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A Kingdom So Crimson
ANASTASIA play-write by Marcelle Maurette meets THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins and THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas in this high-fantasy, action-romance with monsters, magic, and a world beyond the existence of time.
Eliah has never been able to control two things: her life and her furious temper. Abandoned as an infant by her arrogant parents, she was shoved into the care of a haughty Lord who saw her as nothing more than a pawn—a means to secure entry into the King’s Court through a brutal death match.
She has never known a world beyond the estate’s walls. Her existence has been a cycle of relentless training, harsh punishments, and dreams crushed under the weight of her bleak reality—a dream the stars never blessed her with.
Until one day, everything changes. Forced to leave behind the only life she knows, Eliah is thrust into preparations for the death match alongside a new, mysterious mentor who carries a deadly secret—a plan that must stay hidden for the greater good of all existence.
As she dives deeper into her training, she uncovers the dark truths that rot within the kingdom’s corrupt core—monsters lurking in every shadow, dark Magics festering on souls, and a bounty on her head that would tempt even the noblest to kill.
Eliah is no longer just fighting to survive the King’s Match; she must also endure the relentless hunt of the insidious Spellcasters, a sinister order whose thirst for cosmic domination is unquenchable.
Can she navigate the treacherous web of lies and betrayal before her fate is sealed?
Eliah has never been able to control two things: her life and her furious temper. Abandoned as an infant by her arrogant parents, she was shoved into the care of a haughty Lord who saw her as nothing more than a pawn—a means to secure entry into the King’s Court through a brutal death match.
She has never known a world beyond the estate’s walls. Her existence has been a cycle of relentless training, harsh punishments, and dreams crushed under the weight of her bleak reality—a dream the stars never blessed her with.
Until one day, everything changes. Forced to leave behind the only life she knows, Eliah is thrust into preparations for the death match alongside a new, mysterious mentor who carries a deadly secret—a plan that must stay hidden for the greater good of all existence.
As she dives deeper into her training, she uncovers the dark truths that rot within the kingdom’s corrupt core—monsters lurking in every shadow, dark Magics festering on souls, and a bounty on her head that would tempt even the noblest to kill.
Eliah is no longer just fighting to survive the King’s Match; she must also endure the relentless hunt of the insidious Spellcasters, a sinister order whose thirst for cosmic domination is unquenchable.
Can she navigate the treacherous web of lies and betrayal before her fate is sealed?
369 pages, Hardcover
First published December 14, 2024
34 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Emmory Jarman
1 book29 followersDreamer, full-time baking enthusiast, cultural lover, and theatrical soul, Emmory has always been captivated by the power of storytelling. Her one true dream has been to become a published author, weaving tales that transport readers to new worlds and experiences.
Hailing from a quaint town in Utah, best known for its pristine snow-capped mountains and vibrant, colorful springs. She lives with her supportive husband, playful son, and their beloved fur baby.
She enjoys indulging in hot baths, filling her space with fresh, fragrant flowers, savoring the delight of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and is constantly day dreaming.
Whether she’s lost in the pages of a book, experimenting with new baking recipes, or exploring the rich tapestry of cultures and theater, Emmory's life is a testament to her creative and passionate nature. She hopes to share her vibrant imagination and heartfelt stories with the world, inviting others to dream, and to remember that 'happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.'
Follow Emmory on Instagram @authoremmoryjarman for future updates in The Lightbringer Series.
Hailing from a quaint town in Utah, best known for its pristine snow-capped mountains and vibrant, colorful springs. She lives with her supportive husband, playful son, and their beloved fur baby.
She enjoys indulging in hot baths, filling her space with fresh, fragrant flowers, savoring the delight of homemade chocolate chip cookies, and is constantly day dreaming.
Whether she’s lost in the pages of a book, experimenting with new baking recipes, or exploring the rich tapestry of cultures and theater, Emmory's life is a testament to her creative and passionate nature. She hopes to share her vibrant imagination and heartfelt stories with the world, inviting others to dream, and to remember that 'happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.'
Follow Emmory on Instagram @authoremmoryjarman for future updates in The Lightbringer Series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
December 9, 2024
ㅤ ㅤ ✦ . ⁺ . 3.2- 3.4 ☆ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ First of all, I will start by saying that I genuinely want to thank Emmory Jarman for offering me an ARC for this book and that I am really glad I got to discover this before the official release, because I might be slightly hooked on the story right now!!
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ short summary
ㅤ My expectations for this book were reasonable, and I can not say I was disappointed or astonished by what I discovered throughout it. A Kingdom So Crimson narrates the story of Eliah, an orphan who, after being abandoned by her parents, discovers herself as the ward of a powerful and wealthy lord. However, her life was never easy because, from the time she was a youngster, she was only groomed to be one of the best fighters, capable of becoming his ticket into the King's court. Her situation grows much tougher when she is intended to capture the interest of a mighty lord who may chose her to become his fighter in the deathly trials that are The King's match.
ㅤ After being chosen as Levon's representative for the trials, she undertakes further training. However, she was never able to control her rage, and as she discovers how many secrets surround her, her temper becomes increasingly difficult to contain. As her heart softens for the handsome lord, she finds herself in the middle of a very long and ancient battle, one that might put her in completely unknown territory and make the trials even harder for her. And when she finally meets her new stubborn protector, Kaizen, who is willing to provide more answers than the rest, her life might change forever.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I must agree that the start of the book appeared highly promising; unfortunately, somewhere between the start and the end of the book, the plot grew little monotonous and dull. I found myself skimming parts of the lines that were becoming a little too frequent, notably those related to the FMC's temper or continual rage, and the banter that just seemed too misplaced and underdeveloped. It just was not as engaging as I am sure it was supposed to be.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ While I now understand the meaning of the persistent emphasis on the wrath inside the FMC, I could not help but be disturbed by the repeats of these emotions, which seemed a little excessive at times. I believe this might have been done better or conveyed through new actions instead of making the writing in the book feel bit forced and monotonous with the presence of the same structures and ideas every few pages. This is not a badly written novel, but it could have been significantly improved so that the entire plot did not feel repetitious.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The book may have been slightly shorter to prevent the repetitive tone it develops at one point. Surprisingly, the book picks up the speed in the last 15%. The trials become more action-packed, and the conclusion will have you eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.(If you were not a shipper of a specific pair there like me, you will love it!!!). I am confident that if the book had been somewhat shorter, it would have had a far greater impact and kept the reader on the edge of their seat.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Lastly, the romance part was not fully appealing to me. This could be entirely due to my own preferences, but I was unable to comprehend anything described between the two characters. The book did have certain extremely exquisite and lovely speeches, but no matter how hard I tried, I was unable to relate to them. However, given the events at the end of the novel, I remain hopeful.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ I understand this is still the first in a series, so I didn't actually expect a lot in terms of characters and their development. But, unfortunately, I have to say, I couldn't really get attached to any of these characters at all.
ㅤ ✩ Eliah - I genuinely didn't really understand much about her apart from the fact that she is very angry all the time, she cannot control this anger and loves screaming and accusing those around her. I really tried to like her or to find something to appreciate about her, but as an FMC, she was really frustrating for her constant whines and every possible virtue or guality she might have got entirely drowned under the tiring anger.
ㅤ ✩ Levon - This man made me feel so bored at all possible times that I would have literally preferred to go and watch the leaves falling from a tree than read one more thing coming out of his mouth. He ruined even the pretty quotes because of how uninteresting he was. (i am sorry 🥲)
ㅤ ✩ Kaizen - Now this...THIS is what I am actually talking about. Each time this man was making the FMC feel angry, was calling her our, or was provoking her, I was feeling like I was finally coming back tgo life. I owe him more than half of my appreciation for this book and I simply cannot wait to see what comes next in his story.
ㅤ ✩ Calum - I need him to either get a very good redemption arc, or to just simply go and die. That's all.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ I would say that, despite all the tiny things I did not really enjoy while reading this, it definitely sounds like a promising series, but I guess only the release of the next novels will tell. The setting is exciting enough and can provide numerous potential for additional development, and if you are prepared to be patient, I am confident that the book will also be intriguing.
ㅤ I am genuinely willing to continue this series and if the author is also willing to check a bit from the feedback and improve in some aspects, this has the potential to become a very nice series overall. For a debut novel, I would definitely say that this is a decent and adequate book.
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ I am actually so excited for this book, and I am so happy that I received an ARC for it. Praying that this will be the cure to my reading slump 🙏🏻
ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ First of all, I will start by saying that I genuinely want to thank Emmory Jarman for offering me an ARC for this book and that I am really glad I got to discover this before the official release, because I might be slightly hooked on the story right now!!
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ short summary
ㅤ My expectations for this book were reasonable, and I can not say I was disappointed or astonished by what I discovered throughout it. A Kingdom So Crimson narrates the story of Eliah, an orphan who, after being abandoned by her parents, discovers herself as the ward of a powerful and wealthy lord. However, her life was never easy because, from the time she was a youngster, she was only groomed to be one of the best fighters, capable of becoming his ticket into the King's court. Her situation grows much tougher when she is intended to capture the interest of a mighty lord who may chose her to become his fighter in the deathly trials that are The King's match.
ㅤ After being chosen as Levon's representative for the trials, she undertakes further training. However, she was never able to control her rage, and as she discovers how many secrets surround her, her temper becomes increasingly difficult to contain. As her heart softens for the handsome lord, she finds herself in the middle of a very long and ancient battle, one that might put her in completely unknown territory and make the trials even harder for her. And when she finally meets her new stubborn protector, Kaizen, who is willing to provide more answers than the rest, her life might change forever.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I must agree that the start of the book appeared highly promising; unfortunately, somewhere between the start and the end of the book, the plot grew little monotonous and dull. I found myself skimming parts of the lines that were becoming a little too frequent, notably those related to the FMC's temper or continual rage, and the banter that just seemed too misplaced and underdeveloped. It just was not as engaging as I am sure it was supposed to be.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ While I now understand the meaning of the persistent emphasis on the wrath inside the FMC, I could not help but be disturbed by the repeats of these emotions, which seemed a little excessive at times. I believe this might have been done better or conveyed through new actions instead of making the writing in the book feel bit forced and monotonous with the presence of the same structures and ideas every few pages. This is not a badly written novel, but it could have been significantly improved so that the entire plot did not feel repetitious.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The book may have been slightly shorter to prevent the repetitive tone it develops at one point. Surprisingly, the book picks up the speed in the last 15%. The trials become more action-packed, and the conclusion will have you eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ Lastly, the romance part was not fully appealing to me. This could be entirely due to my own preferences, but I was unable to comprehend anything described between the two characters. The book did have certain extremely exquisite and lovely speeches, but no matter how hard I tried, I was unable to relate to them. However, given the events at the end of the novel, I remain hopeful.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ I understand this is still the first in a series, so I didn't actually expect a lot in terms of characters and their development. But, unfortunately, I have to say, I couldn't really get attached to any of these characters at all.
ㅤ ✩ Eliah - I genuinely didn't really understand much about her apart from the fact that she is very angry all the time, she cannot control this anger and loves screaming and accusing those around her. I really tried to like her or to find something to appreciate about her, but as an FMC, she was really frustrating for her constant whines and every possible virtue or guality she might have got entirely drowned under the tiring anger.
ㅤ ✩ Levon - This man made me feel so bored at all possible times that I would have literally preferred to go and watch the leaves falling from a tree than read one more thing coming out of his mouth. He ruined even the pretty quotes because of how uninteresting he was. (i am sorry 🥲)
ㅤ ✩ Kaizen - Now this...THIS is what I am actually talking about. Each time this man was making the FMC feel angry, was calling her our, or was provoking her, I was feeling like I was finally coming back tgo life. I owe him more than half of my appreciation for this book and I simply cannot wait to see what comes next in his story.
ㅤ ✩ Calum - I need him to either get a very good redemption arc, or to just simply go and die. That's all.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ I would say that, despite all the tiny things I did not really enjoy while reading this, it definitely sounds like a promising series, but I guess only the release of the next novels will tell. The setting is exciting enough and can provide numerous potential for additional development, and if you are prepared to be patient, I am confident that the book will also be intriguing.
ㅤ I am genuinely willing to continue this series and if the author is also willing to check a bit from the feedback and improve in some aspects, this has the potential to become a very nice series overall. For a debut novel, I would definitely say that this is a decent and adequate book.
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ I am actually so excited for this book, and I am so happy that I received an ARC for it. Praying that this will be the cure to my reading slump 🙏🏻
January 2, 2025
2 stars. I am genuinely so sad that I didn't like this book. My goal with this review is to as objectively as I can explain my thoughts.
Eliah our main character was marketed to be a feisty fmc. I generally enjoy feisty characters. I've been called feisty before and considered it a compliment. I found Eliah to just have anger issues. She is almost constantly angry and even thought she does seem to grow in controlling her anger through the story it didn't feel like she did because the author used very similar phrases to explain her rage every time. But then she isn't even a strong character, it takes two men to control her anger. This isn't a direct quote but she tells the love interest at one point: "I'm so naive, maybe I shouldn't have been taken away from the place where I was being controlled by my evil guardian." (I paraphrased that but you get the point)
All of the male characters felt very similar. You can literally describe all of them as hot, morally grey, and mysterious. like genuinely that felt like their entire personality. None of the main male character in this story felt like real people. I don't like guy characters that force kiss the main character or who constantly describe how attractive she is. Or when they buy her dresses....(it just gets weird when you know the girl looks *really* good in the dress when they are the one that picked it out.)
All of the romance felt really out of place to me. I didn't understand why the guys liked Eliah. The love profession scene felt soooo out of place. Levon is was just so bland that he ruined all of the romantic quotes and nicknames. Like I was rolling my eyes because the quotes felt so random. And it felt like Eliah only started to like him because she liked that he liked her. the only way I can describe it is the romance felt puppet like not realistic.
A lot of the plot felt like a strong girl trying to break free from the patriarchy..which ugh I don't wanna read about that.
I was also really disappointed that the King's Match didn't begin until 85%. If you're going to use the Hunger Games as a comp please make the game a bigger part of the story
I received a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Eliah our main character was marketed to be a feisty fmc. I generally enjoy feisty characters. I've been called feisty before and considered it a compliment. I found Eliah to just have anger issues. She is almost constantly angry and even thought she does seem to grow in controlling her anger through the story it didn't feel like she did because the author used very similar phrases to explain her rage every time. But then she isn't even a strong character, it takes two men to control her anger. This isn't a direct quote but she tells the love interest at one point: "I'm so naive, maybe I shouldn't have been taken away from the place where I was being controlled by my evil guardian." (I paraphrased that but you get the point)
All of the male characters felt very similar. You can literally describe all of them as hot, morally grey, and mysterious. like genuinely that felt like their entire personality. None of the main male character in this story felt like real people. I don't like guy characters that force kiss the main character or who constantly describe how attractive she is. Or when they buy her dresses....(it just gets weird when you know the girl looks *really* good in the dress when they are the one that picked it out.)
All of the romance felt really out of place to me. I didn't understand why the guys liked Eliah. The love profession scene felt soooo out of place. Levon is was just so bland that he ruined all of the romantic quotes and nicknames. Like I was rolling my eyes because the quotes felt so random. And it felt like Eliah only started to like him because she liked that he liked her. the only way I can describe it is the romance felt puppet like not realistic.
A lot of the plot felt like a strong girl trying to break free from the patriarchy..which ugh I don't wanna read about that.
I was also really disappointed that the King's Match didn't begin until 85%. If you're going to use the Hunger Games as a comp please make the game a bigger part of the story
I received a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2025
A kingdom so Crimsom
-you get right into the story giving Katniss Everdeen in a tree vibes which puts you right in the Knick of the story
-this woman is a BADASS i like her
-Calum just has a special spot in my heart and I barely know him
-Levon has a rugged and mysterious vibe that makes me intrigued and wanting to know his motive
-the concept of the king’s match, spellcasters is so cool
-this adventure and story was truly a wild ride wowww
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
-you get right into the story giving Katniss Everdeen in a tree vibes which puts you right in the Knick of the story
-this woman is a BADASS i like her
-Calum just has a special spot in my heart and I barely know him
-Levon has a rugged and mysterious vibe that makes me intrigued and wanting to know his motive
-the concept of the king’s match, spellcasters is so cool
-this adventure and story was truly a wild ride wowww
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
December 2, 2024
I was so excited to be selected as an ARC reader of this book. It’s well-written with twists and turns and characters that I both loved and hated. There is tons of action and it’s described so well that I felt like I was actually in the story watching it happen! I can’t wait for the next part of Eliah’s story.
November 22, 2024
❤️🔥 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 ❤️🔥
𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒐 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🗡️𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢
🗡️𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗, 𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎
🗡️𝙵𝚒𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚢 𝙵𝙼𝙲
🗡️𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐
🗡️𝙼𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜
Let me start by saying that Emmory has a true talent for world building. Her writing style is highly descriptive and leaves you with such vivid imagery of the world she is creating. If you love high fantasy with a dark vibe, this book will absolutely be for you.
I absolutely adore the FMC, Eliah. The basic premise of her story is that she was orphaned as a child, was sent off to be a ward of a haughty Lord and is now being trained to fight in a death match that she has little knowledge about. Although she has a traumatic past, she has not let it break her and she continues to fight to seek answers. She is fierce, feisty and a force to be reckoned with.
We also meet 3 MMCs - Calum (the childhood bestie), Levon (her trainer), and Kaizen (her protector). Because of Emmory’s descriptive writing style, you gain a true appreciation of Eliah’s connection with all of these MMC’s. Although it is spice free, it is not short of chemistry. I may have my eyes on Kaizen for the book boyfriend club 👀🔥
The only reason I dropped a half star was because it felt a little slow in some parts. That being said, it definitely was not lacking in action and I do totally appreciate the amount of necessary world building that has gone into this book. I absolutely feel it in my bones that this will be a 5 star series overall, and quite possibly in with my Roman Empire books. I will absolutely be picking up a physical copy and am already reeling for book 2. The last portion of the book was absolutely insane! 🤯
Thank you so much @authoremmoryjarman for choosing me to be an e-arc reader! I can’t wait to see where your writing takes us next. Wishing you all of the success for your release because wow, what a debut ♥️
If you are interested in AKSC, check out Emmory’s page for more details! AKSC is set to be released on 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒐 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
🗡️𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚢
🗡️𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗, 𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎
🗡️𝙵𝚒𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚢 𝙵𝙼𝙲
🗡️𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐
🗡️𝙼𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜
Let me start by saying that Emmory has a true talent for world building. Her writing style is highly descriptive and leaves you with such vivid imagery of the world she is creating. If you love high fantasy with a dark vibe, this book will absolutely be for you.
I absolutely adore the FMC, Eliah. The basic premise of her story is that she was orphaned as a child, was sent off to be a ward of a haughty Lord and is now being trained to fight in a death match that she has little knowledge about. Although she has a traumatic past, she has not let it break her and she continues to fight to seek answers. She is fierce, feisty and a force to be reckoned with.
We also meet 3 MMCs - Calum (the childhood bestie), Levon (her trainer), and Kaizen (her protector). Because of Emmory’s descriptive writing style, you gain a true appreciation of Eliah’s connection with all of these MMC’s. Although it is spice free, it is not short of chemistry. I may have my eyes on Kaizen for the book boyfriend club 👀🔥
The only reason I dropped a half star was because it felt a little slow in some parts. That being said, it definitely was not lacking in action and I do totally appreciate the amount of necessary world building that has gone into this book. I absolutely feel it in my bones that this will be a 5 star series overall, and quite possibly in with my Roman Empire books. I will absolutely be picking up a physical copy and am already reeling for book 2. The last portion of the book was absolutely insane! 🤯
Thank you so much @authoremmoryjarman for choosing me to be an e-arc reader! I can’t wait to see where your writing takes us next. Wishing you all of the success for your release because wow, what a debut ♥️
If you are interested in AKSC, check out Emmory’s page for more details! AKSC is set to be released on 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
December 14, 2024
This is a dark fantasy world filled with secrets and intrigue. Eliah has endured so much, abandoned by her parents she has known only misery under the care of Lord Jesri, but still she is pushed further into danger and darkness with secrets kept from her by everyone in her life.
This has descriptive worldbuilding and curious magic. There are dark monsters, hidden powers, and a secretive death match tournament that Eliah is being forced to participate in.
Her new mentors only give her cryptic riddles in response to her questions about what she will face, and it only fuels her volatile rage further.
She has always struggled with her anger but now she senses something more in the darkness of her mind, an eerie shadow that calls for her.
The characters all draw you in with their mystery and secrets, and you never know who to trust. She has conflicted feelings for her saviours and her childhood friend, so it keeps you guessing with the potential romance too.
It's filled with action, chemistry, evolving magic and danger, and is the start of an intriguing epic series.
✨ It seems there's a wolf hidden behind this lady's enchanting exterior"
✨"I couldn't shake the eerie sense that I was no longer alone in my own mind, and the fear of the unknown gripped me tightly, making it hard to breathe"
✨"I had to play their game if I wanted to uncover the secrets veiled from me"
✨"Be the source of light in this darkening world, and know that you are a beacon for goodness. Don't succumb to the darkness"
This has descriptive worldbuilding and curious magic. There are dark monsters, hidden powers, and a secretive death match tournament that Eliah is being forced to participate in.
Her new mentors only give her cryptic riddles in response to her questions about what she will face, and it only fuels her volatile rage further.
She has always struggled with her anger but now she senses something more in the darkness of her mind, an eerie shadow that calls for her.
The characters all draw you in with their mystery and secrets, and you never know who to trust. She has conflicted feelings for her saviours and her childhood friend, so it keeps you guessing with the potential romance too.
It's filled with action, chemistry, evolving magic and danger, and is the start of an intriguing epic series.
✨ It seems there's a wolf hidden behind this lady's enchanting exterior"
✨"I couldn't shake the eerie sense that I was no longer alone in my own mind, and the fear of the unknown gripped me tightly, making it hard to breathe"
✨"I had to play their game if I wanted to uncover the secrets veiled from me"
✨"Be the source of light in this darkening world, and know that you are a beacon for goodness. Don't succumb to the darkness"
November 18, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of A Kingdom So Crimson - thank you!
A Kingdom so Crimson follows Eliah, who was abandoned by her parents and shoved into to the care of Lord Jesri Archenon, who sees her as nothing but a pawn for his whims. Eliah has never known a world beyond Jesri’s estate, and her life has been an existence of relentless training and incredibly harsh punishments. Until everything changes. Eliah is thrust into preparations of a death match, shrouded in mystery.
Firstly, this is a great start to a series. I found the world-builing easy to understand and follow and I enjoyed getting tidbits of information about the world and about the situation Eliah finds herself in at the same time as her - it made me feel immersed in the story.
The descriptions in this book—from the parties to the action at the death match—are incredibly immersive and really pull you into the story. As a reader, you feel like you’re experiencing the story alongside the characters.
The characters are captivating too - and have a realistic element to them. It makes you love them, hate them, question their actions and root for them. Kaizen is my favourite character so far in the series, and I’m intrigued to read more about him as the series continues. I also enjoyed Eliah’s development throughout the story - and I loved seeing a different (and perhaps, unexpected) side to her during the death match.
A Kingdom so Crimson is filled with action (expected and completely unexpected), plot twists, secrets, heartbreak, betrayal and horrifying monsters (truly, the monsters in this are something else). I was engrossed in the story throughout my time reading it. It’s a great start to a series, and it leaves you wanting more and anticipating book two.
I’d recommend this for those who enjoyed Throne of Glass, the Hunger Games and The War of Lost Hearts series (and books similar to this!)
A Kingdom so Crimson follows Eliah, who was abandoned by her parents and shoved into to the care of Lord Jesri Archenon, who sees her as nothing but a pawn for his whims. Eliah has never known a world beyond Jesri’s estate, and her life has been an existence of relentless training and incredibly harsh punishments. Until everything changes. Eliah is thrust into preparations of a death match, shrouded in mystery.
Firstly, this is a great start to a series. I found the world-builing easy to understand and follow and I enjoyed getting tidbits of information about the world and about the situation Eliah finds herself in at the same time as her - it made me feel immersed in the story.
The descriptions in this book—from the parties to the action at the death match—are incredibly immersive and really pull you into the story. As a reader, you feel like you’re experiencing the story alongside the characters.
The characters are captivating too - and have a realistic element to them. It makes you love them, hate them, question their actions and root for them. Kaizen is my favourite character so far in the series, and I’m intrigued to read more about him as the series continues. I also enjoyed Eliah’s development throughout the story - and I loved seeing a different (and perhaps, unexpected) side to her during the death match.
A Kingdom so Crimson is filled with action (expected and completely unexpected), plot twists, secrets, heartbreak, betrayal and horrifying monsters (truly, the monsters in this are something else). I was engrossed in the story throughout my time reading it. It’s a great start to a series, and it leaves you wanting more and anticipating book two.
I’d recommend this for those who enjoyed Throne of Glass, the Hunger Games and The War of Lost Hearts series (and books similar to this!)
January 3, 2025
Tropes:
Hidden identity
Slow burn
Magic
Monsters
A Kingdom So Crimson is like if The Hunger Games and Anastasia had a baby. FMC Eliah was left on a Strangers door step as an infant. The man who took her in, decides she's worth more to him if he can marry her off or train her to be excelled in fighting- he's all about getting into the King's Court.
Eliah is miserable and she definitely has some feminist rage meets abandonment issues. She just wants to be free to live life as she wants. But.... enters Levon and Kaizen. Levon agrees to take Eliah to train her to compete in the King’s Match and Kaizen is going to help. What unfolds is secrets, monsters, a death match, and all the feelings.
While most of the book was preparing Eliah, the last 10 chapters had me up till 2am reading. I couldn't put it down. The action in these chapters was well written and exciting!
So there's 3 men in this story. 1 is Callum, he's the nephew of the man raising her. And the other 2 are Levon and Kaizen. I won't spoil anything but I was rooting for one in particular and I hope, fingers crossed, we get something from him and Eliah in book 2! I just love a moody character lol.
Hidden identity
Slow burn
Magic
Monsters
A Kingdom So Crimson is like if The Hunger Games and Anastasia had a baby. FMC Eliah was left on a Strangers door step as an infant. The man who took her in, decides she's worth more to him if he can marry her off or train her to be excelled in fighting- he's all about getting into the King's Court.
Eliah is miserable and she definitely has some feminist rage meets abandonment issues. She just wants to be free to live life as she wants. But.... enters Levon and Kaizen. Levon agrees to take Eliah to train her to compete in the King’s Match and Kaizen is going to help. What unfolds is secrets, monsters, a death match, and all the feelings.
While most of the book was preparing Eliah, the last 10 chapters had me up till 2am reading. I couldn't put it down. The action in these chapters was well written and exciting!
So there's 3 men in this story. 1 is Callum, he's the nephew of the man raising her. And the other 2 are Levon and Kaizen. I won't spoil anything but I was rooting for one in particular and I hope, fingers crossed, we get something from him and Eliah in book 2! I just love a moody character lol.
December 21, 2024
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒐 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 - 𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏
★★★★* / 5
Thank you SO SO much for sending me the ARC to this book!! I remember seeing the blurb to this book and immediately said YES to it because of how interesting it sounded!! Now I am very desperate for the second book please and thank you 🤭💞
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Eliah, an orphan, was shoved into the hands of a haughty Lord who saw her as nothing more than a pawn - a way to secure entry into the King's Court through the brutal battles of the King's Match. She has always been within the borders of the estate, training like her life depends on it day and night.
Her nightmare life soon ends when one day, a mysterious trainer shows up at her doorstep and decides to take her under his wing to train for the King's Match. Eliah now has to face the battles between winning the Match to keep her life, or to fight the wrath she can never control inside of her. Will she make it out alive, and is everyone around her as trustworthy as she thinks?
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: absolutely loved it!! the storyline was super appealing to me and i enjoyed the book very very much!! tho I do have to admit, it took me a while to get into it during part one because it was very slow in the middle, but once it got to part two??? everything was speeding up, all the action was there, it was amazing. it took quite a while to get to the match, and even then, it was only about 5 chapters long. i grew a bit attached to one of the contestants and let me tell you, the shock was there. (i ain't spoiling for y'all)
𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘩 is our main FMC, and her character was very much developed through the whole book. She started off being very short tempered and is seen as a person who cannot control her wrath. As the story progresses, she did gain somewhat control of it, tho it still bothered her (and me) a lot. She went from a savage orphan who hates her guardian, to a girl who softens up for her trainer. Though she is still TOO trustworthy of some characters (iykyk) i would say. But the ending??? Hello that was just the beginning of Eliah's story!!!
𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮 is Eliah's friend, also known as her guardian's kin. He has golden hair, and if you know what (some) blonde characters are like in the bookish world??? good luck. he either needs to have an outstanding redemption arc or he can be unalived thank you <3
𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘯 is the mysterious trainer that takes Eliah away from her nightmare life of living with her guardian. He trains her (somewhat) to control her wrath and cares for her deeply. I'm just gonna stop there because if yall read the book???? the ending??? 👋👋
𝘒𝘢𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯 is the ruthless protector that would do anything to protect Eliah, the reason? READ THE DAMN BOOK🗣🗣 but I didn't really like him until the very end, I wasn't really much attached to him but who knows what will happen in the next few books🤭🤭
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱? yes but no. Yes because it is an amazing debut book and i loved it so much!! (took me a while to finish because school😡) but no because the ending will make you want to read the second book and guess what??? the first book (aka this one) JUST got released, so you're gonna have to wait quite a while for the next one💔
thank you again to Emmory for gifting me this ARC and allowing me to be on your ARC team <333
𝑨 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝑺𝒐 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒐𝒏 - 𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑱𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏
★★★★* / 5
Thank you SO SO much for sending me the ARC to this book!! I remember seeing the blurb to this book and immediately said YES to it because of how interesting it sounded!! Now I am very desperate for the second book please and thank you 🤭💞
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: Eliah, an orphan, was shoved into the hands of a haughty Lord who saw her as nothing more than a pawn - a way to secure entry into the King's Court through the brutal battles of the King's Match. She has always been within the borders of the estate, training like her life depends on it day and night.
Her nightmare life soon ends when one day, a mysterious trainer shows up at her doorstep and decides to take her under his wing to train for the King's Match. Eliah now has to face the battles between winning the Match to keep her life, or to fight the wrath she can never control inside of her. Will she make it out alive, and is everyone around her as trustworthy as she thinks?
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: absolutely loved it!! the storyline was super appealing to me and i enjoyed the book very very much!! tho I do have to admit, it took me a while to get into it during part one because it was very slow in the middle, but once it got to part two??? everything was speeding up, all the action was there, it was amazing. it took quite a while to get to the match, and even then, it was only about 5 chapters long. i grew a bit attached to one of the contestants and let me tell you, the shock was there. (i ain't spoiling for y'all)
𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘩 is our main FMC, and her character was very much developed through the whole book. She started off being very short tempered and is seen as a person who cannot control her wrath. As the story progresses, she did gain somewhat control of it, tho it still bothered her (and me) a lot. She went from a savage orphan who hates her guardian, to a girl who softens up for her trainer. Though she is still TOO trustworthy of some characters (iykyk) i would say. But the ending??? Hello that was just the beginning of Eliah's story!!!
𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘮 is Eliah's friend, also known as her guardian's kin. He has golden hair, and if you know what (some) blonde characters are like in the bookish world??? good luck. he either needs to have an outstanding redemption arc or he can be unalived thank you <3
𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘯 is the mysterious trainer that takes Eliah away from her nightmare life of living with her guardian. He trains her (somewhat) to control her wrath and cares for her deeply. I'm just gonna stop there because if yall read the book???? the ending??? 👋👋
𝘒𝘢𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯 is the ruthless protector that would do anything to protect Eliah, the reason? READ THE DAMN BOOK🗣🗣 but I didn't really like him until the very end, I wasn't really much attached to him but who knows what will happen in the next few books🤭🤭
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
𝗱𝗼 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱? yes but no. Yes because it is an amazing debut book and i loved it so much!! (took me a while to finish because school😡) but no because the ending will make you want to read the second book and guess what??? the first book (aka this one) JUST got released, so you're gonna have to wait quite a while for the next one💔
thank you again to Emmory for gifting me this ARC and allowing me to be on your ARC team <333
November 22, 2024
After taking the night to think on it! …
This story follows a young orphan as she trains to enter into a tournament that she was raised to enter!
Listen this story was so fast paced I couldn’t put it down! There are so many elements to this story I was always waiting to see what was going to happen next! Kaisen is my favorite and I will protect him with my life! I hope we get to learn more about him in the coming books!
There are tons of twists and turns and betrayals that will keep you guessing up until the very last page! I had a suspicion about the ending but wasn’t totally right but I also wasn’t totally wrong? I can’t wait to see where this story goes in the next one!
It gave throne of glass mixed with the hunger games vibes the whole time! The magic system is refreshing and interesting too!
If you love books with no spice, high stakes competition, magic, and monsters, then this book is for you!
This story follows a young orphan as she trains to enter into a tournament that she was raised to enter!
Listen this story was so fast paced I couldn’t put it down! There are so many elements to this story I was always waiting to see what was going to happen next! Kaisen is my favorite and I will protect him with my life! I hope we get to learn more about him in the coming books!
There are tons of twists and turns and betrayals that will keep you guessing up until the very last page! I had a suspicion about the ending but wasn’t totally right but I also wasn’t totally wrong? I can’t wait to see where this story goes in the next one!
It gave throne of glass mixed with the hunger games vibes the whole time! The magic system is refreshing and interesting too!
If you love books with no spice, high stakes competition, magic, and monsters, then this book is for you!
October 28, 2024
This book is so freaking good! I got to read it as a beta reader and it had me feeling all the feels while also yelling at my book and also having to stand up to read because my anxiety and worry for characters had me not able to relax and read. I love the characters and how each person is more than just a side character but has their own story and importance to how this plot goes. The emotional aspect is great and the ability to suck you in and make you feel all kinds of emotions is to tier. I can say more other than I need book two and you ALL NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!! That’s all. 🫶
December 19, 2024
A Kingdom so Crimson by Emmory Jarman is one I’ve been excited for since I first heard about it as an upcoming release and I was honoured with the opportunity to read it as an ARC.
If you want a book filled with a unique magic system, monsters and high stakes competitions with a badass FMC then go pick this book up already!
I couldn’t put it down once I started reading, it was so fast paced and action packed it leaves you needing to read on.
Readers who love spice, this will probably be too tame for you as there is none, I am someone who does not need spice in books however so this did not phase me.
You have to give credit to the author as this is a debut novel and is honestly incredible and makes a great introduction to Romantasy. The author seems to have a talent for world building as the words painted such a vivid picture in my mind that I felt as though I was there.
The perfect blend of Anastasia, The Hunger Games and Throne of Glass.
Thank you so much to the author @authoremmoryjarman for the honour of being able to read this ARC before its release.
I want to apologise for the late review, I intended to post prior to the release date on the 14th, however, life had gotten in the way and I was unwell so it took me some time to get to reading it.
If you want a book filled with a unique magic system, monsters and high stakes competitions with a badass FMC then go pick this book up already!
I couldn’t put it down once I started reading, it was so fast paced and action packed it leaves you needing to read on.
Readers who love spice, this will probably be too tame for you as there is none, I am someone who does not need spice in books however so this did not phase me.
You have to give credit to the author as this is a debut novel and is honestly incredible and makes a great introduction to Romantasy. The author seems to have a talent for world building as the words painted such a vivid picture in my mind that I felt as though I was there.
The perfect blend of Anastasia, The Hunger Games and Throne of Glass.
Thank you so much to the author @authoremmoryjarman for the honour of being able to read this ARC before its release.
I want to apologise for the late review, I intended to post prior to the release date on the 14th, however, life had gotten in the way and I was unwell so it took me some time to get to reading it.
December 12, 2024
Words can not describe how utterly fantastic this book is. But I will try.
A Kingdom So Crimson is a beautifully written tale steeped in mystery, secrets and a health dose of slow burn romance that will take your breath away.
The world-building is on point and the characters are top-notch (my favorite being Kaizen). Eliah, our FMC, goes from being slightly annoying in the beginning to a total badass by the end and her journey is raw and emotional. I was completely invested in finding out what all the secrets and lies were about and oh man did it pay off. (No spoilers)
The King's Match that issues is so action-packed and unbelievably emotional (yes there were tears in my eyes at parts) is really where it shines. With the contestants fighting for their lives I thought this was an awesome way to end the book and the anticipation for the next is REAL. I can't wait to see what will happen next for Eliah!
If you enjoy The Hunger Games, The Witcher series, or Throne of Glass with a romantic feeling of Bridgerton I highly recommend checking out this book!
Thank you so much Emmory for the opportunity to read the ARC!
A Kingdom So Crimson is a beautifully written tale steeped in mystery, secrets and a health dose of slow burn romance that will take your breath away.
The world-building is on point and the characters are top-notch (my favorite being Kaizen). Eliah, our FMC, goes from being slightly annoying in the beginning to a total badass by the end and her journey is raw and emotional. I was completely invested in finding out what all the secrets and lies were about and oh man did it pay off. (No spoilers)
The King's Match that issues is so action-packed and unbelievably emotional (yes there were tears in my eyes at parts) is really where it shines. With the contestants fighting for their lives I thought this was an awesome way to end the book and the anticipation for the next is REAL. I can't wait to see what will happen next for Eliah!
If you enjoy The Hunger Games, The Witcher series, or Throne of Glass with a romantic feeling of Bridgerton I highly recommend checking out this book!
Thank you so much Emmory for the opportunity to read the ARC!
December 20, 2024
Tropes:
-fantasy romance
-slow burn
-trials
-strong FMC
-enemies to lovers
-monsters
-hidden magic
-morally grey MCs
Eliah is a strong and feisty FMC. She was abandoned as a baby and taken in by a cruel Lord, who uses her for his benefit. He vigorously trains her to fight and feeds her very little to keep her alive. She is resilient and keeps her head held high.
There are three MMCs, all unique in their looks and personalities. Calum is her childhood best friend. Their current relationship is complicated, though. Levon is her trainer. He is kind and loyal to her, but I don’t feel any sparks between the two. Kaizen is her protector. Now, he is the one who gave me all the feelings. Their chemistry was off the charts.
The world-building and magic systems are incredible, and Emmory does an astonishing job articulating this. The characters are all well-established and intriguing. I loved them all. The main focus is the King’s trial, and that part of the story did not disappoint. I loved it. It was my favorite part of the story. This book is full of twists and turns I did not see coming.
My only complaint is that the writing was a little wordy. Sometimes, things were overly descriptive and repetitive. This is her debut novel, so I don’t hold that against it—the plot and world-building more than outperformed it. I only mention this so anyone who chooses to read is prepared for that.
I highly recommend this book. It was one of the most memorable fantasy books I have read this year. I can’t wait to read the next one. This was so good!
Quotes:
Be the source of light in this darkening world, and know that you are a beacon for goodness. Don't succumb to the darkness. You fight— let your anger guide you rather than try to suppress it. Embrace this unrelenting side to you and let it ignite your spirit. When you do, it will free you."
-fantasy romance
-slow burn
-trials
-strong FMC
-enemies to lovers
-monsters
-hidden magic
-morally grey MCs
Eliah is a strong and feisty FMC. She was abandoned as a baby and taken in by a cruel Lord, who uses her for his benefit. He vigorously trains her to fight and feeds her very little to keep her alive. She is resilient and keeps her head held high.
There are three MMCs, all unique in their looks and personalities. Calum is her childhood best friend. Their current relationship is complicated, though. Levon is her trainer. He is kind and loyal to her, but I don’t feel any sparks between the two. Kaizen is her protector. Now, he is the one who gave me all the feelings. Their chemistry was off the charts.
The world-building and magic systems are incredible, and Emmory does an astonishing job articulating this. The characters are all well-established and intriguing. I loved them all. The main focus is the King’s trial, and that part of the story did not disappoint. I loved it. It was my favorite part of the story. This book is full of twists and turns I did not see coming.
My only complaint is that the writing was a little wordy. Sometimes, things were overly descriptive and repetitive. This is her debut novel, so I don’t hold that against it—the plot and world-building more than outperformed it. I only mention this so anyone who chooses to read is prepared for that.
I highly recommend this book. It was one of the most memorable fantasy books I have read this year. I can’t wait to read the next one. This was so good!
Quotes:
Be the source of light in this darkening world, and know that you are a beacon for goodness. Don't succumb to the darkness. You fight— let your anger guide you rather than try to suppress it. Embrace this unrelenting side to you and let it ignite your spirit. When you do, it will free you."
December 29, 2024
Eliah was found by her adopted “father”(if you can call him that) when she was an infant. An orphan with nothing to her name. He raised her and has been grueling training her all her life thinking he wants to send her off to a mentor to train her that would gain him favor.
Until, a guest comes and tells her she’s being trained for the King’s Match, a tournament. And he’s going to take her to live with him and train her.
This book gave me very mixed emotions. It started out wonderfully. It’s very intriguing from the start. You wonder how this story will play out and I was enjoying it until Eliah got out of a bad situation and into a better one that she didn’t appreciate. It had exciting moments and some twists. It definitely has the drama and some political intrigue.
I definitely enjoyed the start. The characters were okay. I actually think Calum was the most interesting character because he was so suspicious the entire time, and acted so oddly at random times, he just kept you on your toes wondering whether he truly had Eliah’s best interests at heart or not. Everyone else was either subpar, or boring.
The world itself seemed interesting and I liked the idea of it being Anastasia meets The Hunger Games, made for an interesting sounding premise.
I also liked Eliah at first until she just made her good situation just seem bad. She was never happy and had a terrible temper that she acknowledged and knew she had to control, but chose not to. Her mentors even told her how to control her emotions, but she wouldn’t listen. Even when she found out more about why her emotions might be out of control, she still allowed them to be out of control. For me she was unbearable and unlikable. Her anger was exhausting and as a result, there was a lot of repetitive moments and sentences in this book that seemed to focus so much on her temper that could have been taken out and made into a shorter and possibly more enjoyable story. As you can tell, I was frustrated.
The other characters were okay. Again, Calum was the most interesting for me. Levon was rather dull and boring and Kaizen to me was to be expected. He’s that brooding dark horse that we all love, but he didn’t bring anything new to the type of character he is.
The romance did not do it for me. There was no connection there and I’m assuming the romance is going a certain way, but I also don’t feel a connection in that direction either.
To be honest, I think Eliah is why I had to knock off stars because I did not relate or understand her in some way or at some level. Her attitude made no sense to me. I’m unsure if I’m going to continue the story. It just didn’t draw me enough in and I just had a hard time accepting or liking Eliah. It will definitely depend on my mood to be sure.
Now, I may not have connected to this story, but I’m sure others will love it.
Thank you to the author for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Until, a guest comes and tells her she’s being trained for the King’s Match, a tournament. And he’s going to take her to live with him and train her.
This book gave me very mixed emotions. It started out wonderfully. It’s very intriguing from the start. You wonder how this story will play out and I was enjoying it until Eliah got out of a bad situation and into a better one that she didn’t appreciate. It had exciting moments and some twists. It definitely has the drama and some political intrigue.
I definitely enjoyed the start. The characters were okay. I actually think Calum was the most interesting character because he was so suspicious the entire time, and acted so oddly at random times, he just kept you on your toes wondering whether he truly had Eliah’s best interests at heart or not. Everyone else was either subpar, or boring.
The world itself seemed interesting and I liked the idea of it being Anastasia meets The Hunger Games, made for an interesting sounding premise.
I also liked Eliah at first until she just made her good situation just seem bad. She was never happy and had a terrible temper that she acknowledged and knew she had to control, but chose not to. Her mentors even told her how to control her emotions, but she wouldn’t listen. Even when she found out more about why her emotions might be out of control, she still allowed them to be out of control. For me she was unbearable and unlikable. Her anger was exhausting and as a result, there was a lot of repetitive moments and sentences in this book that seemed to focus so much on her temper that could have been taken out and made into a shorter and possibly more enjoyable story. As you can tell, I was frustrated.
The other characters were okay. Again, Calum was the most interesting for me. Levon was rather dull and boring and Kaizen to me was to be expected. He’s that brooding dark horse that we all love, but he didn’t bring anything new to the type of character he is.
The romance did not do it for me. There was no connection there and I’m assuming the romance is going a certain way, but I also don’t feel a connection in that direction either.
To be honest, I think Eliah is why I had to knock off stars because I did not relate or understand her in some way or at some level. Her attitude made no sense to me. I’m unsure if I’m going to continue the story. It just didn’t draw me enough in and I just had a hard time accepting or liking Eliah. It will definitely depend on my mood to be sure.
Now, I may not have connected to this story, but I’m sure others will love it.
Thank you to the author for the gifted e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
December 17, 2024
❤️🔥ARC Review❤️🔥
I finished this book yesterday and I cannot stop thinking of it, I am still in utter shock at what happened🙊
If you love fantasy, female rage, a world brimming with secrets & monsters, enemies-to-lovers slow burn romance, A Kingdom so Crimson is the perfect book for you✨
This Book will have you questioning everything & everyone, at many points I didn’t know who to trust🙊😂
The romance was the perfect slow burn, leaving you wanting for more every time a moment ends🫠🫠🫠
Eliah, our FMC, you can’t help but empathize with and root for. Her journey has just begun in this book and I cannot wait to see where else it leads✨
To keep from spoiling I’m not going to name any names but there is one character in particular that made me absolutely melt🫠🫠🫠🫠 I loved him the minute he came onto the page and haven’t stopped since, I cannot WAIT for book 2 for certain reasons👀👀👀
Overall this fantasy debut by Emmory I loved very much🥹 The beginning slowly pulls you into the world that’s simply brimming with secrets and magic❣️
I’d like to thank Emmory for giving me an early copy to read and review!! I had such a blast every time I picked up your book🥹 Your writing is so beautiful & easy to read, I cannot wait for all of the books you put out next❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
A KINGDOM SO CRIMSON IS OUT NOW!! I do have a release day post coming later in the day✨
I finished this book yesterday and I cannot stop thinking of it, I am still in utter shock at what happened🙊
If you love fantasy, female rage, a world brimming with secrets & monsters, enemies-to-lovers slow burn romance, A Kingdom so Crimson is the perfect book for you✨
This Book will have you questioning everything & everyone, at many points I didn’t know who to trust🙊😂
The romance was the perfect slow burn, leaving you wanting for more every time a moment ends🫠🫠🫠
Eliah, our FMC, you can’t help but empathize with and root for. Her journey has just begun in this book and I cannot wait to see where else it leads✨
To keep from spoiling I’m not going to name any names but there is one character in particular that made me absolutely melt🫠🫠🫠🫠 I loved him the minute he came onto the page and haven’t stopped since, I cannot WAIT for book 2 for certain reasons👀👀👀
Overall this fantasy debut by Emmory I loved very much🥹 The beginning slowly pulls you into the world that’s simply brimming with secrets and magic❣️
I’d like to thank Emmory for giving me an early copy to read and review!! I had such a blast every time I picked up your book🥹 Your writing is so beautiful & easy to read, I cannot wait for all of the books you put out next❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
A KINGDOM SO CRIMSON IS OUT NOW!! I do have a release day post coming later in the day✨
November 20, 2024
I was lucky enough to be chosen as an ARC reader for this book so I was super excited to get into it!
It has all the elements needed for an intriguing fantasy series: magic, a fiery main character, high stake trials and plenty of mystery! It also has a romance subplot that will keep you guessing 👀 I’m definitely excited to find out more about where the romance goes in the next book!
The descriptive tone of the book made it feel really immersive and easy to picture which I loved, and the mystery surrounding the FMC, her backstory and her future, had me trying to come up with theories constantly.
I’m aware this is the start of a series and so there is a lot of context set in this book. This made the pace seem slightly slow at times, but that makes sense in this case! On the other hand, I thought the romance felt a bit sudden given their circumstances, and so some of the potential tension was lost.
But overall a really nice and easy read, I don’t think I’ve ever rated a debut novel 5⭐️ so hopefully my rating won’t take away from how enjoyable this was!
It has all the elements needed for an intriguing fantasy series: magic, a fiery main character, high stake trials and plenty of mystery! It also has a romance subplot that will keep you guessing 👀 I’m definitely excited to find out more about where the romance goes in the next book!
The descriptive tone of the book made it feel really immersive and easy to picture which I loved, and the mystery surrounding the FMC, her backstory and her future, had me trying to come up with theories constantly.
I’m aware this is the start of a series and so there is a lot of context set in this book. This made the pace seem slightly slow at times, but that makes sense in this case! On the other hand, I thought the romance felt a bit sudden given their circumstances, and so some of the potential tension was lost.
But overall a really nice and easy read, I don’t think I’ve ever rated a debut novel 5⭐️ so hopefully my rating won’t take away from how enjoyable this was!
November 29, 2024
This book is the first book of a new series. It is a perfect combination of :
-world building
-romance (closed door)
-mystery & suspense
It felt like a mixture of throne of glass and hunger games. The authors writing is beautiful and allows you to experience so much through her amazing imagery. I am very much looking forward to the next book as this book ends with a cliff hanger!
This book IS a slow slow burn and it was hard to get into cause their were so many unknowns, but the ending made it all worth it. The first half of the book is all a big mystery and it left me with so many questions it will drive you insane. However during the second half I was pretty much on the edge of my seat because SO much was happening and I was very intrigued. This author definitely saved all the answers to the last few chapters.
The main 3 characters Eliah, Levon & Kazian leave you wanting so much more!
There are so many characters in this book that I’m already so attached to and I’m so excited to read the rest of their stories.
-world building
-romance (closed door)
-mystery & suspense
It felt like a mixture of throne of glass and hunger games. The authors writing is beautiful and allows you to experience so much through her amazing imagery. I am very much looking forward to the next book as this book ends with a cliff hanger!
This book IS a slow slow burn and it was hard to get into cause their were so many unknowns, but the ending made it all worth it. The first half of the book is all a big mystery and it left me with so many questions it will drive you insane. However during the second half I was pretty much on the edge of my seat because SO much was happening and I was very intrigued. This author definitely saved all the answers to the last few chapters.
The main 3 characters Eliah, Levon & Kazian leave you wanting so much more!
There are so many characters in this book that I’m already so attached to and I’m so excited to read the rest of their stories.
December 22, 2024
This book was a wild ride. It starts out with a lot of world building and getting to know the characters. Later in the book, things get crazy. There's a kings match similar to the hunger games, the main character gets into all kinds of trouble, then everything shifts and you're left asking yourself what just happened. There's also a few different potential love interests and it's hard to tell who to root for, which I really liked. I still feel like there's so much to discover in this world. Looking forward to the next one!
Team Kaizen since the beginning. For those of you who have read it. Which team are you on?
Team Kaizen since the beginning. For those of you who have read it. Which team are you on?
December 8, 2024
3.2 ~ 3.4/5
I would first like to start by saying I am honored and thankful to be a part of the ARC team for this Indie Author.
Now, without spoilers, I would say this read was good but not mind-blowing for me. I had a hard time with the FMC and her constant rage tantrums. The tests were some of the best times of reading, but what really was rough was the long chapters. My pet peeve is chapters over 25 minutes. It's just does something for me personally to take away from the experience of the book. The dragging on and redundancies were a bit much for me. Now, that's not say every chapter was 40 mins long, just some. There were chapters that were barely 2 mins.
This is a very, VERY slow burn with no spice. So, if you're a reader that enjoys spice, this may not be for you. I don't mind the no spice, but the slow burn was just a bit too slow for me. There were some twists at the end that surprised me, so I did enjoy that. If there is another book in the series, I may continue it.
I would first like to start by saying I am honored and thankful to be a part of the ARC team for this Indie Author.
Now, without spoilers, I would say this read was good but not mind-blowing for me. I had a hard time with the FMC and her constant rage tantrums. The tests were some of the best times of reading, but what really was rough was the long chapters. My pet peeve is chapters over 25 minutes. It's just does something for me personally to take away from the experience of the book. The dragging on and redundancies were a bit much for me. Now, that's not say every chapter was 40 mins long, just some. There were chapters that were barely 2 mins.
This is a very, VERY slow burn with no spice. So, if you're a reader that enjoys spice, this may not be for you. I don't mind the no spice, but the slow burn was just a bit too slow for me. There were some twists at the end that surprised me, so I did enjoy that. If there is another book in the series, I may continue it.
December 28, 2024
ARC Review :
I was really excited to read this book and in the beginning I was hooked by the mysterious plot but when I got to about 50% and there was no progress in the story, I was confused on where this was going.
Overall it’s well written with interesting characters and a unique storyline but I think it just took longer than necessary to get to the actual plot!
I was really excited to read this book and in the beginning I was hooked by the mysterious plot but when I got to about 50% and there was no progress in the story, I was confused on where this was going.
Overall it’s well written with interesting characters and a unique storyline but I think it just took longer than necessary to get to the actual plot!
November 26, 2024
ARC Review: No Spoilers!
Firstly, I want to thank @authoremmoryjarman for choosing me to be apart of her ARC team!
Secondly, I was extremely excited to read this book and let me tell you it did not disappoint! This book will be released on December 14, 2024 and it’ll be a great book to read to finish off the year!
The world building was fantastic and not overly drawn out which kept me engaged while still allowing to picture this world. Eliah the FMC is a complete badass! She has a history of trauma but doesn’t let that stop her, in fact it made her tougher and wiser. There’s three MMC’s which I absolutely adored all of them. Calum her childhood friend, Levon her mentor/trainer (💜💜💜) and Kaizen her protector.
This is a slow burn no spice book, but not every book needs spice (sorry not sorry) and this book is definitely one of those books that doesn’t need spice.
I finished this book in two days, and was so sad when it ended. I can’t wait for the rest of the books in this series!
Follow @authoremmoryjarman if you’re not already for updates on this book!
Firstly, I want to thank @authoremmoryjarman for choosing me to be apart of her ARC team!
Secondly, I was extremely excited to read this book and let me tell you it did not disappoint! This book will be released on December 14, 2024 and it’ll be a great book to read to finish off the year!
The world building was fantastic and not overly drawn out which kept me engaged while still allowing to picture this world. Eliah the FMC is a complete badass! She has a history of trauma but doesn’t let that stop her, in fact it made her tougher and wiser. There’s three MMC’s which I absolutely adored all of them. Calum her childhood friend, Levon her mentor/trainer (💜💜💜) and Kaizen her protector.
This is a slow burn no spice book, but not every book needs spice (sorry not sorry) and this book is definitely one of those books that doesn’t need spice.
I finished this book in two days, and was so sad when it ended. I can’t wait for the rest of the books in this series!
Follow @authoremmoryjarman if you’re not already for updates on this book!
Read
September 17, 2025gotta say, that last chapter got me.
October 28, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
A Kingdom So Crimson is a spellbinding, adventurous romantasy with fantastic characters and beautiful world-building.
I had the honor of beta-reading this book, and I immediately fell in love. Levon, Eliah, and Kaizen captivated me with their development and personalities. The world was lovely, and the magic system was so fun. The wonderfully described action and plot had me flying through the pages, though the beginning was a little slower than the rest of the story. The ending was so good and had me desperate for more. I highly recommend this wonderful fantasy!
A Kingdom So Crimson is a spellbinding, adventurous romantasy with fantastic characters and beautiful world-building.
I had the honor of beta-reading this book, and I immediately fell in love. Levon, Eliah, and Kaizen captivated me with their development and personalities. The world was lovely, and the magic system was so fun. The wonderfully described action and plot had me flying through the pages, though the beginning was a little slower than the rest of the story. The ending was so good and had me desperate for more. I highly recommend this wonderful fantasy!
December 21, 2024
Holy moly!!! What was that ending?!
Thank you Emmory for giving me a chance to be an arc reader.
First off, this book has Throne of Glass vibes written all over it. So if you liked that book series, read this! The author has also explained how it is like Throne of Glass in that the first book is just creating the world and the next books in this completely change direction just like what we got with Heir of Fire.
Second, the main character, Eliah, has some major anger management issues (which is part of her character and has a part to play in the plot) but it bothered me so much with how easy to anger she was.
Third, it was kind of slow going and I got lost a lot right along with Eliah because no one really told her anything, hence the reader didn't really get much info either.
Even with the slower pace it was all worth it by the end with its "hunger games" trials and much information is brought to light. I had to pick my jaw off the floor multiple times. Sheesh! I can't believe what happened!
This is one heck of a debut!
Thank you Emmory for giving me a chance to be an arc reader.
First off, this book has Throne of Glass vibes written all over it. So if you liked that book series, read this! The author has also explained how it is like Throne of Glass in that the first book is just creating the world and the next books in this completely change direction just like what we got with Heir of Fire.
Second, the main character, Eliah, has some major anger management issues (which is part of her character and has a part to play in the plot) but it bothered me so much with how easy to anger she was.
Third, it was kind of slow going and I got lost a lot right along with Eliah because no one really told her anything, hence the reader didn't really get much info either.
Even with the slower pace it was all worth it by the end with its "hunger games" trials and much information is brought to light. I had to pick my jaw off the floor multiple times. Sheesh! I can't believe what happened!
This is one heck of a debut!
November 18, 2024
3.5 ⭐
This was the slowest of the slowest bruns, the only parts that really got me hooked were the test scene and the Match, overall I enjoyed the book, not gonna lie, but the suspense in a way killed me, and how this book ended?! OMG, I want to find out more but at the same time idk if I want that, my heart will just evaporate or melt from it
Also, I always knew that Cal was suspicious, so the end was not a suprise for me, but I was not counting on what would happen to Levon, and I have a theory regardng Kaizen.
I loved the writing style, so if the next book comes out, i'll check it out :)
This was the slowest of the slowest bruns, the only parts that really got me hooked were the test scene and the Match, overall I enjoyed the book, not gonna lie, but the suspense in a way killed me, and how this book ended?! OMG, I want to find out more but at the same time idk if I want that, my heart will just evaporate or melt from it
Also, I always knew that Cal was suspicious, so the end was not a suprise for me, but I was not counting on what would happen to Levon, and I have a theory regardng Kaizen.
I loved the writing style, so if the next book comes out, i'll check it out :)
November 26, 2024
I was so excited to get my first ARC book and couldn’t wait to dive into A Kingdom So Crimson. I really enjoyed most things about this book. It reminds me so much of Feyre in ACOTAR and gave me The Hunger Games vibes as well. This was kind of slow at some parts, and leading up to the Match was probably longer than needed, but overall, this was a good fantasy read!
October 28, 2024
Such a great start to a series. You can see which books inspired the author but the story and characters feel original. I can not wait for book two!
December 21, 2024
4.5⭐️
I had the amazing opportunity to be an ARC reader
This book is about an orphan who parents left her to be found by a cruel lord who only tolerates her to use her. When he is about to sell her off he finds out about the Kings match.
He pushes her to train her and applies her for the tournament so he may take her winnings and gain social standing.
Eliah is put through harsh conditions from her keeper and trains her body through any imaginable quest. She is thrown into a tournament with little to no information. She is train by two men who plan to help her achieve but also to help her have a better life. With more questions than answers and a temper that is hard to control. Eliah feels like her life has never been hers to control.
This book was beautifully written. I felt the author knew how to describe every situation so I could imagine it but not too much that I was skipping back to the story. Eliah is a fierce FMC but also has her insecurities.
I loved how unique the villain was and how they try to make her succumb to them.
This story makes you have so many questions you can’t stop reading until you find answers. This story kept me guessing. The ending was surprising and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Gave this 4.5 stars cause there were some slow parts but was much needed for a first book of a series to help with the amazing world building. I felt like the whole book was all about the Kings match but that was the last 100 pages of the book. When the match happens though it is full of action and shows how strong but also caring Eliah is. The ending left me shocked and definitely see this series being a 5 star read!
I had the amazing opportunity to be an ARC reader
This book is about an orphan who parents left her to be found by a cruel lord who only tolerates her to use her. When he is about to sell her off he finds out about the Kings match.
He pushes her to train her and applies her for the tournament so he may take her winnings and gain social standing.
Eliah is put through harsh conditions from her keeper and trains her body through any imaginable quest. She is thrown into a tournament with little to no information. She is train by two men who plan to help her achieve but also to help her have a better life. With more questions than answers and a temper that is hard to control. Eliah feels like her life has never been hers to control.
This book was beautifully written. I felt the author knew how to describe every situation so I could imagine it but not too much that I was skipping back to the story. Eliah is a fierce FMC but also has her insecurities.
I loved how unique the villain was and how they try to make her succumb to them.
This story makes you have so many questions you can’t stop reading until you find answers. This story kept me guessing. The ending was surprising and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.
Gave this 4.5 stars cause there were some slow parts but was much needed for a first book of a series to help with the amazing world building. I felt like the whole book was all about the Kings match but that was the last 100 pages of the book. When the match happens though it is full of action and shows how strong but also caring Eliah is. The ending left me shocked and definitely see this series being a 5 star read!
December 13, 2024
Such a thrilling and fantastical read!!! I was lucky enough to be chosen as an arc reader to this amazing read, which will be available starting on 12/14/24
For all of my fantasy readers, especially lovers of throne of glass or the cruel prince, this is the book for you!!
The story follows the strong FMC Eliah, who was abandoned by her parents.
Given to Lord Jesri as his ward, she has to fight her way to the top to be known.
This book is filled with action, plot twists, secrets, monsters, and just enough romance. And the world building was so well written yet easy to understand!
What a great start to the series ! I can’t wait for more and I’m sure other readers will think the same!
For all of my fantasy readers, especially lovers of throne of glass or the cruel prince, this is the book for you!!
The story follows the strong FMC Eliah, who was abandoned by her parents.
Given to Lord Jesri as his ward, she has to fight her way to the top to be known.
This book is filled with action, plot twists, secrets, monsters, and just enough romance. And the world building was so well written yet easy to understand!
What a great start to the series ! I can’t wait for more and I’m sure other readers will think the same!
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