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The Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows #1
A Crown of Tears and Treason
To keep my family safe and prevent a devastating Clan war, I would do anything—even marry the powerful prince I’ve hidden from all my life.
When the vicious Blood Brotherhood prince I’ve been hidden from all my life finally comes to claim me at my wedding and kills my heinous groom, he gives me one choice—stay here and take my chances with the unknown force raining poisoned arrows on my ceremony or leave with him as his bride.
He’s the man I was raised to fear.
He’s the most ruthless warrior in all of Malhaven.
Few dare to even speak his name.
But with my family’s safety on the line, I choose the unthinkable and agree to become his queen.
As I try to adjust to my new home, the treacherous ways of Clan life, and learn the magic I was forbidden from practicing, I discover that the enemy I once feared might be the only one I can trust–and the sole person I can’t resist.
But the secret he’s keeping might finally accomplish what the assassins failed to do–destroy everyone I love and shatter our world forever.
A Crown of Tears and Treason is book one in the first duology of the A Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows series. It’s a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where banter is a love language and secrets can kill. The series starts out hot and only gets hotter as the mystery grows.
In the War of the Clans, which side will you choose? Protectorate VS Blood Brotherhood.
When the vicious Blood Brotherhood prince I’ve been hidden from all my life finally comes to claim me at my wedding and kills my heinous groom, he gives me one choice—stay here and take my chances with the unknown force raining poisoned arrows on my ceremony or leave with him as his bride.
He’s the man I was raised to fear.
He’s the most ruthless warrior in all of Malhaven.
Few dare to even speak his name.
But with my family’s safety on the line, I choose the unthinkable and agree to become his queen.
As I try to adjust to my new home, the treacherous ways of Clan life, and learn the magic I was forbidden from practicing, I discover that the enemy I once feared might be the only one I can trust–and the sole person I can’t resist.
But the secret he’s keeping might finally accomplish what the assassins failed to do–destroy everyone I love and shatter our world forever.
A Crown of Tears and Treason is book one in the first duology of the A Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows series. It’s a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where banter is a love language and secrets can kill. The series starts out hot and only gets hotter as the mystery grows.
In the War of the Clans, which side will you choose? Protectorate VS Blood Brotherhood.
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First published May 3, 2024
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October 19, 2025
✅ Arranged marriage
✅ Magic
✅ Politics and scheming
✅(🆗) Plot
✅(🆗) World-building
✅(🆗) Hate to love
✅(🆗) Characters
✅🆗 Pace
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, snake bite, amputation (mentioned, not graphic), abduction
2.5 stars
This is not a bad book, but it failed to keep my attention. It is a very average romantasy, with an arranged marriage between enemy clans, and a plot to kill the new bride before the wedding. It is nothing new, and the execution of it was good, but there was nothing special about it, and while it was good, it was not that engaging or gripping.
Even though people were trying to kill Evie, the stakes didn’t feel high. The pace was also uneven, with things progressing very quickly at times, and then feeling repetitive and dragging on for a few chapters. I liked the first third of the book, and the last 10% were very engaging; however, the middle section felt long and boring at times.
The world-building is basic, but it has potential. I was intrigued about the clans and the different magic they have, but it was not detailed enough. I wanted to know more about their histories and politics, understand why some hated each other, and how their unique powers worked, but while there is a good foundation for rich world-building, it was not built upon.
Evie is a good main character, but I can’t say I understand her motivations. She is willing to sacrifice herself again and again to seek revenge for her parents' murder and to protect her cousins. She had a very complicated relationship with her parents, admitting that she loved them, but also resented them, and saying that they should not have had children at all. Then she is willing to throw her life away twice to save her cousins, but besides the one, they do not seem to care about her that much, and she hasn’t seen them in over 15 years. It just does not feel like they are worth her sacrifice.
Zandyr is not bad either, but I wanted him to be a little more threatening. Everyone in the other clans fears him, and Evie’s parents uprooted their whole life and fled with her, hiding in the woods for years to keep her away from him, yet he was nice and mellow. I wanted him to have more of an edge to him, to feel darker, and maybe to reveal his nicer side later in the story… But that’s a “me” problem; it’s not because of bad writing or character development.
It is a very mild hate-to-love, because they never truly hated each other. Evie was scared of Zandyr, the Dragon, because of the stories she heard about him, and because her parents raised her to fear him, but he never did anything to make her truly hate him. Zandyr didn’t want to get married, but had to offer it to Evie because of an old oath between their families. It was weird at first, because he said he had to give her the option of marrying him, and he made it sound as if it was the only safe option for her family and her, but then he was surprised and slightly pissed when she agreed, because he was hoping she would refuse. It made no sense. Still, he never hated Evie either; he just was not happy with his situation.
Overall, the romance was sweet, but a little boring. The world-building and politics have potential, but were not developed enough, and the characters lacked some depth, making this a good enough, but not great, romantasy. The pace was my main struggle, I think. That, and the fact that even though both main characters were nice, I did not really care for them.
There is a plot twist in the last 10% of the book, but it did not surprise me that much; I did see it coming. However, the ending promises an angsty sequel. I do not think I will read it, but I admit that a part of me is a little curious about how things will develop in the next book.
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✅ Magic
✅ Politics and scheming
✅(🆗) Plot
✅(🆗) World-building
✅(🆗) Hate to love
✅(🆗) Characters
✅🆗 Pace
❗️❗️Cliffhanger
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, snake bite, amputation (mentioned, not graphic), abduction
2.5 stars
This is not a bad book, but it failed to keep my attention. It is a very average romantasy, with an arranged marriage between enemy clans, and a plot to kill the new bride before the wedding. It is nothing new, and the execution of it was good, but there was nothing special about it, and while it was good, it was not that engaging or gripping.
Even though people were trying to kill Evie, the stakes didn’t feel high. The pace was also uneven, with things progressing very quickly at times, and then feeling repetitive and dragging on for a few chapters. I liked the first third of the book, and the last 10% were very engaging; however, the middle section felt long and boring at times.
The world-building is basic, but it has potential. I was intrigued about the clans and the different magic they have, but it was not detailed enough. I wanted to know more about their histories and politics, understand why some hated each other, and how their unique powers worked, but while there is a good foundation for rich world-building, it was not built upon.
Evie is a good main character, but I can’t say I understand her motivations. She is willing to sacrifice herself again and again to seek revenge for her parents' murder and to protect her cousins. She had a very complicated relationship with her parents, admitting that she loved them, but also resented them, and saying that they should not have had children at all. Then she is willing to throw her life away twice to save her cousins, but besides the one, they do not seem to care about her that much, and she hasn’t seen them in over 15 years. It just does not feel like they are worth her sacrifice.
Zandyr is not bad either, but I wanted him to be a little more threatening. Everyone in the other clans fears him, and Evie’s parents uprooted their whole life and fled with her, hiding in the woods for years to keep her away from him, yet he was nice and mellow. I wanted him to have more of an edge to him, to feel darker, and maybe to reveal his nicer side later in the story… But that’s a “me” problem; it’s not because of bad writing or character development.
It is a very mild hate-to-love, because they never truly hated each other. Evie was scared of Zandyr, the Dragon, because of the stories she heard about him, and because her parents raised her to fear him, but he never did anything to make her truly hate him. Zandyr didn’t want to get married, but had to offer it to Evie because of an old oath between their families. It was weird at first, because he said he had to give her the option of marrying him, and he made it sound as if it was the only safe option for her family and her, but then he was surprised and slightly pissed when she agreed, because he was hoping she would refuse. It made no sense. Still, he never hated Evie either; he just was not happy with his situation.
Overall, the romance was sweet, but a little boring. The world-building and politics have potential, but were not developed enough, and the characters lacked some depth, making this a good enough, but not great, romantasy. The pace was my main struggle, I think. That, and the fact that even though both main characters were nice, I did not really care for them.
There is a plot twist in the last 10% of the book, but it did not surprise me that much; I did see it coming. However, the ending promises an angsty sequel. I do not think I will read it, but I admit that a part of me is a little curious about how things will develop in the next book.
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Want to read
May 5, 2024It’s a slowburn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where banter is a love language and secrets can kill. The series starts out hot and only gets hotter as the mystery grows.
i'm listening...
i'm listening...
May 19, 2024
**𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘** 𝑨 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑻𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒂 𝑹𝒂𝒚𝒆
Release Date: May 3, 2024
5⭐️4🌶
This book blew me away! Especially the ending! I'm not going to get over this ending for a while! I'm so glad I found this series and one of my new favorite authors Vera Raye. This series has all the elements I love to read about plus the wittiest of banter between the two main MCs. There banter MAKES this book! I can't wait to read more of their witty comebacks in the next installment in this series! Zandyr has all the touch-her-and-you-die vibes while at the same time giving Evie all of the space she needs to grow and figure herself out.
This series has clans, political intrigue, fights between clans, magic systems, each clan has different magical abilities, and family trauma and issues.
If you love Elise Kova, Sarah J. Maas, or Jennifer L. Armentrout, or any and all enemies-to-lovers, then you need to read this series!
A big thank you to @thebookishmusician / @behindthepagesPA for thinking of me and approving me for this ARC!
Release Date: May 3, 2024
5⭐️4🌶
This book blew me away! Especially the ending! I'm not going to get over this ending for a while! I'm so glad I found this series and one of my new favorite authors Vera Raye. This series has all the elements I love to read about plus the wittiest of banter between the two main MCs. There banter MAKES this book! I can't wait to read more of their witty comebacks in the next installment in this series! Zandyr has all the touch-her-and-you-die vibes while at the same time giving Evie all of the space she needs to grow and figure herself out.
This series has clans, political intrigue, fights between clans, magic systems, each clan has different magical abilities, and family trauma and issues.
If you love Elise Kova, Sarah J. Maas, or Jennifer L. Armentrout, or any and all enemies-to-lovers, then you need to read this series!
A big thank you to @thebookishmusician / @behindthepagesPA for thinking of me and approving me for this ARC!
December 26, 2025
4.25**** stars
Well, that new wife of his is pissed! I very likely would’ve been too. Go Evie. lol
On to the next...
*********
The Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows Series
Book 1 - A Crown of Tears and Treason - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - A Crown of Victory and Vengeance - currently listening
Book 3 - A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue - tbr
Book 4 - A Dagger of Fire and Fate - 06/26
Duology #3 - #5 - tbd
I sucked in a breath. “Zandyr finally found something to lose.”
“Some would say that whatever he’s found should have remained lost.”
Well, that new wife of his is pissed! I very likely would’ve been too. Go Evie. lol
On to the next...
*********
The Curse of Silver Secrets and Cruel Shadows Series
Book 1 - A Crown of Tears and Treason - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - A Crown of Victory and Vengeance - currently listening
Book 3 - A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue - tbr
Book 4 - A Dagger of Fire and Fate - 06/26
Duology #3 - #5 - tbd
July 20, 2024
Bad writing+ cringey dialogue +predictable plot = me DNF’ing at pg 115.
July 2, 2024
I don’t know why I read this, but that ending PISSED me off 😭😭 like girl leave him 👏
March 6, 2025
This was incredible! The intrigue, the political drama, THE ROMANCE! It was everything that I wanted to read about and so much more. I didn't see that betrayal coming at the end so I'm glad I held off a little bit and waited for the next book's audiobook to be released. I'm so excited I found this author! I'll probably be going through their backlist and see if anything else tickles my fancy ♡
August 30, 2024
I'm mean and should have made this a 3 star review but I can't. The writing wasn't where I'm used to when it comes to this genre. I got bored and felt the stakes weren't high enough which is strange because the stakes were pretty high. I just didn't perceive them to be.
November 22, 2024
The Hurricane Wars, buth with worse characters, a plot that doesn't have the same implications and a mostly unexplained power system or political and societal worldbuilding. All in favor of meaningless character interactions and a whole bunch of flashbacks that should, by all acounts, be the prologue.
Worldbuilding is bare bones: there's no sense of how big or small the world is, how's does geography look like and how it affects the poeple (yes, Blood Brotherhood lives in the jungle and Protectorate in cold islands, no it doesn't mean anything that they travel in a day or so from one to the other, they are implied to teleport in some way, the journey was too fast). The politics? Eh...no, the clan semi-war has potential, but is only used for The Selection style "hey an enemy" attacks at random, the fact that a "Council" is scary enough to keep them all in line yet refuses to show itself at any meaningful event (HELLO? Two of the most powerful clans ever are getting ALL of their youth married with each other, they will de facto fuse, can we get a Council envoy? A letter? Anything to show you actually exist?) is stupid. Socety is barely present, i mean they do...kinda see the normal folks, but they're more props than they are actual people, they act as a single entity (all running from the Serpent assassins, all looking at the Oracle ceremony, all cheering at the hunting ritual etc...) now i don't mean we should look at every citizen as a single person, it's obvious it's impossible and would be boring, but can we at least have some contrasting opinions form neutral parties? By that i mean it seems all the civilians hated FMC until they all loved her and the only people who defended her were her close friends. Lastly, the power system is mostly unexplained if not in passing remarks and the inability of the protagonist to tame her own magic in a normal way means there is no learning curve and no method, therefore no explanation is possible, while the MMC's magic is obtained off screen for god knows what reason, so...??? The other Clans' magics are barely mentioned.
Plot is absolutely dreadful, legit nothing happens if not a bunch of romantic scenes peppered by random action scenes which don't follow a throughline. There was a glimmer of hope for the research about the forgotten clan, but the only thing they got out of is probably that Clan's remnants are the bad guys...and they may raise the dead...sometime in the future. The romance had a couple of cute moments here and there, but she's so passive that it feels way too off balance (yes, i do realize they're in his kingdom and she can't do much, no, this doesn't mean she has to do nothing for him, it's the thought that counts; what if in her 16 years in the forest she learned woodwork? She could create some cute trinkets for him and he could start wearing them in his dragon thingy necklace, what if she cared for the gardens, with all of her experience in self sufficency? Is the 16 years in the mountains just a way to have her be a complete blak slate or do we acknowledge she might have actually lived those very formative years as a person?).
FMC is very bland: yeah she initially doesn't want to kill anyone and is disgusted at having temporarely blinded the two old dudes in the church, no this doesn't translate into any real moral stand because she kills when she needs to, without thinking much of it in the moment or after it, much the same way her caring for the citizens doens't really mean much where there is nothing she has to give up for it, it's easy to care for the less fortunate when it doesn't cost you anything (and we don't see her doing the rounds when she's under stress so...). It seemed like her guilt and desperate want to seek redemption for her responsability in her parent's deaths by protect other familiars could be used for something past accepting the first marriage, but nothing ever comes out of it. Her feelings for MMC are justified because he's an actual god, but it feels as real as interacting with an AI bot of your favourite character, yeah he's perfect, no she doesn't contribute to anything in building the relationship.
MMC is just Rhysand with less edge (past the opening scene) and blood bending instead of shadow bending, his dragon tatoo has more character than him and he likes the FMC because she....is his fated mate? Like seriously, WHY does he like her? Is it really just the bond? Would anyone actually like that? Being the love of someone's life because he's essentially forced to love you by the gods? It essentially means he doesn't like you because of you, but because of someone else. AT LEAST most of the other Fated Mates out there kind of have a reason why one could see an angle for it, but Zandyr just...likes her. His POVs are complete shit and don't add anything to the story. The curse thing is a cop out so he wouldn't seem as bad for marrying Kaya, it would actually be better if he made that choice consciously for a greater goal of some sort, but seriosly did this guy ever made an autonomous choice? Both his marriages were arranged, he was forced to go after his bethroted because of the council, he was forced to lie to her beacuse of the curse and he is forced to love her because of the Fated Mates thing
The two villains are litterally the two henchmen of the standard Disney villain (you know, the fat and short one and the tall and thin one), they're cartoonishly evil and nothing more. I guess i kind of liked how they didn't even bother with Evie's proposal of the carriage the day prior to the wedding, thought i can't rule out the author just forgot.
The friends of both Evie and Zandyr are one amalgamation of the same character so i don't even bother. Even those who try to stand out (Adara and Kaya) end up as non-entities who do nothing just letting the plot happen to them, seeming as ignorat of it as Evie (and the audience) is. For example Kaya simply sits in the background as she's being married to Zandyr while befriending FMC being all bubbly and carefree, despite obviously noticing where this behavior will lead regarding Evie, then we get probably one of the worst dialogues ever post wedding, as her and Zandyr aggressively tell the audience "each other" how much they only see the other as a friend and only feel bad for Evie and...zzz you did nothing to prevent this, the others are NOT bound by the curse and somehow all forgot to do anything about it.
If there was any point of praise, i would look to the parents of both MCs...in theory, not in practice. The idea of overbearing, helicopter parents, or self absorbed, still immature and gullible parents is a legitimate good one; having the protagonists talk about it and trying to learn from them ( "I won't be like that for my children" and all that, is repeated multiple times) but in practice both pairs are so over the top about it that it loses all meaning, one couple randomly turned form a wealthy and comfortable noble life into sixteen years in the mountains and didn't even think about what their daughter would do after their deaths (i mean, at this point just kill her yourself) and the other one is completely inept at ruling, to the point they caused a slaughter of their own subjects (and somehow nobody said anything about it. Again, the citizens aren't really people as much as they're props), so no real lesson can be learned from that, since how much one is willing to sacrifice for their loved ones is very subjective. I guess since Zandyr has learned from their mistakes and went through with the arranged marriage to safekeep the peace...Evie will learn to...accept arranged marriages for her baby? Jee i can see this going well.
Ah, another one is how easy it is to read, the writing style is very approachable so at least it flows well, therefore the reader shouldn't feel those 200 excess pages unless something specific irks them. The sentence structure, writing style and even chapter composition work like a mill to keep one's attention, so... props to the editor?
Worldbuilding is bare bones: there's no sense of how big or small the world is, how's does geography look like and how it affects the poeple (yes, Blood Brotherhood lives in the jungle and Protectorate in cold islands, no it doesn't mean anything that they travel in a day or so from one to the other, they are implied to teleport in some way, the journey was too fast). The politics? Eh...no, the clan semi-war has potential, but is only used for The Selection style "hey an enemy" attacks at random, the fact that a "Council" is scary enough to keep them all in line yet refuses to show itself at any meaningful event (HELLO? Two of the most powerful clans ever are getting ALL of their youth married with each other, they will de facto fuse, can we get a Council envoy? A letter? Anything to show you actually exist?) is stupid. Socety is barely present, i mean they do...kinda see the normal folks, but they're more props than they are actual people, they act as a single entity (all running from the Serpent assassins, all looking at the Oracle ceremony, all cheering at the hunting ritual etc...) now i don't mean we should look at every citizen as a single person, it's obvious it's impossible and would be boring, but can we at least have some contrasting opinions form neutral parties? By that i mean it seems all the civilians hated FMC until they all loved her and the only people who defended her were her close friends. Lastly, the power system is mostly unexplained if not in passing remarks and the inability of the protagonist to tame her own magic in a normal way means there is no learning curve and no method, therefore no explanation is possible, while the MMC's magic is obtained off screen for god knows what reason, so...??? The other Clans' magics are barely mentioned.
Plot is absolutely dreadful, legit nothing happens if not a bunch of romantic scenes peppered by random action scenes which don't follow a throughline. There was a glimmer of hope for the research about the forgotten clan, but the only thing they got out of is probably that Clan's remnants are the bad guys...and they may raise the dead...sometime in the future. The romance had a couple of cute moments here and there, but she's so passive that it feels way too off balance (yes, i do realize they're in his kingdom and she can't do much, no, this doesn't mean she has to do nothing for him, it's the thought that counts; what if in her 16 years in the forest she learned woodwork? She could create some cute trinkets for him and he could start wearing them in his dragon thingy necklace, what if she cared for the gardens, with all of her experience in self sufficency? Is the 16 years in the mountains just a way to have her be a complete blak slate or do we acknowledge she might have actually lived those very formative years as a person?).
FMC is very bland: yeah she initially doesn't want to kill anyone and is disgusted at having temporarely blinded the two old dudes in the church, no this doesn't translate into any real moral stand because she kills when she needs to, without thinking much of it in the moment or after it, much the same way her caring for the citizens doens't really mean much where there is nothing she has to give up for it, it's easy to care for the less fortunate when it doesn't cost you anything (and we don't see her doing the rounds when she's under stress so...). It seemed like her guilt and desperate want to seek redemption for her responsability in her parent's deaths by protect other familiars could be used for something past accepting the first marriage, but nothing ever comes out of it. Her feelings for MMC are justified because he's an actual god, but it feels as real as interacting with an AI bot of your favourite character, yeah he's perfect, no she doesn't contribute to anything in building the relationship.
MMC is just Rhysand with less edge (past the opening scene) and blood bending instead of shadow bending, his dragon tatoo has more character than him and he likes the FMC because she....is his fated mate? Like seriously, WHY does he like her? Is it really just the bond? Would anyone actually like that? Being the love of someone's life because he's essentially forced to love you by the gods? It essentially means he doesn't like you because of you, but because of someone else. AT LEAST most of the other Fated Mates out there kind of have a reason why one could see an angle for it, but Zandyr just...likes her. His POVs are complete shit and don't add anything to the story. The curse thing is a cop out so he wouldn't seem as bad for marrying Kaya, it would actually be better if he made that choice consciously for a greater goal of some sort, but seriosly did this guy ever made an autonomous choice? Both his marriages were arranged, he was forced to go after his bethroted because of the council, he was forced to lie to her beacuse of the curse and he is forced to love her because of the Fated Mates thing
The two villains are litterally the two henchmen of the standard Disney villain (you know, the fat and short one and the tall and thin one), they're cartoonishly evil and nothing more. I guess i kind of liked how they didn't even bother with Evie's proposal of the carriage the day prior to the wedding, thought i can't rule out the author just forgot.
The friends of both Evie and Zandyr are one amalgamation of the same character so i don't even bother. Even those who try to stand out (Adara and Kaya) end up as non-entities who do nothing just letting the plot happen to them, seeming as ignorat of it as Evie (and the audience) is. For example Kaya simply sits in the background as she's being married to Zandyr while befriending FMC being all bubbly and carefree, despite obviously noticing where this behavior will lead regarding Evie, then we get probably one of the worst dialogues ever post wedding, as her and Zandyr aggressively tell
If there was any point of praise, i would look to the parents of both MCs...in theory, not in practice. The idea of overbearing, helicopter parents, or self absorbed, still immature and gullible parents is a legitimate good one; having the protagonists talk about it and trying to learn from them ( "I won't be like that for my children" and all that, is repeated multiple times) but in practice both pairs are so over the top about it that it loses all meaning, one couple randomly turned form a wealthy and comfortable noble life into sixteen years in the mountains and didn't even think about what their daughter would do after their deaths (i mean, at this point just kill her yourself) and the other one is completely inept at ruling, to the point they caused a slaughter of their own subjects (and somehow nobody said anything about it. Again, the citizens aren't really people as much as they're props), so no real lesson can be learned from that, since how much one is willing to sacrifice for their loved ones is very subjective. I guess since Zandyr has learned from their mistakes and went through with the arranged marriage to safekeep the peace...Evie will learn to...accept arranged marriages for her baby? Jee i can see this going well.
Ah, another one is how easy it is to read, the writing style is very approachable so at least it flows well, therefore the reader shouldn't feel those 200 excess pages unless something specific irks them. The sentence structure, writing style and even chapter composition work like a mill to keep one's attention, so... props to the editor?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2024
Yeah, this fell flat for me.
The mc was kind of annoying and childish.
The world building left a lot to be desired.
The plot was just “there’s danger, the court is a nest of vipers” and “let’s find out who murdered your parents”
I didn’t really care for the hero, and this was described as enemies to lovers, when really - it isn’t. It’s more like “two people forced into a marriage”, and their romance is very… sweet? But boring.
Dnf at 76%
The mc was kind of annoying and childish.
The world building left a lot to be desired.
The plot was just “there’s danger, the court is a nest of vipers” and “let’s find out who murdered your parents”
I didn’t really care for the hero, and this was described as enemies to lovers, when really - it isn’t. It’s more like “two people forced into a marriage”, and their romance is very… sweet? But boring.
Dnf at 76%
June 9, 2025
Audio: 5 stars for Jeremy York and Saskia Maarleveld. The audio can be found on Audible Plus
Book: 3.5-4 stars
I’m in my lazy era… so not really caring about my reviews. This was a good read and hooked me from the start. Did end on a cliffhanger-ish, and picked up book 2 but lost interest.
Book: 3.5-4 stars
I’m in my lazy era… so not really caring about my reviews. This was a good read and hooked me from the start. Did end on a cliffhanger-ish, and picked up book 2 but lost interest.
August 10, 2024
✰✰✰✰✰/5 -I LOVE THIS BOOK! READ THIS BOOK NOW!
🌶🌶🌶.5/5
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Tropes ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
☁︎Enemies to Lovers☁︎
☁︎Fated Mates☁︎
☁︎Touch-Her-And-Die☁︎
☁︎A LOT OF SECRETS☁︎
☁︎Forced Marriaged☁︎
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Thoughts ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
☁︎I am left with no words… I was so invested the entire time. I craved to read this book because the writing style and plot kept me on the edge of my seat for all of it. The mysteries the characters don’t know we have no sneak peaks into them. When the FMC gets news we are right there hearing it for the first time too.
☁︎I love all the characters and this book I must get my hands on the next book as soon as I can. It’s a story that made me scream, laugh, cry, squeal, jump, want to punch someone. Rollercoaster of emotions in the best way possible! I can’t wait for the next book!
˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖Recommended for ppl who…˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖
☁︎Enjoy a heck of a cliffhanger☁︎
☁︎Enemies to lovers readers (MUST READ!!)☁︎
☁︎Loves magical powers☁︎
☁︎Need a new interconnected duo series☁︎
✩₊˚.⋆☾ Quote(s) ☾⋆⁺₊✧
☁︎❝You haunt my mind. You haunt my dreams. I feel you in every breese and smell you in every breath. You undo me. You mesmerize my thoughts away constantly.❞☁︎
☁︎❝Say the word and I'm yours.❞☁︎
☁︎❝I won't care if the entire Captial hears that you are mine.❞☁︎
🌶🌶🌶.5/5
⋆˖⁺‧₊☽ Tropes ☾₊‧⁺˖⋆
☁︎Enemies to Lovers☁︎
☁︎Fated Mates☁︎
☁︎Touch-Her-And-Die☁︎
☁︎A LOT OF SECRETS☁︎
☁︎Forced Marriaged☁︎
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ Thoughts ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
☁︎I am left with no words… I was so invested the entire time. I craved to read this book because the writing style and plot kept me on the edge of my seat for all of it. The mysteries the characters don’t know we have no sneak peaks into them. When the FMC gets news we are right there hearing it for the first time too.
☁︎I love all the characters and this book I must get my hands on the next book as soon as I can. It’s a story that made me scream, laugh, cry, squeal, jump, want to punch someone. Rollercoaster of emotions in the best way possible! I can’t wait for the next book!
˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖Recommended for ppl who…˖⁺‧₊˚☁️˚₊‧⁺˖
☁︎Enjoy a heck of a cliffhanger☁︎
☁︎Enemies to lovers readers (MUST READ!!)☁︎
☁︎Loves magical powers☁︎
☁︎Need a new interconnected duo series☁︎
✩₊˚.⋆☾ Quote(s) ☾⋆⁺₊✧
☁︎❝You haunt my mind. You haunt my dreams. I feel you in every breese and smell you in every breath. You undo me. You mesmerize my thoughts away constantly.❞☁︎
☁︎❝Say the word and I'm yours.❞☁︎
☁︎❝I won't care if the entire Captial hears that you are mine.❞☁︎
August 26, 2025
DNF at 62%
I got to this stage of the book and honestly can't really tell you what's happened in the plot because I've already braindumped it. It's not like it was terrible, it just wasn't enough to really hold my attention all the way through. When a book has me zoning out and starts to take a few days for me to read (I'm a fast reader), then I don't force myself to keeping at it when I'm not enjoying it
I got to this stage of the book and honestly can't really tell you what's happened in the plot because I've already braindumped it. It's not like it was terrible, it just wasn't enough to really hold my attention all the way through. When a book has me zoning out and starts to take a few days for me to read (I'm a fast reader), then I don't force myself to keeping at it when I'm not enjoying it
November 3, 2025
4.5-5 ⭐️
3.5-4🌶️
The ending had me questioning my life. I knew something like this would happen and I still wasn’t prepared for it. My soul wasn’t ready for that betrayal, just like she wasn’t. This book had me in a chokehold and I didn’t want it to let me go.
I feel this book is so underrated, it should have so much buzz around it because it was so good. You’ll blow throw it in no time, after you get through who everyone is first, it can be a little confusing.
3.5-4🌶️
The ending had me questioning my life. I knew something like this would happen and I still wasn’t prepared for it. My soul wasn’t ready for that betrayal, just like she wasn’t. This book had me in a chokehold and I didn’t want it to let me go.
I feel this book is so underrated, it should have so much buzz around it because it was so good. You’ll blow throw it in no time, after you get through who everyone is first, it can be a little confusing.
July 2, 2024
I don’t know if it’s just me but I’ve started 5 books and didn’t finished them because of the main female character and this is one of them. I don’t understand why she keeps pulling a blade on this man. She knows that won’t do anything. The first time was fine after that it just became really silly. Then she’s always saying that she can take care of herself. No you can’t, not against these trained men, especially when it says you’re super small, and stayed in a cabin her whole life, not training or eating enough. She hasn’t learned her magic yet, but I just cannot get through the book because instead of being fierce and strong, she’s just whiny and ridiculous. What’s wrong with her just being like I need help or I don’t know how to do that because I was stuck in a cabin my whole life? DNF
October 7, 2024
I'm looking through the reviews and wondering ...how?! How is this book rated so highly?! Is this another one of those booktok conspiracies?
I barely ever DNF
But I most certainly DNFed this book around 20% and it was a miracle I even made it that far.
The writing was a mess, there was zero world building and the characters personalities changed every other chapter.
Now I have trust issues regarding the Goodreads community.
I barely ever DNF
But I most certainly DNFed this book around 20% and it was a miracle I even made it that far.
The writing was a mess, there was zero world building and the characters personalities changed every other chapter.
Now I have trust issues regarding the Goodreads community.
July 28, 2025
WHAT A HIDDEN GEM!! I hadn't heard anyone talk about this series, but I found it scrolling on KU one day and gave it a shot! & babyyyy I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put it down. SO GOOD. & THE ENDING?? MY HEARTTTT 😩😩😩 Did not see that coming AT ALL 😭
What to expect:
- Fantasy romance
- Slow burn, buuuut there's plenty of tension and flirting
- Arranged marriage
- He calls her "menace"
What to expect:
- Fantasy romance
- Slow burn, buuuut there's plenty of tension and flirting
- Arranged marriage
- He calls her "menace"
August 18, 2024
I'm not about to sit here and bash this book, not in the slightest. It kept my attention until 70%, but then it clicked: the plot is the slow burn!
No, jokes aside now. I was semi invested. The imagination was there, and the ideas were fair. The execution just wasn't paced properly and was too focused on deep diving into describing pretty views for my liking. I am here for the gossip, not all the buildings that stretched farther than the eye can see (which, if we break this down, are we really working with the Great Wall of China? I doubt it. I've seen a very vast building, both height and width - you can more often than not see the end in some capacity...so maybe the describing wasn't giving what it thought it was giving)
Slow burn means slooowwllyyyy eeeeaaaassssiinnnggggg the reader into the idea of this couple. I really felt they had about 3 interactions in the first 45% of the book and then BOOM KISS ON THE FOREHEAD, HES FIT, CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM WOW HES SMILING AND LAUGHING WITH ME...((fated mates?)) HES VERY KEEN FOR ME EWWW HEHE I AM KEEN FOR HIM TOO...'am I all you think about?' 'maybe' (yes) WE BREATHE FOR EACH OTHER LOVE YOU ZADDY XX
That sums it up really. I did kick my feet in the air at the forehead kiss though, sorry I'm just a girl.
PS there was a few humorous bits too actually, and I liked the dynamic of the group. Don't like them likening themselves to misfits, but that's a me problem. I didn't think they were outcasts in the slightest, just individuals who had faced tribulations during their upbringing. To me, that doesn't make them misfits.
No, jokes aside now. I was semi invested. The imagination was there, and the ideas were fair. The execution just wasn't paced properly and was too focused on deep diving into describing pretty views for my liking. I am here for the gossip, not all the buildings that stretched farther than the eye can see (which, if we break this down, are we really working with the Great Wall of China? I doubt it. I've seen a very vast building, both height and width - you can more often than not see the end in some capacity...so maybe the describing wasn't giving what it thought it was giving)
Slow burn means slooowwllyyyy eeeeaaaassssiinnnggggg the reader into the idea of this couple. I really felt they had about 3 interactions in the first 45% of the book and then BOOM KISS ON THE FOREHEAD, HES FIT, CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM WOW HES SMILING AND LAUGHING WITH ME...((fated mates?)) HES VERY KEEN FOR ME EWWW HEHE I AM KEEN FOR HIM TOO...'am I all you think about?' 'maybe' (yes) WE BREATHE FOR EACH OTHER LOVE YOU ZADDY XX
That sums it up really. I did kick my feet in the air at the forehead kiss though, sorry I'm just a girl.
PS there was a few humorous bits too actually, and I liked the dynamic of the group. Don't like them likening themselves to misfits, but that's a me problem. I didn't think they were outcasts in the slightest, just individuals who had faced tribulations during their upbringing. To me, that doesn't make them misfits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2024
Not sure how to rate this one. I'm thinking maybe a 4.25-4.5 because while I had a couple things I didn't love about it, I could see this series becoming a favorite depending on how it goes. I adored the interactions between Evie and Zandyr. I think rating it is also hard because around the 85% mark I gave into temptation and read the ending. I'd figured out the ending early on when it was originally foreshadowed and really struggled with trying not to ruin the ending for myself. I don't want my rating to be unfair to the author for my own actions, lol.
July 21, 2025
What a pleasant surprise! Love a book that hits the ground running! Honestly this was just such an easy read, sucked me in completely. Yes there was a bit of a lull for a moment but the ending is a true crescendo! On to book two that I will now devour!
August 1, 2025
The writing is repetitive and I really got tired of the constant references to Grandpa C and the FMC’s cousins. I enjoyed the FMC and MMC’s interactions but both characters were lacking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 9, 2025DROPPED.
My opinion on this book is based on my reading preferences. Please, don't let this stop you from enjoying the author's story.
This is one of those fantasy romances that seemed almost generic, and the heroine trying too hard. Also, I didn't like the heroine much. Even if it is a character development kind of pacing, she started off a little too afraid and unwise (this is me being nice). I also don't believe in people being martyrs for a family who never once loved her. It was obvious Evie wasn't happy with her life and upbringing, and all the slandering about her plain face, inabilities and such...it got a bit annoying.
Everyone was underestimating her, and you'd think that's where the plot will thicken, but sadly, I wasn't feeling it. Not too crazy about Zandyr either. His character didn't convince me that he was worthy.
My opinion on this book is based on my reading preferences. Please, don't let this stop you from enjoying the author's story.
This is one of those fantasy romances that seemed almost generic, and the heroine trying too hard. Also, I didn't like the heroine much. Even if it is a character development kind of pacing, she started off a little too afraid and unwise (this is me being nice). I also don't believe in people being martyrs for a family who never once loved her. It was obvious Evie wasn't happy with her life and upbringing, and all the slandering about her plain face, inabilities and such...it got a bit annoying.
Everyone was underestimating her, and you'd think that's where the plot will thicken, but sadly, I wasn't feeling it. Not too crazy about Zandyr either. His character didn't convince me that he was worthy.
November 14, 2024
Not worth the time..Spoiler
Don't care for this one. Another weak and pathetic heroine that got duped b the . Not worth reading when the h is already with another women who is his queen. Don't care for books with the OW.
Don't care for this one. Another weak and pathetic heroine that got duped b the . Not worth reading when the h is already with another women who is his queen. Don't care for books with the OW.
September 3, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I picked this up with a free Audible credit, went in with no expectations, and ended up enjoying it. The foundation of the story with clans at war and an arranged marriage pulled me in right away. I have to say, this was one of the better arranged marriage tropes I’ve read. There were a handful of spots in the middle where I lost a little steam, but overall the pacing kept me engaged.
The enemies-to-lovers arc felt mostly realistic, though they warmed up to each other a little quicker than I expected. Where the story lost me was in the number of different plots it tried to juggle. It became hard to keep up with all the side quests and rivalries while also trying to understand the world being built. The world building could have been a bit stronger, but I assume we only know as much as the FMC does, which makes sense from her perspective. Still, some details felt unnecessary, like the random focus on a carriage and a secret plan that never really came to life.
I enjoyed most of the spice and how it usually drove the plot… but seriously, where was my wedding night?! I was waiting the whole book for it. Don’t leave me hanging like that, book two better deliver!
The ending hooked me and left plenty to be discovered in the sequel. My heart broke for Eavie, and I’m eager to see how it all plays out. Most of all, I adored the FMC. She was strong, layered, and I completely fell in love with her character. I also loved how the other characters seemed to fall for her in the same way, recognizing the same qualities that drew me in as a reader.
I picked this up with a free Audible credit, went in with no expectations, and ended up enjoying it. The foundation of the story with clans at war and an arranged marriage pulled me in right away. I have to say, this was one of the better arranged marriage tropes I’ve read. There were a handful of spots in the middle where I lost a little steam, but overall the pacing kept me engaged.
The enemies-to-lovers arc felt mostly realistic, though they warmed up to each other a little quicker than I expected. Where the story lost me was in the number of different plots it tried to juggle. It became hard to keep up with all the side quests and rivalries while also trying to understand the world being built. The world building could have been a bit stronger, but I assume we only know as much as the FMC does, which makes sense from her perspective. Still, some details felt unnecessary, like the random focus on a carriage and a secret plan that never really came to life.
I enjoyed most of the spice and how it usually drove the plot… but seriously, where was my wedding night?! I was waiting the whole book for it. Don’t leave me hanging like that, book two better deliver!
The ending hooked me and left plenty to be discovered in the sequel. My heart broke for Eavie, and I’m eager to see how it all plays out. Most of all, I adored the FMC. She was strong, layered, and I completely fell in love with her character. I also loved how the other characters seemed to fall for her in the same way, recognizing the same qualities that drew me in as a reader.
October 24, 2024
That ending broke me. 😭😭
I was surprisingly hooked on this one. It’s not perfect (unnecessarily wordy, needed a proofreading) but I really liked the characters.
Wish I could dive in and do a more thorough review but have been swamped with things. If I get a chance I’ll flesh this out!
I was surprisingly hooked on this one. It’s not perfect (unnecessarily wordy, needed a proofreading) but I really liked the characters.
Wish I could dive in and do a more thorough review but have been swamped with things. If I get a chance I’ll flesh this out!
March 29, 2025
The plot twist at the end was amazing! The book was rather good.
June 24, 2024
This was such an excellent story and addictive story. That cliff hanger, though... 😳 I've done a good amount of yelling and ranting about it. My kid overheard and said that they loved the drama. 😅 I guess it just goes to show how good the story was that I got so invested and pissed. Boy, watch... your back because you f'd up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2024
Needs work
I can't say it has a good premise because I don't know what it is. It doesn't have a plot, exactly, more like several storylines surrounding the same characters. The storylines are okay, but Raye needs to learn how to focus. The reader should be able to identify clear objectives and pinpoint the overarching goal. Here, I'm not sure which one is the dominant line.
Because of this, you never quite know which storyline you're walking. This interrupts the flow of the book.
Furthermore, entirely too much of the story happens off the page. Overall, I felt like I read half of this story. Zandyr, in particular, really highlighted this. He went from not liking Evie to being completely enamored with her for no discernable reason.
We still don't know why Evie's parents ran off with her. Why were they worried about Zandyr. Evie claims they were enemies, but we never actually saw evidence of that.
We don't know why all of her cousins were scattered away from their home clan. Just because they're betrothed doesn't explain that. We also don't know why they were all betrothed to the same clan, nor why they're all Zandyr's warriors.
We are also subjected to repetitive phrases. Evie licks the inside of her cheek a lot. I tried it, and it's very awkward, and she must've looked ridiculous when she did it. The awful, overused line of not knowing where one or the other begins or ends is used twice! Once for bodies in passion and the other to describe dress paneling of all things. Just stop that. That line should be illegal. Any author using it should be immediately discredited and stoned for good measure.
I don't know.... maybe I'll read the next one. Evie, at least, isn't a complete waste of character.
I can't say it has a good premise because I don't know what it is. It doesn't have a plot, exactly, more like several storylines surrounding the same characters. The storylines are okay, but Raye needs to learn how to focus. The reader should be able to identify clear objectives and pinpoint the overarching goal. Here, I'm not sure which one is the dominant line.
Because of this, you never quite know which storyline you're walking. This interrupts the flow of the book.
Furthermore, entirely too much of the story happens off the page. Overall, I felt like I read half of this story. Zandyr, in particular, really highlighted this. He went from not liking Evie to being completely enamored with her for no discernable reason.
We still don't know why Evie's parents ran off with her. Why were they worried about Zandyr. Evie claims they were enemies, but we never actually saw evidence of that.
We don't know why all of her cousins were scattered away from their home clan. Just because they're betrothed doesn't explain that. We also don't know why they were all betrothed to the same clan, nor why they're all Zandyr's warriors.
We are also subjected to repetitive phrases. Evie licks the inside of her cheek a lot. I tried it, and it's very awkward, and she must've looked ridiculous when she did it. The awful, overused line of not knowing where one or the other begins or ends is used twice! Once for bodies in passion and the other to describe dress paneling of all things. Just stop that. That line should be illegal. Any author using it should be immediately discredited and stoned for good measure.
I don't know.... maybe I'll read the next one. Evie, at least, isn't a complete waste of character.
Read
August 10, 2024DNF @ 17%
I've become more selective about what I read, and this book just didn’t work for me. If something doesn’t make logical sense, I find it hard to keep going—especially with romantasies.
In this case, I couldn’t understand the reasoning behind the FMC marrying one character and then another to supposedly save her family. Her family is portrayed as one of the most powerful, so why wasn’t there any communication or alternative solution?
The idea of just agreeing to marriage as if it would solve everything felt like a flimsy plot setup. This ultimately threw off the chemistry with the MMC for me, and I just couldn’t feel it.
Also, in one moment, she’s trying to be fierce, and in the next, she’s trembling. It felt like two different people, and she didn’t come across as a well-developed character.
I've become more selective about what I read, and this book just didn’t work for me. If something doesn’t make logical sense, I find it hard to keep going—especially with romantasies.
In this case, I couldn’t understand the reasoning behind the FMC marrying one character and then another to supposedly save her family. Her family is portrayed as one of the most powerful, so why wasn’t there any communication or alternative solution?
The idea of just agreeing to marriage as if it would solve everything felt like a flimsy plot setup. This ultimately threw off the chemistry with the MMC for me, and I just couldn’t feel it.
Also, in one moment, she’s trying to be fierce, and in the next, she’s trembling. It felt like two different people, and she didn’t come across as a well-developed character.
May 31, 2024
Heavens that ending was painful. I kind of saw the situation coming but it doesn’t change the feelings behind that whole situation.
Evie deserves way better and after seeing her finally live she gets brought down again. I really want to see her come out a different person in the second book. The tropes in this one are great if you like a good fantasy revolving political intrigue, arranged marriages and enemies to lovers you will definitely enjoy reading this.
The romance was definitely the best in this book and there was the right amount of mystery in this too. Just don’t expect having all the answers at the end because it will definitely make you want more of this story. Again, Team Evie here and I can’t wait to see her in her reputation era.
Evie deserves way better and after seeing her finally live she gets brought down again. I really want to see her come out a different person in the second book. The tropes in this one are great if you like a good fantasy revolving political intrigue, arranged marriages and enemies to lovers you will definitely enjoy reading this.
The romance was definitely the best in this book and there was the right amount of mystery in this too. Just don’t expect having all the answers at the end because it will definitely make you want more of this story. Again, Team Evie here and I can’t wait to see her in her reputation era.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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