🏻🤌🏻 spooky, rainy and neon lights 🤌🏻
The best part of this book is the UNIQUENESS of the world, magic and beings. I want more of this.
- immortal female warrior x gumpy cinnamon roll necromancer
- He burned her house down years ago but now they need each others help
- Mutual pining
- A Darcy hand flex moment
- Two stressed and lonely people fall in love
- She’s more powerful then him and he likes it
- “Let’s commit crime” 🤝 “only if I can have you against the wall after” couple
This is a stand-alone with more to come and I’m very EXCITED!
Cons
For what this was, the world building was very dense and very clunky. If it had been longer, I would’ve really liked it because by the time that I had gotten stable on the worldbuilding, the book was basically over and it was wasted. I feel like if I had book/ content, I would’ve been able to get it under me and feel more comfortable in the world , but it didn’t happen because the book was so short.
October 11, 2024
Even at 75%, I can't say I fully understand what is going on. What DO I understand? Stanley is a poltergeist, Ember is Maere, and Ares is a necromancer who doesn't do more than commune with the dead. The enemies to lovers this books claims to have is more of a "I resent that I like you and I've liked you forever" sort of thing.
This book had such a cool concept but unfortunately for me, it fell flat and felt underdeveloped. Instead of being a standalone, it would have benefitted from being a duology so that certain concepts could be more explained and explored.
This book had such a cool concept but unfortunately for me, it fell flat and felt underdeveloped. Instead of being a standalone, it would have benefitted from being a duology so that certain concepts could be more explained and explored.
October 4, 2024
So many cool ideas that ended up falling flat and feeling underdeveloped. I think if this would’ve been an amazing duology. I was left with a lot of questions and wanting more.
October 14, 2024
This absolutely reminds me of Neon Gods.
This has an incredible, sizzling romance set in a complex, paranormal world. Ember is a very compelling character—strong, determined, and fully in control of almost every aspect of her life, except when it comes to her romantic dynamics. And oooh, the relationship between Ember and Ares is intense and feels electrifying from the start. The romantic elements, particularly the spicy scenes, are well-crafted and hit all the right notes—passionate, vulnerable, and dynamic in all the best ways. Ember's desire to relinquish control in her personal life, given how in command she is elsewhere, felt like a natural and interesting exploration of her character. Her vulnerability and desire for release from that control, especially in the bedroom, add a refreshing layer to her character. This contrast is what really stood out to me, as it offered something different from the usual romance tropes.
That said, the book isn’t without its issues. While the romance and character dynamics are strong, the pacing could have used more refinement. At times, the story felt like it was speeding through major plot points while other sections dragged out unnecessarily. It wasn’t enough to pull me out of the story completely, but it did make certain transitions feel a bit off-balance. The world-building, while intriguing, was also a bit muddled. There are some really fascinating elements, but I found myself wishing for more clarity about how everything tied together. While this might not be a deal-breaker for readers who are more focused on the romance, it did feel like the background lore was just a little too hazy and complex.
Overall, I had a good time. The romance is what really shines in this and it was worth every second. I'm not super into paranormal romance, but this one was top-notch. Thank you to Haus of Fables and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
This has an incredible, sizzling romance set in a complex, paranormal world. Ember is a very compelling character—strong, determined, and fully in control of almost every aspect of her life, except when it comes to her romantic dynamics. And oooh, the relationship between Ember and Ares is intense and feels electrifying from the start. The romantic elements, particularly the spicy scenes, are well-crafted and hit all the right notes—passionate, vulnerable, and dynamic in all the best ways. Ember's desire to relinquish control in her personal life, given how in command she is elsewhere, felt like a natural and interesting exploration of her character. Her vulnerability and desire for release from that control, especially in the bedroom, add a refreshing layer to her character. This contrast is what really stood out to me, as it offered something different from the usual romance tropes.
That said, the book isn’t without its issues. While the romance and character dynamics are strong, the pacing could have used more refinement. At times, the story felt like it was speeding through major plot points while other sections dragged out unnecessarily. It wasn’t enough to pull me out of the story completely, but it did make certain transitions feel a bit off-balance. The world-building, while intriguing, was also a bit muddled. There are some really fascinating elements, but I found myself wishing for more clarity about how everything tied together. While this might not be a deal-breaker for readers who are more focused on the romance, it did feel like the background lore was just a little too hazy and complex.
Overall, I had a good time. The romance is what really shines in this and it was worth every second. I'm not super into paranormal romance, but this one was top-notch. Thank you to Haus of Fables and the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
dnf
October 2, 2024DNF at 30%. I’m not understanding this book at all. No rating because maybe others will understand it and I'm just too dumb lol
There are so many new words, titles and locations and nothing felt explained other than having a glossary, but who wants to constantly flip to that. The author kept dropping so many new names with no explanation of who they even were.
My brain was on fire trying to follow this story. It’s not an easy read and wasn’t enjoyable. I’ve been completely lost this entire time and not able to connect with any characters. There isn't much depth to anyone.
Instead of Fae, we have more paranormal immortals which is a cool concept but I’m struggling to understand who is who and how groups fit together. This is an enemies to lovers trope but I’m not understanding how they are enemies in the first place and it seems very insta love/lust from the start so they don’t feel like enemies at all.
This was an ARC but sadly I just can't get into this one and it's too much of a headache to try and push through.
There are so many new words, titles and locations and nothing felt explained other than having a glossary, but who wants to constantly flip to that. The author kept dropping so many new names with no explanation of who they even were.
My brain was on fire trying to follow this story. It’s not an easy read and wasn’t enjoyable. I’ve been completely lost this entire time and not able to connect with any characters. There isn't much depth to anyone.
Instead of Fae, we have more paranormal immortals which is a cool concept but I’m struggling to understand who is who and how groups fit together. This is an enemies to lovers trope but I’m not understanding how they are enemies in the first place and it seems very insta love/lust from the start so they don’t feel like enemies at all.
This was an ARC but sadly I just can't get into this one and it's too much of a headache to try and push through.
October 13, 2024
⭐ 2/5
🌶 3/5 (2 open door spicy scenes but that was it for the entire book so isn't very prominent)
☁️ 0.5/5 (Fluff rating)
I really wanted to like The Consulate—the vibes felt like Crescent City with a complex world, ghosts, and high-stakes tension. But honestly? It ended up being confusing and underdeveloped. Even after finishing, I couldn’t fully wrap my head around the plot or the worldbuilding. The characters had potential, but they never quite came together in a satisfying way. If you’re into intricate urban fantasy with heavy worldbuilding and don’t mind some loose ends, this might work for you. Sadly, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
📖 Tropes/What to expect:
✨ John Wick Vibes
✨ Found Family
✨ Heist Plot
✨ Enemies-to-lovers
✨ Guy that is irritated to fully obsessed
✨ Paranormal romance
✨ Necromancers
✨ Mysterious dark settings
✨ Mafia/organised crime
This was an ARC but sadly I just couldn't get along with it.
🌶 3/5 (2 open door spicy scenes but that was it for the entire book so isn't very prominent)
☁️ 0.5/5 (Fluff rating)
I really wanted to like The Consulate—the vibes felt like Crescent City with a complex world, ghosts, and high-stakes tension. But honestly? It ended up being confusing and underdeveloped. Even after finishing, I couldn’t fully wrap my head around the plot or the worldbuilding. The characters had potential, but they never quite came together in a satisfying way. If you’re into intricate urban fantasy with heavy worldbuilding and don’t mind some loose ends, this might work for you. Sadly, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
📖 Tropes/What to expect:
✨ John Wick Vibes
✨ Found Family
✨ Heist Plot
✨ Enemies-to-lovers
✨ Guy that is irritated to fully obsessed
✨ Paranormal romance
✨ Necromancers
✨ Mysterious dark settings
✨ Mafia/organised crime
This was an ARC but sadly I just couldn't get along with it.
October 15, 2024
Even the next day, I'm not sure that I have the right words for how much this book made me feel, and for how perfectly this world fits within everything that I love in terms of setting. The Consulate is set in a time and place that reads as neo-noir, a little bit neon gothic and urban fantasy, and also full of eldritch monsters and paranormal spirits. There is grit and darkness to Orphium, a feeling of time and the weight of heavy sadness and guilt. But by the end of this book, there is also hope.
To briefly highlight the story, Ember is an immortal warrior. After a few too many tragic incidents, her fellow sisterhood of warriors in Orphium has fractured, their powerful swords lost and one of their own taken after a fire burned down their house. She is left to hold on and continue their work balancing the tenuous relationship between The Consulate, the leaders of the parapsychs, and The Authority (the humans). And Ember is tired. If anything, this story shows the less glamourous side of being immortal. There is a whole lot of time to let the weight of expectations and the guilt of failure wear you down.
Ares Necroline is the newest leader of the Necroline dynasty. He is also immortal, and a necromancer. Who also happens to be the one who burned Ember's house down. For reasons. Like Ember, Ares carries a lot on his shoulders and is trying to right centuries of wrongs that came before him.
Together, they get involved in a mystery surrounding killed and missing parapsychs, a political web that goes beyond Orphium's streets and shadowy rooms, and the task of stealing back those missing swords that have recently come out of hiding. All while confronting their own attraction, fighting their own desires, and finally giving in to the pull that keeps bringing them together.
There is a lot going on in Orphium, but the relationship between Ember and Ares is at the core. Their individual motivations and their unfolding realization that they both have felt the weight of loneliness drives so much of the story and grounds it in reality as everything else is playing out around them. What starts as a heist and mystery becomes grounded in a story about belonging and family, about finding someone else who sees you for all that you are and accepts you because of it, not in spite of it. I love when characters are allowed to be whole and flawed and that those parts of themselves are accepted and loved instead of changed. I could feel the weight of the emotions playing out as Ember and Ares realized who they were and what they wanted out of themselves and each other.
There is so much that I can't fit into this review, but in the end, I loved all of it. This is truly a mix of everything I love about John Wick, The Old Guard, Underworld, Dark City, Blade Runner, Equilibrium, Altered Carbon, and every classic heist movie. This is a story that feels lived in, that is both a chess game and slow-burn romance of the adversaries (or at least, reluctant acquaintances) to lovers variety. Among the characters, there are second chances, found family, and and betrayals that add up to a world that goes beyond Orphium, and political and social problems that are not yet over, but at least now have a name.
Thanks to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
To briefly highlight the story, Ember is an immortal warrior. After a few too many tragic incidents, her fellow sisterhood of warriors in Orphium has fractured, their powerful swords lost and one of their own taken after a fire burned down their house. She is left to hold on and continue their work balancing the tenuous relationship between The Consulate, the leaders of the parapsychs, and The Authority (the humans). And Ember is tired. If anything, this story shows the less glamourous side of being immortal. There is a whole lot of time to let the weight of expectations and the guilt of failure wear you down.
Ares Necroline is the newest leader of the Necroline dynasty. He is also immortal, and a necromancer. Who also happens to be the one who burned Ember's house down. For reasons. Like Ember, Ares carries a lot on his shoulders and is trying to right centuries of wrongs that came before him.
Together, they get involved in a mystery surrounding killed and missing parapsychs, a political web that goes beyond Orphium's streets and shadowy rooms, and the task of stealing back those missing swords that have recently come out of hiding. All while confronting their own attraction, fighting their own desires, and finally giving in to the pull that keeps bringing them together.
There is a lot going on in Orphium, but the relationship between Ember and Ares is at the core. Their individual motivations and their unfolding realization that they both have felt the weight of loneliness drives so much of the story and grounds it in reality as everything else is playing out around them. What starts as a heist and mystery becomes grounded in a story about belonging and family, about finding someone else who sees you for all that you are and accepts you because of it, not in spite of it. I love when characters are allowed to be whole and flawed and that those parts of themselves are accepted and loved instead of changed. I could feel the weight of the emotions playing out as Ember and Ares realized who they were and what they wanted out of themselves and each other.
There is so much that I can't fit into this review, but in the end, I loved all of it. This is truly a mix of everything I love about John Wick, The Old Guard, Underworld, Dark City, Blade Runner, Equilibrium, Altered Carbon, and every classic heist movie. This is a story that feels lived in, that is both a chess game and slow-burn romance of the adversaries (or at least, reluctant acquaintances) to lovers variety. Among the characters, there are second chances, found family, and and betrayals that add up to a world that goes beyond Orphium, and political and social problems that are not yet over, but at least now have a name.
Thanks to the author for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
October 15, 2024
✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 ✨
📖: The Consulate (The World of the Orphium Maere)
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭.
Ember is an immortal warrior who has lost her sense of purpose after her elite group lost their spelled swords and disbanded. When the chance to retrieve the lost swords of the Maere presents, she must work with her nemesis Ares to pull off the heist of the century. As long held secrets and hidden desires emerge, can they right the wrongs of the world and undermine The Authority itself?
Tropes to expect:
😪 Tortured Hero
💔 Hate to Love You
💰 Mafia / Organized Crime
🚬 Smex Club
↔️ Opposites attract (but have more in common than they think)
🫣 Afraid to commit
🏦 A Heist
🩶 Morally charcoal MCs
🌶️🌶️🌶️
“𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦.”
This book gave me the best gritty vibes and feels. Imagine a perfect amalgamation of John Wick, The Old Guard, and Ocean’s 8 starring a cast of hot immortal warriors and necromancers with magical factions fighting against social injustice, poltergeists, and mythical monsters.
The world building is immaculate and I adore Ember and the storied past she shares with her sistren and the complicated feelings towards Ares. I was swept away by their relationship - the fear of rejection and commitment and the intensity of their passion is palpable in every scene.
Bearing lifetimes of memories, trauma, and heartache, can Ember move beyond her complacency and fears to allow herself to live and love at last?
The Consulate is a breathtaking contemporary urban fantasy weaving elements of mythology, action, and a blistering romance! I cannot wait for the next standalone in this series.
Thank you Allison and @hausoffables_pr for the ARC opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review
📖: The Consulate (The World of the Orphium Maere)
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭.
Ember is an immortal warrior who has lost her sense of purpose after her elite group lost their spelled swords and disbanded. When the chance to retrieve the lost swords of the Maere presents, she must work with her nemesis Ares to pull off the heist of the century. As long held secrets and hidden desires emerge, can they right the wrongs of the world and undermine The Authority itself?
Tropes to expect:
😪 Tortured Hero
💔 Hate to Love You
💰 Mafia / Organized Crime
🚬 Smex Club
↔️ Opposites attract (but have more in common than they think)
🫣 Afraid to commit
🏦 A Heist
🩶 Morally charcoal MCs
🌶️🌶️🌶️
“𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦.”
This book gave me the best gritty vibes and feels. Imagine a perfect amalgamation of John Wick, The Old Guard, and Ocean’s 8 starring a cast of hot immortal warriors and necromancers with magical factions fighting against social injustice, poltergeists, and mythical monsters.
The world building is immaculate and I adore Ember and the storied past she shares with her sistren and the complicated feelings towards Ares. I was swept away by their relationship - the fear of rejection and commitment and the intensity of their passion is palpable in every scene.
Bearing lifetimes of memories, trauma, and heartache, can Ember move beyond her complacency and fears to allow herself to live and love at last?
The Consulate is a breathtaking contemporary urban fantasy weaving elements of mythology, action, and a blistering romance! I cannot wait for the next standalone in this series.
Thank you Allison and @hausoffables_pr for the ARC opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review
October 24, 2024
Weeeeeeeeell...
Well.
I did enjoy the story and the romance, but there were certain stylistic choices that, instead of enhancing the narrative, ended up hindering it.
What keeps drawing me back to Allison's stories is the immersive and well-crafted worldbuilding. However, in this case, it felt like it worked against the flow of the story. The setup took far too long before the plot actually gained momentum. Adding to the challenge was the fact that you couldn’t bypass the glossary at the beginning, as the world wouldn’t make sense without it. While I think a glossary can be a nice touch, I believe the story should still be understandable on its own. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here.
That said, I truly loved the characters and the plot itself. Though, it did feel odd that the characters' full names were constantly used. Who does that? But again, that's a stylistic choice, and my personal preferences are simply different.
I did enjoy the growth between Ember and Ares and how they went from prickly to head over heels in love with each other. They have a long history and it was nice to see for a change that Ember was the more powerful of the two. They were really fun.
Despite these issues, the book was still enjoyable, even if it felt a bit sluggish at times.
I owe a huge thank you for the ARC to Allison and Haus of Fables.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️.5
Chemistry: 🔥🔥🔥
Well.
I did enjoy the story and the romance, but there were certain stylistic choices that, instead of enhancing the narrative, ended up hindering it.
What keeps drawing me back to Allison's stories is the immersive and well-crafted worldbuilding. However, in this case, it felt like it worked against the flow of the story. The setup took far too long before the plot actually gained momentum. Adding to the challenge was the fact that you couldn’t bypass the glossary at the beginning, as the world wouldn’t make sense without it. While I think a glossary can be a nice touch, I believe the story should still be understandable on its own. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here.
That said, I truly loved the characters and the plot itself. Though, it did feel odd that the characters' full names were constantly used. Who does that? But again, that's a stylistic choice, and my personal preferences are simply different.
I did enjoy the growth between Ember and Ares and how they went from prickly to head over heels in love with each other. They have a long history and it was nice to see for a change that Ember was the more powerful of the two. They were really fun.
Despite these issues, the book was still enjoyable, even if it felt a bit sluggish at times.
I owe a huge thank you for the ARC to Allison and Haus of Fables.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice Meter: 🌶️🌶️.5
Chemistry: 🔥🔥🔥
November 3, 2024
✨4 stars ✨
🌶️ 2 spice 🌶️
“Eyes on me, Ember. They can watch you, but your eyes are mine.”
Thank you to Haus of Fables for this eARC (that I was very late to reading so the book is already out…but good thing for who’s reading this review is that you can read it now!) Like always, here is my honest review!
These girls are girl bossing real hard and I love it.
This was so fun, honestly loved the characters.
I will say it did take me a minute to be able to catch up with the world building but once I was caught up it was all sails ahead.
The storyline was amazing, loved the heist and the characters being brought back together but of course what really stuck out for me was the romance.
Ares and Ember…perfection. The similarities between them, the feeling of loneliness they both experienced, but also being polar opposites. Chefs kiss.
I loved the writing in this. Super easy to read. Amazing characters. Scorching romance.
Just pick this book up!
Check TWs and CWs
Happy reading 🤍
🌶️ 2 spice 🌶️
“Eyes on me, Ember. They can watch you, but your eyes are mine.”
Thank you to Haus of Fables for this eARC (that I was very late to reading so the book is already out…but good thing for who’s reading this review is that you can read it now!) Like always, here is my honest review!
These girls are girl bossing real hard and I love it.
This was so fun, honestly loved the characters.
I will say it did take me a minute to be able to catch up with the world building but once I was caught up it was all sails ahead.
The storyline was amazing, loved the heist and the characters being brought back together but of course what really stuck out for me was the romance.
Ares and Ember…perfection. The similarities between them, the feeling of loneliness they both experienced, but also being polar opposites. Chefs kiss.
I loved the writing in this. Super easy to read. Amazing characters. Scorching romance.
Just pick this book up!
Check TWs and CWs
Happy reading 🤍
June 3, 2025
4.5 stars
I must admit the first half of the book was a bit slow to get into because of a world building that wasn't too easy to grasp, but my goodness was it worth it!!! ❤️🔥
The story combines mystery, powerful immortal characters, a complex world-building and lots of YEARNING!❤️🔥It is a very atmospheric read in a dark gloomy world and it's giving mafia vibes, but with ghosts and spirits and necromancy. Especially Ares with his tattoos and immaculate suits is giving mob boss with a soft spot just for her and his (found) family and I am HERE for it!! 😍🖤
I really enjoyed the book overall and once I got to about 30%, I basically flew threw the book, because I loved the characters and the way the story was going and THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN EMBER AND ARES!!!!!!! 😩😩😩😩😩
These two stole my heart, they were so good together! 🥰
I must admit the first half of the book was a bit slow to get into because of a world building that wasn't too easy to grasp, but my goodness was it worth it!!! ❤️🔥
The story combines mystery, powerful immortal characters, a complex world-building and lots of YEARNING!❤️🔥It is a very atmospheric read in a dark gloomy world and it's giving mafia vibes, but with ghosts and spirits and necromancy. Especially Ares with his tattoos and immaculate suits is giving mob boss with a soft spot just for her and his (found) family and I am HERE for it!! 😍🖤
I really enjoyed the book overall and once I got to about 30%, I basically flew threw the book, because I loved the characters and the way the story was going and THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN EMBER AND ARES!!!!!!! 😩😩😩😩😩
These two stole my heart, they were so good together! 🥰
November 11, 2024
Oceans 11 meets Gotham City vibes
Urban fantasy
Paranormal romance
Complex female friendships
First in the series of stand alones
Intense world building
Immortal Warrior FMC
Necromancer MMC
Open door spice
An immortal warrior & the necromancer who burned her house down. Five missing swords. Three underworld dynasties at odds with the mundane world. One big heist!
Ember Verona’s immortal life is a mess. Her best friend just got out of prison and, like the rest of their sistren, wants nothing to do with her. The swords that gave the guardians of Orphium their parapsych powers have been missing for hundreds of years.
The swords are up for auction at the National Gallery's annual Gala, and they are determined to get them back to their full powers.
Thank you, haus.of.fables_pr, for this ARC! I can't wait for book 2
* I will say the world building was intense. Took me until 20% to fully grasp the world, plot, and different dynasties.
Urban fantasy
Paranormal romance
Complex female friendships
First in the series of stand alones
Intense world building
Immortal Warrior FMC
Necromancer MMC
Open door spice
An immortal warrior & the necromancer who burned her house down. Five missing swords. Three underworld dynasties at odds with the mundane world. One big heist!
Ember Verona’s immortal life is a mess. Her best friend just got out of prison and, like the rest of their sistren, wants nothing to do with her. The swords that gave the guardians of Orphium their parapsych powers have been missing for hundreds of years.
The swords are up for auction at the National Gallery's annual Gala, and they are determined to get them back to their full powers.
Thank you, haus.of.fables_pr, for this ARC! I can't wait for book 2
* I will say the world building was intense. Took me until 20% to fully grasp the world, plot, and different dynasties.
December 1, 2024
PITCH: Lockwood & Co meets Crescent City
This steamy new world with paranormal and fantastical entities sucked me in. The spice was spicin and I couldn’t get enough. Ares is a sexy MMC. Ember is the member of a feral world protecting Spice Girls. TBH, I cannot wait for book 2’s couple and story. And I want character art of Eli. Stat.
This steamy new world with paranormal and fantastical entities sucked me in. The spice was spicin and I couldn’t get enough. Ares is a sexy MMC. Ember is the member of a feral world protecting Spice Girls. TBH, I cannot wait for book 2’s couple and story. And I want character art of Eli. Stat.
November 14, 2025
Ember, an immortal warrior, who's sisterhood has fractured & one taken from their home after it was burned down. She holds a lot of responsibility between different powerful entities and is drowning in how much it weighs on her. Ares, another immortal, also the one who burned down the house, and a necromancer. They get wrapped up together in solving a mystery, all while denying the attraction they share and allowing each other in to share the burdens they have.
✨ found family
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ paranormal romance
✨ necromancers
✨ dark
✨ mafia / organized crime
Very much giving John Wick which I'm absolutely here for but with necromancers, monsters & spirits LOL. I love it. Allison once again just knows how to write a deep, tangled and complex relationship between 2 characters & I just loved watching this unravel with all of the action happening throughout. Allison KNOWS how to write an unraveled love story, let me tell you. 2 books of this world is just not enough!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
✨ found family
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ paranormal romance
✨ necromancers
✨ dark
✨ mafia / organized crime
Very much giving John Wick which I'm absolutely here for but with necromancers, monsters & spirits LOL. I love it. Allison once again just knows how to write a deep, tangled and complex relationship between 2 characters & I just loved watching this unravel with all of the action happening throughout. Allison KNOWS how to write an unraveled love story, let me tell you. 2 books of this world is just not enough!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
October 5, 2024
I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author for the opportunity.
I’m a huge ACW fan. I loved The Immortal Orders and The Aethereals Duology. And I loved going back to Nuva Troi for the sweet, perfect summer novela, At the White Wolf. So, of course, I was expecting to love The Consulate, too. I expected similar sort of ethereal vibes, deeply complex MCs, amazing supporting characters, and great, lush world building. While The Consulate had a fantastic plot, great character development, and excellent world building — all the things that ACW always delivers on— what I didn’t expect was the gritty, sexy, smoky vibes of this book. It’s somehow Chinatown meets Constantine meets Oceans Eleven vibes — theological noir action heist — with immortal Amazon warrior women, necromancers, humans, and seers in an alt-NYC universe ruled by an inquisition-inspired institution that demands order.
And it seems like it should be too much. But it’s not. It all just WORKS. It works SO WELL. You will be completely hooked.
It’s seamless and interesting, and you want to slip into this world, wielding your own sword in legion with Ember and the Maere — all of whom were complex women with deep personal histories you want to have their own books. You can’t wait for the scenes with Ares, where he’s riding in a sleek black car, jaw locked and frame rigid preparing to expel malevolent spirits, or even chatting with a shade for some hints to solve the book’s mystery — or those yummy moments when he’s gripping Ember to him and whispering how infuriating she is into her hair. And you are nearly giddy with anticipation to see whether all three major factions of characters can set aside their centuries of discord and come together against a formidable foe.
The book moves at a very fast pace. The characters have lived in the same city for centuries and are well aware of one another. When their paths cross, the relationships form rather quickly, as does attraction, which is not instalust so much as realization of desire that was simply not allowed to be given attention due to circumstances out of the main characters’ control.
I absolutely adored the MCs. Everything about each and how they compliment one another. Ares is a deliciously dominant, dark, distant, and controlling necromancer and Ember is defiant and smart-mouthed insanely powerful warrior (called a Maere) and the two are just perfection. For a man of rather few words, he chooses them carefully and wields them masterfully. And Ember, the perpetual leader and wielder of chaos is also a woman who handles everything all the time, and she just craves all of Ares’ cool dominance and ease. ACW just nailed this complementary aspect of the characters.
I cannot wait for the next book. I don’t know what I hope for more, a book dedicated to Rhiannon or Sera. ACW has set us up for both of these Maere to find their MMCs and dig into their pasts to move forward in interesting ways.
Read this book. It’s perfect for a foggy, chilly autumn read. And if it’s your first ACW book, know that you can definitely start here but it will make you want to read everything she’s ever written. (And you should!)
I’m a huge ACW fan. I loved The Immortal Orders and The Aethereals Duology. And I loved going back to Nuva Troi for the sweet, perfect summer novela, At the White Wolf. So, of course, I was expecting to love The Consulate, too. I expected similar sort of ethereal vibes, deeply complex MCs, amazing supporting characters, and great, lush world building. While The Consulate had a fantastic plot, great character development, and excellent world building — all the things that ACW always delivers on— what I didn’t expect was the gritty, sexy, smoky vibes of this book. It’s somehow Chinatown meets Constantine meets Oceans Eleven vibes — theological noir action heist — with immortal Amazon warrior women, necromancers, humans, and seers in an alt-NYC universe ruled by an inquisition-inspired institution that demands order.
And it seems like it should be too much. But it’s not. It all just WORKS. It works SO WELL. You will be completely hooked.
It’s seamless and interesting, and you want to slip into this world, wielding your own sword in legion with Ember and the Maere — all of whom were complex women with deep personal histories you want to have their own books. You can’t wait for the scenes with Ares, where he’s riding in a sleek black car, jaw locked and frame rigid preparing to expel malevolent spirits, or even chatting with a shade for some hints to solve the book’s mystery — or those yummy moments when he’s gripping Ember to him and whispering how infuriating she is into her hair. And you are nearly giddy with anticipation to see whether all three major factions of characters can set aside their centuries of discord and come together against a formidable foe.
The book moves at a very fast pace. The characters have lived in the same city for centuries and are well aware of one another. When their paths cross, the relationships form rather quickly, as does attraction, which is not instalust so much as realization of desire that was simply not allowed to be given attention due to circumstances out of the main characters’ control.
I absolutely adored the MCs. Everything about each and how they compliment one another. Ares is a deliciously dominant, dark, distant, and controlling necromancer and Ember is defiant and smart-mouthed insanely powerful warrior (called a Maere) and the two are just perfection. For a man of rather few words, he chooses them carefully and wields them masterfully. And Ember, the perpetual leader and wielder of chaos is also a woman who handles everything all the time, and she just craves all of Ares’ cool dominance and ease. ACW just nailed this complementary aspect of the characters.
I cannot wait for the next book. I don’t know what I hope for more, a book dedicated to Rhiannon or Sera. ACW has set us up for both of these Maere to find their MMCs and dig into their pasts to move forward in interesting ways.
Read this book. It’s perfect for a foggy, chilly autumn read. And if it’s your first ACW book, know that you can definitely start here but it will make you want to read everything she’s ever written. (And you should!)
October 5, 2024
The Consulate
Author: Allison Carr Waechter
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
You might need to fall right into this one if you like enemies to lovers, found family, John Wick with paranormal mafia vibes, forced proximity, ghosts, necromancers, immortal warriors and chaos of all kinds.
This book was a thrill. I struggle to put into words how this book made me feel. Maybe it was that the characters had a unique way of cracking just the right jokes that literally made me snort out loud. Maybe it was the way the tension and banter between the MMC and FMC slow simmered until it escalated into a crash and burn moment where they couldn’t fight it anymore. Or maybe, just maybe it was the way that there were spirits, poltergeists, necromancers, warriors, heists and immortals all in one round up a well written story.
It moved at a pace that was perfectly poised to have me screaming at my kindle to tell me more, and the by the end I was begging for it not to be over. The Consulate delivers a fresh mafia vibe paranormal romantasy that had me slinking over to Goodreads to check out what else this author had written.
A big thank you to @haus.of.fables_pr #hausoffables_pr for the gifted ARC; these are my honest opinions and statements
Author: Allison Carr Waechter
⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️ Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
You might need to fall right into this one if you like enemies to lovers, found family, John Wick with paranormal mafia vibes, forced proximity, ghosts, necromancers, immortal warriors and chaos of all kinds.
This book was a thrill. I struggle to put into words how this book made me feel. Maybe it was that the characters had a unique way of cracking just the right jokes that literally made me snort out loud. Maybe it was the way the tension and banter between the MMC and FMC slow simmered until it escalated into a crash and burn moment where they couldn’t fight it anymore. Or maybe, just maybe it was the way that there were spirits, poltergeists, necromancers, warriors, heists and immortals all in one round up a well written story.
It moved at a pace that was perfectly poised to have me screaming at my kindle to tell me more, and the by the end I was begging for it not to be over. The Consulate delivers a fresh mafia vibe paranormal romantasy that had me slinking over to Goodreads to check out what else this author had written.
A big thank you to @haus.of.fables_pr #hausoffables_pr for the gifted ARC; these are my honest opinions and statements
October 21, 2024
The Consulate is a romantasy, filled with ghosts, a mysterious underworld and a heaping serving of romance. The World of the Orphium Maere is a series of interconnected standalone paranormal romantasies from Allison Carr Waechter.
𝙻𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎, 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛.
⚔️ Immortal
⚔️ Necromancy
⚔️ Spirits
⚔️ Paranormal Mafia Vibes
⚔️ Found Family
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
Ember Verona is an immortal and has lived a very long life. She has been abandoned by her sistern and her home had been burnt down to the ground. She is lonely and in search of meaning. She is definitely fierce but also nieve as she doesn't question authority.
Ares is also immortal and a necromancer. He is the new leader of the Necroline. All he really wants is redemption especially from Ember after he burnt her home down.
The Consulate definitely gives off John Wick vibes and I am here for it. There were a lot of secrets and mystery. Oh and the heist! I did feel like the writing was clunky at times and that the story line needed to be flushed out more.
Thank you Haus of Fables and Allison for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
𝙻𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎, 𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚛.
⚔️ Immortal
⚔️ Necromancy
⚔️ Spirits
⚔️ Paranormal Mafia Vibes
⚔️ Found Family
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
Ember Verona is an immortal and has lived a very long life. She has been abandoned by her sistern and her home had been burnt down to the ground. She is lonely and in search of meaning. She is definitely fierce but also nieve as she doesn't question authority.
Ares is also immortal and a necromancer. He is the new leader of the Necroline. All he really wants is redemption especially from Ember after he burnt her home down.
The Consulate definitely gives off John Wick vibes and I am here for it. There were a lot of secrets and mystery. Oh and the heist! I did feel like the writing was clunky at times and that the story line needed to be flushed out more.
Thank you Haus of Fables and Allison for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2024
I’ve needed a few days to compose myself after this book! This book was giving! I loved the high fantasy / paranormal romance / mafia type vibes this story produced. I haven’t read anything quite like it for a very long time. The book starts with a glossary and bit of run-down on the world and it does come in handy. I had to reference it a few times 🤣
I LOVED the chemistry between our two main characters and because it’s told in dual POV we get both of their delicious thoughts throughout. And the QUOTES!!! Actually kicking my feet! Here’s a couple of my faves:
“If you can’t breathe deeply on your own, maybe it would help if we shared breath”
“I wanted to play professor and cute co-ed while he wore those glasses… I let myself daydream a filthy little scene for a few moments”
The plot was well paced with lots of action and mystery to keep me entertained. The club scene (IYkYK) will live rent free in my head forever. HOT!
TROPES AND VIBES:
- found family
- hate to love
- cinematic battle scenes
- she’s a 10 but carries a sword so she’s a 15
- organised crime
- so spicy!!
- ghosts
- snarky take no BS FMC
- hot detective-like MMC
4.5⭐️ 3.5🌶️
Thank you for this gifted eARC from Haus of Fables
I LOVED the chemistry between our two main characters and because it’s told in dual POV we get both of their delicious thoughts throughout. And the QUOTES!!! Actually kicking my feet! Here’s a couple of my faves:
“If you can’t breathe deeply on your own, maybe it would help if we shared breath”
“I wanted to play professor and cute co-ed while he wore those glasses… I let myself daydream a filthy little scene for a few moments”
The plot was well paced with lots of action and mystery to keep me entertained. The club scene (IYkYK) will live rent free in my head forever. HOT!
TROPES AND VIBES:
- found family
- hate to love
- cinematic battle scenes
- she’s a 10 but carries a sword so she’s a 15
- organised crime
- so spicy!!
- ghosts
- snarky take no BS FMC
- hot detective-like MMC
4.5⭐️ 3.5🌶️
Thank you for this gifted eARC from Haus of Fables
October 10, 2024
A wonderful urban fantasy read by Allison Carr Waechter. This book was so well written and with amazing witty characters. The world was interesting and believable, I enjoyed that it is an urban fantasy without the urban part of it being too in your face.
The relationships between our characters were well developed and I loved watching them change and grow throughout the story. The banter between our two MCs was so well written and kept the relationship between them interesting. Our side characters were a great addition to the story and all had their own individual personalities without being too overpowering.
The story we follow with these characters is an amazing quest with heist-like components on top of a good dose of enemies to lovers. It is well paced and kept me engaged and wanting more.
Thanks to @haus.of.fables_pr #hausoffables_pr for the gifted ARC; these are my honest opinions and statements
The relationships between our characters were well developed and I loved watching them change and grow throughout the story. The banter between our two MCs was so well written and kept the relationship between them interesting. Our side characters were a great addition to the story and all had their own individual personalities without being too overpowering.
The story we follow with these characters is an amazing quest with heist-like components on top of a good dose of enemies to lovers. It is well paced and kept me engaged and wanting more.
Thanks to @haus.of.fables_pr #hausoffables_pr for the gifted ARC; these are my honest opinions and statements
October 15, 2024
Okay, I’m so happy this book lived up to the hype my brain created 🙂↕️🙂↕️ When I heard an Oceans 8 heist with everyone being a bit gay, to be quite frank it made me lose my freaking mind. We follow the softest (like i’m wrapping Ember up in a blanket and providing so many forehead kisses soft) immortal warrior and the necromancer the city is terrified of as they come together with their found families to build an even BIGGER FOUND FAMILY AND PLAN A HEIST TO STEAL SOME MISSING SWORDS?! The tension between Ares and Ember? hot. The tension between members of the found family old and new? hot. The gritty incredible world building and magic system? HOT! The way every character is actually so hot I want all these women to step on me? HOT!!!!!!!!! The second book is set up so well I’m going to, again, lose my mind and am already salivating for it like this is me 🫠🤤
Thank you so much for allowing me to have an arc, you’ve fueled a very niche obsession
Thank you so much for allowing me to have an arc, you’ve fueled a very niche obsession
October 8, 2024
I really loved this book.The author says it has John Wick x neon goth vibes, it totally does !
The world building is amazing, the story is rich and interesting. The paranormal bit is amazing.Love both the FMC and MMC, their relationship is cute and heartwrenching. They both have heartbreaking backstories, both with one another and individually. Loved the side characters too, especially a certain Stanley 🥰
This is funny, spicy, tense (but not overwhelming) and addictive.
I'll recommend it to everyone who loves interesting characters, urban fantasy/paranormal stories with spicy romance with spirits and hot necromancers .
Thank you Allison Carr Waechter and Haus of Fables for the eARC!
The world building is amazing, the story is rich and interesting. The paranormal bit is amazing.Love both the FMC and MMC, their relationship is cute and heartwrenching. They both have heartbreaking backstories, both with one another and individually. Loved the side characters too, especially a certain Stanley 🥰
This is funny, spicy, tense (but not overwhelming) and addictive.
I'll recommend it to everyone who loves interesting characters, urban fantasy/paranormal stories with spicy romance with spirits and hot necromancers .
Thank you Allison Carr Waechter and Haus of Fables for the eARC!
October 15, 2024
5/5 ⭐️, 3.5/5 🌶
At first, I was a little confused with the world building, but it started making sense as I continued reading. The magic & plot is SO interesting! ✨️ I love the chaos & tension between Ember & Ares, it's perfect! 🥹 Found family is one of my favorite tropes, so I love how pure & genuine the relationships are between each character. 🤍 I can't wait to continue this series with Rhiannon & Eryx! 🤭
Thank you to Allison & Haus of Fables for the ARC! I absolutely loved it!!
At first, I was a little confused with the world building, but it started making sense as I continued reading. The magic & plot is SO interesting! ✨️ I love the chaos & tension between Ember & Ares, it's perfect! 🥹 Found family is one of my favorite tropes, so I love how pure & genuine the relationships are between each character. 🤍 I can't wait to continue this series with Rhiannon & Eryx! 🤭
Thank you to Allison & Haus of Fables for the ARC! I absolutely loved it!!
November 28, 2024
Another amazing book from our girl!The characters are flawed and lovable, the plot is well thought out and executed to near perfection, and the vibes are immaculate.
I could have done with more pining in the romance on both sides! I loved the reference to Pride and Prejudice and I wish that there was more of that between the MCs. Overall it was a great book and I can’t wait for more.
I could have done with more pining in the romance on both sides! I loved the reference to Pride and Prejudice and I wish that there was more of that between the MCs. Overall it was a great book and I can’t wait for more.
October 15, 2024
If you loved Six of Crows and Gideon the Ninth but you were missing the romantic pay off and penetration then this book will be for you.
I dived into this book expecting a gay heist with necromancy or some combination of those three core themes. And although I could have used more gay, I was not disappointed.
It did follow in line with a lot of fantasy books where it takes you the first third to get past dense world building. However this book was also contending with me on my first ever reading slump, so it can’t be fully to blame for how long it took me to read this book.
There is never gonna be a time when I am not 100% balls to the wall invested when there is a tattooed man who is just ready to worship at FMC’s altar. And Ares is the man so I have no complaints in that department.
I did feel like there is some lore re reincarnations that adds a layer to the romantic relationship. I’m not sure if I’m reading into that on a deeper level than intended but for me it added a lot of context to the way that their relationship happens. This isn’t a meet cute they’ve known each other for decades and so at some stages it feels fast or shallow but there is like decades of familiarity that you don’t see on page.
Thank you Haus of Fables for this gifted ARC x
I dived into this book expecting a gay heist with necromancy or some combination of those three core themes. And although I could have used more gay, I was not disappointed.
It did follow in line with a lot of fantasy books where it takes you the first third to get past dense world building. However this book was also contending with me on my first ever reading slump, so it can’t be fully to blame for how long it took me to read this book.
There is never gonna be a time when I am not 100% balls to the wall invested when there is a tattooed man who is just ready to worship at FMC’s altar. And Ares is the man so I have no complaints in that department.
I did feel like there is some lore re reincarnations that adds a layer to the romantic relationship. I’m not sure if I’m reading into that on a deeper level than intended but for me it added a lot of context to the way that their relationship happens. This isn’t a meet cute they’ve known each other for decades and so at some stages it feels fast or shallow but there is like decades of familiarity that you don’t see on page.
Thank you Haus of Fables for this gifted ARC x
September 28, 2024
This. BOOK! I loved the world, the characters, the HEIST!! Stanley the poltergeist is adorable in all his hellish glory and I just absolutely love Ember and Ares’ relationship, it’s messy and real and rich and full! Absolutely one of my top reads for the year!
October 14, 2024
Allison Carr Waetcher delivers a raging good time in The Consulate. When I saw ACW was doing I new book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. And it is worth it. This is spicy, urban fantasy at its finest. This book is everything you come to expect from Allison Carr Waetcher's book -- fun, spicy, seductive, fast-paced with neurodiverse and queer normative worlds, multi-faceted characters, and plots that take you down a dark spiral.
The plot centers on Ember Verona's ability to secure her family's swords after they have been stolen. In order to get them back, she has to partner with the man who burned down her family's house. Allison keeps the plot moving by keeping the reader on their toes with a sinister plot of politics, misdirection, and mystery. It quickly becomes apparent that the only people the characters can trust are each other...and even that is questionable at times given their histories. I loved this world that Allison created and how she kept pulling back the curtain a little more with each chapter and with each new discovery.
I loved the characters from cinnamon roll Ares to take charge Ember. But don't let these two fool you. They will burn the ink right off the pages when they finally admit their feelings. Whew. The supporting characters were fierce and fun. Allison just does an amazing job of writing the found family trope and I loved the connections their characters both had, rediscovered, or built over the course of the book. I cannot wait to see where she takes this all next (fingers crossed that it is going where I think it is).
Definitely had this fast-paced, enemies to lovers, action-packed fantasy to your TBR!
The plot centers on Ember Verona's ability to secure her family's swords after they have been stolen. In order to get them back, she has to partner with the man who burned down her family's house. Allison keeps the plot moving by keeping the reader on their toes with a sinister plot of politics, misdirection, and mystery. It quickly becomes apparent that the only people the characters can trust are each other...and even that is questionable at times given their histories. I loved this world that Allison created and how she kept pulling back the curtain a little more with each chapter and with each new discovery.
I loved the characters from cinnamon roll Ares to take charge Ember. But don't let these two fool you. They will burn the ink right off the pages when they finally admit their feelings. Whew. The supporting characters were fierce and fun. Allison just does an amazing job of writing the found family trope and I loved the connections their characters both had, rediscovered, or built over the course of the book. I cannot wait to see where she takes this all next (fingers crossed that it is going where I think it is).
Definitely had this fast-paced, enemies to lovers, action-packed fantasy to your TBR!
October 15, 2024
This book was.. okay. I felt it was a bit slow and confusing to start off; there are a lot of names, places and characters to wrap your head around. The story picks up a bit, but I feel like it could have been more, if you feel me? The ending has me a bit confused - is there going to be a book 2? Because I feel like there could have been more development and a cliffhanger leading into a bit more depth in the second book. I also wasn't sold on Ember and Ares' relationship. Overall, the ideas were there, but it just missed the mark for me.
July 2, 2025
This was such a fun read! It definitely gives that gritty John Wick vibes plus the cheekiness and incredible display of feminine strength from Ocean’s Eight! It’s also so atmospheric, which I always enjoy.
There’s so much to uncover in this world and gahhh the romance developed so well with all the nuance of immortality involved…so of course, the angst was all there.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 is a sizzling urban romantasy, packed with ghosts, a paranormal mafia underworld, and a heaping side of spice.
𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐁𝐑 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
❤️ Urban Romantasy
💚 Paranormal Mafia World
❤️ Wholly Irritated to Madly In Love
💚 Necromancer MMC
❤️ Immortal Warrior FMC
💚 Forced Proximity
❤️ Spicy Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
💚 A Heist
❤️ Ghost Cats
💚 Tortured Hero
———
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʀᴄ, ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ
There’s so much to uncover in this world and gahhh the romance developed so well with all the nuance of immortality involved…so of course, the angst was all there.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 is a sizzling urban romantasy, packed with ghosts, a paranormal mafia underworld, and a heaping side of spice.
𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐁𝐑 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞:
❤️ Urban Romantasy
💚 Paranormal Mafia World
❤️ Wholly Irritated to Madly In Love
💚 Necromancer MMC
❤️ Immortal Warrior FMC
💚 Forced Proximity
❤️ Spicy Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
💚 A Heist
❤️ Ghost Cats
💚 Tortured Hero
———
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴀʀᴄ, ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ
November 7, 2024
This was one of the coolest and most unique books I've read in a hot minute! It's set in a gritty, dark, paranormal world of warring faction. Ember is an immortal warrior who has been abandoned by her sistren, and Ares is the head of the necromancer faction. The world was really interesting and I loved seeing how the implications of humans and immortals with power played over a cityscape.
I was really refreshed to see the two main leads be two immortals who have been alive for a long time. I feel like I haven't ever read that dynamic before? The way there was pining woven into their shared history, as well as complex emotional baggage from living that long, was so interesting to read about. I also thought the relationship between all of the Orphium Maere was complex and realistic and also kept me invested. I felt like every character really had a very well defined sense of self and just made me feel like these were real people I was reading about. I will definitely be picking up the next book!!
➡️ An utterly unique, dark, and gritty urban paranormal romance with unexpected twists and turns and messy character relationships that will keep you turning the pages!
I was really refreshed to see the two main leads be two immortals who have been alive for a long time. I feel like I haven't ever read that dynamic before? The way there was pining woven into their shared history, as well as complex emotional baggage from living that long, was so interesting to read about. I also thought the relationship between all of the Orphium Maere was complex and realistic and also kept me invested. I felt like every character really had a very well defined sense of self and just made me feel like these were real people I was reading about. I will definitely be picking up the next book!!
➡️ An utterly unique, dark, and gritty urban paranormal romance with unexpected twists and turns and messy character relationships that will keep you turning the pages!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews