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A Court of Vipers: An Epic, No-Spice Fantasy Romance
Seraphina vowed to save her kingdom. But the price of peace may be her soul.
Bound by a marriage of necessity, Queen Seraphina and the infamous Crow of Drakmor stand united—at least in the eyes of the court. In truth, their fragile alliance balances on a blade’s edge. Enemies press in from without; traitors sharpen their knives within; an ancient evil stirs in the shadows.
Yet the true danger lies not on the battlefield, but in the silence of the heavens.
Plagued by apocalyptic visions and a God who seems to have turned His face away, Seraphina must now navigate a labyrinth of lies where the line between friend and foe blurs. And as enemies close in from every side, she must make the hardest choice of all.
A choice that may demand trusting the one man she thought she never could—no matter the cost.
Dive back in to the fantasy world of Avirel in this second installment in the epic Christian fantasy, A War of Crowns! Described as the "Christian Game of Thrones."
Bound by a marriage of necessity, Queen Seraphina and the infamous Crow of Drakmor stand united—at least in the eyes of the court. In truth, their fragile alliance balances on a blade’s edge. Enemies press in from without; traitors sharpen their knives within; an ancient evil stirs in the shadows.
Yet the true danger lies not on the battlefield, but in the silence of the heavens.
Plagued by apocalyptic visions and a God who seems to have turned His face away, Seraphina must now navigate a labyrinth of lies where the line between friend and foe blurs. And as enemies close in from every side, she must make the hardest choice of all.
A choice that may demand trusting the one man she thought she never could—no matter the cost.
Dive back in to the fantasy world of Avirel in this second installment in the epic Christian fantasy, A War of Crowns! Described as the "Christian Game of Thrones."
685 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2025
22 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Willingham
8 books251 followersAshley Willingham is a Christian, wife, mother of two, and an author of clean books. She enjoys writing high-stakes plots, swoony romances, and stories free from explicit content. When she's not busy writing, she can be found in the kitchen pursing her second passion—baking. She currently lives in Arkansas with her family and one very fluffy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 29, 2026
✨Spoiler-Free Book Review✨
A Court of Vipers by Ashley Willingham
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Court of Vipers by Ashley Willingham absolutely blew me away! 🤯 This is hands-down one of my favorite fantasy books I’ve ever read - and that’s saying a lot, because I’ve read A LOT of fantasy. I cannot shout my love for this series loudly enough!! If rating a book SIX stars were an option, this one would be it!! 😭❤️
As the second book in the A War of Crowns series, this installment takes everything the first book carefully set up and launches it into something truly unforgettable. Book one focused heavily on political intrigue and world-building, laying a strong foundation for the story and gently setting the stage for an enemies-to-lovers romance. A Court of Vipers is where everything erupts 🌋
The stakes are higher, the war becomes very real, and the tension - both political and emotional - kept me completely hooked. The romance finally begins to sizzle, and I loved every second of it 🤭 The love interest’s emotional connection and slow-burn romance is SO WORTH IT 😩
One of my favorite parts of this book was watching the characters grow. Themes of mercy, humility, and setting aside pride are woven beautifully throughout the story. 🫶
If you’re looking for a book with a truly diverse cast of characters, this one delivers! The story includes thoughtful representation of a character living with chronic pain, a nonverbal autistic adult, and a character with achondroplasia, plus more I’m sure I’m forgetting to add. The world also features multiple religions, and the book clearly explores how some belief systems can appear alluring or seductive while ultimately being false - pointing instead to the existence of one true God. 🙌❤️
✝️ And can we talk about the faith elements? Absolutely chilling!! Ashley Willingham has a rare gift for weaving Christian and biblical themes, prayer, and faith into epic fantasy in a way that feels natural, powerful, and never cheesy. It genuinely had me on the edge of my seat. 🥹
I can’t say too much without spoiling the first book, but if you haven’t picked up A War of Crowns yet, THIS IS YOUR SIGN!!!!
With the third book coming out in just a couple of months, my anticipation is through the roof. If the conclusion holds up to the standard set here, this series may very well become my all-time favorite fantasy series. 😅
Highly, highly recommend. 🐍✨
⚠️‼️Content/Trigger Warnings‼️⚠️
- Woman kept prisoner
- On page death and violence (though never with any graphic detail)
- War
- Sexism
- Racism
- Discrimination due to disabilities
- Elemental magic
- No spice or closed door scenes, though sex is mentioned
A Court of Vipers by Ashley Willingham
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Court of Vipers by Ashley Willingham absolutely blew me away! 🤯 This is hands-down one of my favorite fantasy books I’ve ever read - and that’s saying a lot, because I’ve read A LOT of fantasy. I cannot shout my love for this series loudly enough!! If rating a book SIX stars were an option, this one would be it!! 😭❤️
As the second book in the A War of Crowns series, this installment takes everything the first book carefully set up and launches it into something truly unforgettable. Book one focused heavily on political intrigue and world-building, laying a strong foundation for the story and gently setting the stage for an enemies-to-lovers romance. A Court of Vipers is where everything erupts 🌋
The stakes are higher, the war becomes very real, and the tension - both political and emotional - kept me completely hooked. The romance finally begins to sizzle, and I loved every second of it 🤭 The love interest’s emotional connection and slow-burn romance is SO WORTH IT 😩
One of my favorite parts of this book was watching the characters grow. Themes of mercy, humility, and setting aside pride are woven beautifully throughout the story. 🫶
If you’re looking for a book with a truly diverse cast of characters, this one delivers! The story includes thoughtful representation of a character living with chronic pain, a nonverbal autistic adult, and a character with achondroplasia, plus more I’m sure I’m forgetting to add. The world also features multiple religions, and the book clearly explores how some belief systems can appear alluring or seductive while ultimately being false - pointing instead to the existence of one true God. 🙌❤️
✝️ And can we talk about the faith elements? Absolutely chilling!! Ashley Willingham has a rare gift for weaving Christian and biblical themes, prayer, and faith into epic fantasy in a way that feels natural, powerful, and never cheesy. It genuinely had me on the edge of my seat. 🥹
I can’t say too much without spoiling the first book, but if you haven’t picked up A War of Crowns yet, THIS IS YOUR SIGN!!!!
With the third book coming out in just a couple of months, my anticipation is through the roof. If the conclusion holds up to the standard set here, this series may very well become my all-time favorite fantasy series. 😅
Highly, highly recommend. 🐍✨
⚠️‼️Content/Trigger Warnings‼️⚠️
- Woman kept prisoner
- On page death and violence (though never with any graphic detail)
- War
- Sexism
- Racism
- Discrimination due to disabilities
- Elemental magic
- No spice or closed door scenes, though sex is mentioned
December 31, 2025
I thought it would take me longer to read this book since it’s a long one, but I couldn’t stop turning the pages. I loved every bit of it. It has everything I want in a Christian epic fantasy. These characters have really grown on me. I will be counting down the days for the next book!
December 23, 2025
I preordered this book months ago, as soon as I finished reading A War of Crowns. I’ve been waiting anxiously for it, and it did not disappoint!
This book is full of action, intrigue, and slow-burn romance. Faith is so beautifully woven throughout, with the characters struggling to trust God in seemingly hopeless circumstances, push through fear to do what they know is right, and forgive others when what they want to do is embrace the anger they feel.
I’ve become so invested in this story and these characters, and can’t wait to see how Ashley wraps it all up in the 3rd book!
Content considerations:
No spice - kisses only
Some violence typical of fantasy books
Dark magic (clearly portrayed as evil)
This book is full of action, intrigue, and slow-burn romance. Faith is so beautifully woven throughout, with the characters struggling to trust God in seemingly hopeless circumstances, push through fear to do what they know is right, and forgive others when what they want to do is embrace the anger they feel.
I’ve become so invested in this story and these characters, and can’t wait to see how Ashley wraps it all up in the 3rd book!
Content considerations:
No spice - kisses only
Some violence typical of fantasy books
Dark magic (clearly portrayed as evil)
January 21, 2026
This was epic and I NEED the next book! Glad I don’t have to wait too long. And I love how meaty these books are - 600+ pages and I’m here for it! Well done!!
December 25, 2025
Rate: 4.5/5
Genre: Clean Fantasy Romance
🚨TW: being threaten, being betrayed, war among kingdoms, murder, mentions of death, being kidnapped
Read if you like:
⚔ Multiple Character stories
⚔ Wars
⚔ Grump X Sunshine
⚔ Slow burn Enemies to Lovers
⚔ Age gap
⚔ Disability rep
⚔ Faith filled
Favourite Moments
⚔ Moments with Olivia and Lord Tristan.
⚔ Their banters.
⚔ Their wedding.
⚔ Them working together to save the kingdom.
⚔ Aldric protected her and is there for her. (can’t spoil it)
⚔ Moments with his sister and also times together playing games with the people she cared about. (can’t spoil it)
⚔ Moments her godparents (can’t spoil it)
⚔ The spiritual battles and real battles.
(and a lot more)
Swoony moments
⚔ Him protects her, his men and his sister.
⚔ Him answering her truthfully.
⚔ Him telling her the truth
⚔ He saved her.
⚔ He loves her and will do anything to make sure she is safe.
(and lots more)
Review
Now there are more wars going on, both physical and spiritually. Visions and also nightmares that haunt her ever since the Oracle gave her the ability and it seems that. Aldric has it too like they are connected. (can’t spoil it)
Loving that he is worried about her all the time and also protecting her. They still bicker with each other but both do care for each other and the more they spend time together the more they fell in love with each other. And there is a secret that Aldric kept it away for the people which is in the woods (can’t spoil it) and also, he told her truthfully about that night that he saved her from the assassin.
Lots of twist and turns and also betrayal and even much so being threaten. Both of them and their team work together to fight evil and it is still ongoing. As when they fight it was never ending, at times made her doubt about her decisions because she did rely on God for direction but still she trust him and in His time everything will be alright and she is also reminded by the Shepherd. This book made me smile, laugh, cry, swoon, at times frustrating and seeing God working throughout the story.
What I learned?
That at times we do doubt especially when you are desperately finding for answers however our timing and God’s timing are different. We just need to continue trusting him and have faith in Him and also when we doubt there is always a way God can bring us back to Him by using people to help us realised that He is in control of everything. It’s hard I know but with God’s help we can persevere on.
The story is still ongoing and this is the 2nd book of the story can’t wait to read the next book which will be coming out on March 2026
If you like the feel of medieval times, magic and war of kingdoms this is a book for you. This is the 2nd book of the trilogy. You can check out the 1st book of this series. Can’t wait for the 3rd book.
I was gifted complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own. Thanks to @ashleywillinghamauthor for the ARC.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it’s available on KU.
Genre: Clean Fantasy Romance
🚨TW: being threaten, being betrayed, war among kingdoms, murder, mentions of death, being kidnapped
Read if you like:
⚔ Multiple Character stories
⚔ Wars
⚔ Grump X Sunshine
⚔ Slow burn Enemies to Lovers
⚔ Age gap
⚔ Disability rep
⚔ Faith filled
Favourite Moments
⚔ Moments with Olivia and Lord Tristan.
⚔ Their banters.
⚔ Their wedding.
⚔ Them working together to save the kingdom.
⚔ Aldric protected her and is there for her. (can’t spoil it)
⚔ Moments with his sister and also times together playing games with the people she cared about. (can’t spoil it)
⚔ Moments her godparents (can’t spoil it)
⚔ The spiritual battles and real battles.
(and a lot more)
Swoony moments
⚔ Him protects her, his men and his sister.
⚔ Him answering her truthfully.
⚔ Him telling her the truth
⚔ He saved her.
⚔ He loves her and will do anything to make sure she is safe.
(and lots more)
Review
Now there are more wars going on, both physical and spiritually. Visions and also nightmares that haunt her ever since the Oracle gave her the ability and it seems that. Aldric has it too like they are connected. (can’t spoil it)
Loving that he is worried about her all the time and also protecting her. They still bicker with each other but both do care for each other and the more they spend time together the more they fell in love with each other. And there is a secret that Aldric kept it away for the people which is in the woods (can’t spoil it) and also, he told her truthfully about that night that he saved her from the assassin.
Lots of twist and turns and also betrayal and even much so being threaten. Both of them and their team work together to fight evil and it is still ongoing. As when they fight it was never ending, at times made her doubt about her decisions because she did rely on God for direction but still she trust him and in His time everything will be alright and she is also reminded by the Shepherd. This book made me smile, laugh, cry, swoon, at times frustrating and seeing God working throughout the story.
What I learned?
That at times we do doubt especially when you are desperately finding for answers however our timing and God’s timing are different. We just need to continue trusting him and have faith in Him and also when we doubt there is always a way God can bring us back to Him by using people to help us realised that He is in control of everything. It’s hard I know but with God’s help we can persevere on.
The story is still ongoing and this is the 2nd book of the story can’t wait to read the next book which will be coming out on March 2026
If you like the feel of medieval times, magic and war of kingdoms this is a book for you. This is the 2nd book of the trilogy. You can check out the 1st book of this series. Can’t wait for the 3rd book.
I was gifted complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own. Thanks to @ashleywillinghamauthor for the ARC.
You can purchase this book on Amazon and it’s available on KU.
December 23, 2025
Whew! I need a moment to let my heart settle!
If you like
⭐️slow burn
⭐️protect her at all costs
⭐️epic fantasy
⭐️political intrigue
Then this book is for you!
A court of vipers picks right up from A War of Crowns, and thankfully it does not suffer the sophomore slump that many authors struggle with in book 2 of a series. This is fast paced and the last 50% of the book had my heart pounding!
Aldric and Seraphina’s relationship goes on a bit of a rollercoaster as they learn more about one another, open themselves to vulnerability and try to navigate a scheming court. But don’t fret there is still that slow burn that keeps you rooting for them and a few swoon worthy moments help solidify you hoping they come out of the fire together and stronger!
If you have read A Vow Of Honor, you will get a sweet moment with Percy and Edith. I enjoyed getting more of a glimpse of them and their story, as well as delving in more with Olivia, Sir Tristan, and a few new characters I won’t spoil. There is one character who I won’t spoil but makes me want to slap them! The scheming and plotting to stay on top has me infuriated for Seraphina.
5/5 highly recommend this book. Of course start with A War of Crowns, if you have not read this series. Oh and if you do not like cliff hangers, you may want to wait to read till the final book releases in March 2026. Both book 1 and 2 are mean but so good cliff hangers!
If you like
⭐️slow burn
⭐️protect her at all costs
⭐️epic fantasy
⭐️political intrigue
Then this book is for you!
A court of vipers picks right up from A War of Crowns, and thankfully it does not suffer the sophomore slump that many authors struggle with in book 2 of a series. This is fast paced and the last 50% of the book had my heart pounding!
Aldric and Seraphina’s relationship goes on a bit of a rollercoaster as they learn more about one another, open themselves to vulnerability and try to navigate a scheming court. But don’t fret there is still that slow burn that keeps you rooting for them and a few swoon worthy moments help solidify you hoping they come out of the fire together and stronger!
If you have read A Vow Of Honor, you will get a sweet moment with Percy and Edith. I enjoyed getting more of a glimpse of them and their story, as well as delving in more with Olivia, Sir Tristan, and a few new characters I won’t spoil. There is one character who I won’t spoil but makes me want to slap them! The scheming and plotting to stay on top has me infuriated for Seraphina.
5/5 highly recommend this book. Of course start with A War of Crowns, if you have not read this series. Oh and if you do not like cliff hangers, you may want to wait to read till the final book releases in March 2026. Both book 1 and 2 are mean but so good cliff hangers!
December 21, 2025
I loved this book! I had a difficult time putting it down. This is book 2 in the War of Crowns series, and you will need to read book 1 first.
This story is a faith based book with no spice and some romance. It is told from multiple POV’s but mostly from the MMC and FMC. The characters go through so many things including betrayal, devotion, sacrifice, confusion, struggles of faith, discovery of faith and more. The character development is ongoing for the main characters and more.
The pacing of the book starts out well, leaving off where book 1 ended. About halfway through the book the pacing really picks up! I had a difficult time putting the book down, so much was going on that I couldn’t stop thinking about it and needed to know what happened next. I was very invested in the story.
This story is a faith based book with no spice and some romance. It is told from multiple POV’s but mostly from the MMC and FMC. The characters go through so many things including betrayal, devotion, sacrifice, confusion, struggles of faith, discovery of faith and more. The character development is ongoing for the main characters and more.
The pacing of the book starts out well, leaving off where book 1 ended. About halfway through the book the pacing really picks up! I had a difficult time putting the book down, so much was going on that I couldn’t stop thinking about it and needed to know what happened next. I was very invested in the story.
December 28, 2025
🐍☀️A Court of Vipers☀️🐍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
First of all - just one quick little question - WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO UNTIL MARCH WHEN KING OF CROWS COMES OUT?!?!
This series has my heart & A Court of Vipers will be living rent free in my noggin for quite some time. I laughed out loud & I ugly cried. I was fully invested throughout this entire story & I did not want it to end. I’m really not sure what to do with my life now that this book is over.
The faith elements of this story are absolutely beautiful & I cannot wait to see how the Lord on High works through this.
I could not love this book more. All the stars. All the praise. 🙌🙌🙌
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
First of all - just one quick little question - WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO UNTIL MARCH WHEN KING OF CROWS COMES OUT?!?!
This series has my heart & A Court of Vipers will be living rent free in my noggin for quite some time. I laughed out loud & I ugly cried. I was fully invested throughout this entire story & I did not want it to end. I’m really not sure what to do with my life now that this book is over.
The faith elements of this story are absolutely beautiful & I cannot wait to see how the Lord on High works through this.
I could not love this book more. All the stars. All the praise. 🙌🙌🙌
January 15, 2026
Wow, this book hit hard for a second book, which was great. A couple of the twists I was genuinely surprised about, and I am looking forward to March to see how it all gets wrapped up.
There were more character POVs this time, but they didn't feel out of place, which is wonderful. Each of the characters are developing more as the series goes on, and it was great to see how relationships shifted (both for better and worse).
I might actually like this series more than Willingham's fairytale stories, which has been a tough line to beat.
There were more character POVs this time, but they didn't feel out of place, which is wonderful. Each of the characters are developing more as the series goes on, and it was great to see how relationships shifted (both for better and worse).
I might actually like this series more than Willingham's fairytale stories, which has been a tough line to beat.
January 21, 2026
This was thrilling! The side characters have a wonderful romance I can’t wait to see the conclusion of! The main characters are killing me with the angst and the lovely tension! I love that the woman is taller and yet it’s not made out to be a joke. The last page had me internally screeching and I cannot wait for March haha
January 26, 2026
It is rare that I love the second book in a series more than the first. In fact this may be the first time ever.
I loved book 1 and gave it 5 stars, but this one I love even more. I’d give it 10 stars.
I loved book 1 and gave it 5 stars, but this one I love even more. I’d give it 10 stars.
December 19, 2025
This was a great book! I loved the Christian aspects of this book! The story was well written and I fi it very fast. Would recommend!
February 1, 2026
Excellent read! I can't wait to start book three!
Read
February 13, 2026Had to DNF because It wasn’t a CLEAN fantasy romance
February 2, 2026
I finished this one and immediately put the date of the next book’s release into my calendar!
The themes of mercy and forgiveness and what real strength is are all over this book. The characters are engaging and I even rooted for a previously unlikable character.
The relationship was beautiful and clean- kisses only but they are not steamy or overly sensual. The relationship is built on a decision to love and trust, not lust or wild emotions.
I am excited to start A Vow of Honor while I wait for book 3!
The themes of mercy and forgiveness and what real strength is are all over this book. The characters are engaging and I even rooted for a previously unlikable character.
The relationship was beautiful and clean- kisses only but they are not steamy or overly sensual. The relationship is built on a decision to love and trust, not lust or wild emotions.
I am excited to start A Vow of Honor while I wait for book 3!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews