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Forged by Blood and Flame: A Dark Fantasy of Betrayal, Magic, and Power
Forged by Blood and Flame is a gothic tale of ritual sacrifice, forbidden power, and the girl who was never meant to survive.
Karina Moss was chosen to die—offered in a blood ritual to ancient forces no one dares name. But when the vampire Rook spares her, survival becomes a different kind of curse.
Trapped in a castle ruled by monsters and secrets, Karina is bound to a power she doesn’t understand—and hunted by those who would use it to reshape the world.
As the flames within her begin to stir, she must embrace the darkness inside her, or fight to hold on to what makes her human—even if it costs her everything.
For fans of dark fantasy, slow-burn tension, and morally gray enemies.
Recommended for readers 16+ for violence, mature themes, and seductive magic.
Karina Moss was chosen to die—offered in a blood ritual to ancient forces no one dares name. But when the vampire Rook spares her, survival becomes a different kind of curse.
Trapped in a castle ruled by monsters and secrets, Karina is bound to a power she doesn’t understand—and hunted by those who would use it to reshape the world.
As the flames within her begin to stir, she must embrace the darkness inside her, or fight to hold on to what makes her human—even if it costs her everything.
For fans of dark fantasy, slow-burn tension, and morally gray enemies.
Recommended for readers 16+ for violence, mature themes, and seductive magic.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2025
6 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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February 20, 2025This book is free on Amazon (Canada) today (02/20/2025). 🙂
I am not sure what to expect with this one, but it is free, so I figured I might as well give it a try... eventually...
I am not sure what to expect with this one, but it is free, so I figured I might as well give it a try... eventually...
April 19, 2025
First off, thank you Marisa for an ebook copy if your book for me to ARC read. Secondly, I would absolutely 💯 recommend this to anyone who loves a good dark atmospheric fantasy book. I was hooked from the first chapter. The author does a great job with the world building. While it is dark and the castle has a Gothic atmosphere, I wanted to be there with Karina the whole time. I felt like I was walking in her shoes and I may have been more anxious then she was...and I was only reading her story.
The author does a great job with the characters. Some characters did upset me and I wanted to knock them out myself. I was so glad that Karina has Casimir helping her because she needed it so badly. I love how Karina was the one character, throughout the book, did not let anyone break her, no matter how terrified she was. Also, I came to love the crystal 🔮 at the end as well because it gave her some of the reassurance that she really needed.
The author does a great job with the characters. Some characters did upset me and I wanted to knock them out myself. I was so glad that Karina has Casimir helping her because she needed it so badly. I love how Karina was the one character, throughout the book, did not let anyone break her, no matter how terrified she was. Also, I came to love the crystal 🔮 at the end as well because it gave her some of the reassurance that she really needed.
April 26, 2025
I received this book as an advanced reader copy and I absolutely loved it. I mean the author had me anyways from the word "vampire".
So what do you do when you're going to be sacrificed in a ritual but then you're saved by a vampire? For Karina, living behind the walls of a vampire wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The author did an amazing job in the world building department because you could feel the eeriness behind those walls. You could easily picture the gothic castle setting.
The character development was just as great. I felt every emotion that Karina was feeling. When she felt fear I felt fear. However I truly enjoyed watching her discover an inner strength within herself that I don't even think she realized she had.
Marisa Kaisen was masterful with this stories development. She knows how to totally suck in vampire lovers like me. All I can say is give me more.
So what do you do when you're going to be sacrificed in a ritual but then you're saved by a vampire? For Karina, living behind the walls of a vampire wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The author did an amazing job in the world building department because you could feel the eeriness behind those walls. You could easily picture the gothic castle setting.
The character development was just as great. I felt every emotion that Karina was feeling. When she felt fear I felt fear. However I truly enjoyed watching her discover an inner strength within herself that I don't even think she realized she had.
Marisa Kaisen was masterful with this stories development. She knows how to totally suck in vampire lovers like me. All I can say is give me more.
May 31, 2025
An interesting and well-written story that thoroughly fleshes out Karina's struggles, both internal and external. Her efforts and thoughts as she adjusts to the dark and ancient world that hungers to destroy her have a unique grounding effect: The character is relatable in a real-world way, even though the majority of the story takes place in a secluded and highly fantastical location. I look forward to seeing what the author comes up with next!
February 17, 2025
Amazing book!
This was a super refreshing take on the fantasy genre. From the first page you feel immersed in Karina's world. From start to finish, you never quite know what is coming next, and it leaves you on the edge of your seat.
This was a super refreshing take on the fantasy genre. From the first page you feel immersed in Karina's world. From start to finish, you never quite know what is coming next, and it leaves you on the edge of your seat.
April 6, 2025
Great Read
Fantastic story of resilience and strength during uncertain times. Watch the character find herself and gain confidence through adversity. Recommend
Fantastic story of resilience and strength during uncertain times. Watch the character find herself and gain confidence through adversity. Recommend
August 3, 2025
CZ:
Karina má smůlu. Byla vybrána jako oběť pradávného rituálu. Její život byl ušetřen. Skvělé, ne? Neznamená to ale, že by na tom byla lépe. Naopak do nekonečna bloudit po chodbách starodávného hradu, kde za každým rohem číhá zlo, není žádná výhra. A co teprve její spasitel, upír Rook? Takový tajemný týpek, který ji chce držet naživu, ale proč? To si radši nechá pro sebe...
Kniha se čte dobře, napětí by se dalo krájet a atmosféra je temná jako místní sklep. Ale brzy vám začne připadat, že je to pořád stejné: Karina zabloudí, pokouše ji nějaká příšera, Rook ji zachrání. A tak pořád dokola. Kolikrát ještě? Asi tak desetkrát? Proč pořád někam leze? A upřímně, někde mezi těmi nekonečnými chodbami si začnete klást otázky jako : „A jak vlastně fungují ti upíři? Kde jsou lidé? Jak to všechno zapadá do nějakého širšího kontextu?“ Karina si navíc po celou dobu vůbec nevzpomene na svůj život předtím. Opravdu vás zavřou někam do sklepa, a po celou dobu ani jednou nezaslzíte při vzpomínkách na domov?
Na začátku je kniha skvélé, ale jak se do nekonečna vyhýbáte temným místům a čelíte nejasným záměrům Rooka, začne to být mírně frustrující. Pokud vám ke štěstí stačí temná atmoška, jste tu správně. Pokud si ale chcete přečíst něco, co dává aspoň trochu smysl, dejte si pauzu. Nechte Karinu, ať se ztratí...
AJ:
Karina’s unlucky. She was chosen as the victim for an ancient ritual. Her life was spared. Great, right? But that doesn’t mean she’s any better off. On the contrary, endlessly wandering through the halls of an ancient castle where evil lurks behind every corner is hardly a win. And then there’s her savior, the vampire Rook? Mysterious guy who wants to keep her alive, but why? Well, he’d rather keep that to himself…
The book reads well, the tension is thick enough to cut, and the atmosphere is as dark as the local cellar. But soon, you’ll start to feel like the plot is just repeating the same theme: Karina gets lost, a monster bites her, Rook saves her. And so on, over and over. How many times? Probably about ten? Why does she keep going into places where she knows she’s going to get bitten again? And honestly, somewhere between those endless corridors, you’ll start asking realistic questions like: “How do vampires actually work in this world? Where are the humans? How does this all fit into a bigger picture?” Also, throughout the whole story, Karina never once remembers her life before. Really, they lock you in a basement and you don’t once get nostalgic for home?
At first, the book is great, but as you endlessly dodge dark places and face Rook’s unclear motives, it starts to get mildly frustrating.
If a dark atmosphere is all you need to be happy, this is the book for you. But if you’re looking for something that at least makes a little sense, take a break. Let Karina get lost…
Karina má smůlu. Byla vybrána jako oběť pradávného rituálu. Její život byl ušetřen. Skvělé, ne? Neznamená to ale, že by na tom byla lépe. Naopak do nekonečna bloudit po chodbách starodávného hradu, kde za každým rohem číhá zlo, není žádná výhra. A co teprve její spasitel, upír Rook? Takový tajemný týpek, který ji chce držet naživu, ale proč? To si radši nechá pro sebe...
Kniha se čte dobře, napětí by se dalo krájet a atmosféra je temná jako místní sklep. Ale brzy vám začne připadat, že je to pořád stejné: Karina zabloudí, pokouše ji nějaká příšera, Rook ji zachrání. A tak pořád dokola. Kolikrát ještě? Asi tak desetkrát? Proč pořád někam leze? A upřímně, někde mezi těmi nekonečnými chodbami si začnete klást otázky jako : „A jak vlastně fungují ti upíři? Kde jsou lidé? Jak to všechno zapadá do nějakého širšího kontextu?“ Karina si navíc po celou dobu vůbec nevzpomene na svůj život předtím. Opravdu vás zavřou někam do sklepa, a po celou dobu ani jednou nezaslzíte při vzpomínkách na domov?
Na začátku je kniha skvélé, ale jak se do nekonečna vyhýbáte temným místům a čelíte nejasným záměrům Rooka, začne to být mírně frustrující. Pokud vám ke štěstí stačí temná atmoška, jste tu správně. Pokud si ale chcete přečíst něco, co dává aspoň trochu smysl, dejte si pauzu. Nechte Karinu, ať se ztratí...
AJ:
Karina’s unlucky. She was chosen as the victim for an ancient ritual. Her life was spared. Great, right? But that doesn’t mean she’s any better off. On the contrary, endlessly wandering through the halls of an ancient castle where evil lurks behind every corner is hardly a win. And then there’s her savior, the vampire Rook? Mysterious guy who wants to keep her alive, but why? Well, he’d rather keep that to himself…
The book reads well, the tension is thick enough to cut, and the atmosphere is as dark as the local cellar. But soon, you’ll start to feel like the plot is just repeating the same theme: Karina gets lost, a monster bites her, Rook saves her. And so on, over and over. How many times? Probably about ten? Why does she keep going into places where she knows she’s going to get bitten again? And honestly, somewhere between those endless corridors, you’ll start asking realistic questions like: “How do vampires actually work in this world? Where are the humans? How does this all fit into a bigger picture?” Also, throughout the whole story, Karina never once remembers her life before. Really, they lock you in a basement and you don’t once get nostalgic for home?
At first, the book is great, but as you endlessly dodge dark places and face Rook’s unclear motives, it starts to get mildly frustrating.
If a dark atmosphere is all you need to be happy, this is the book for you. But if you’re looking for something that at least makes a little sense, take a break. Let Karina get lost…
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews