The Path of Blood and Betrayals

The Blood Witch Chronicles #1

by E.D. Crowe

Having lived a life full of nightmares and fear, Maximillia is shunned for her dangerous blood powers. Forced to hide away, she’s content to live in her hut on the edge of the Coven that found her as a child. That is until the Crimson Army, a plague on their lands that ravages and kills without discretion, burns her home and village to the ground.

Striking a deal to find resources and allies, she sets off to the Lone Human King’s White Palace for peace talks and to find unity against the army. There, she’s completely unprepared for the dangers at court and the journey beyond.

Kaden Moorgate, the cursed Dark Fae Prince of the Shadowlands, is more beast than man. He’s been sent to the human territory for one purpose only – to find a weapon powerful enough to end the humans, free his people from their tyranny and control Neevea once and for all.

He doesn’t plan on finding Max. A woman he feels drawn to even though he shouldn’t.

Her blood powers make her a powerful weapon. Her lips make her a threat.
She’s exactly what he needs.
And he intends on taking her, all of her. Whether she wants it or not.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Fantasy, Forced Proximity, Found Family, Fae

330 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2025

About the author

E.D Crowe is a new author who runs on coffee, chaos, and unhealthy amounts of dark chocolate.

When not writing (which is a lot), she can be found howling at the moon, crafting potions in her kitchen or swooning over the deranged villains.

She has two Australian Shepherds who think they’re lap dogs, three feral children, and a golden retriever husband who is as far from the villain as possible.

Want to see new releases before they're announced? Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/iWvDCk

Want to chat about my books? Join my Coven (Facebook Reader group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/55189...

Reviews

[Kyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blood summoner witch and the Dark Fae Prince. 😍 Such a fun, dark romantasy! I flew right through this read, and after that cliffhanger ending, I’m so glad I won’t have to wait long for book 2!

This is the first book in the Blood Witch Chronicles trilogy. It follows Max, a blood summoner witch who was taught to fear and hide her unique, murderous powers, and Kaden, a dark fae prince who loves and embraces his dark, deathly magic.

This story has so much slow burn tension, a ton of action, definite twists and turns, and the perfect amount of spice. The characters are well developed and the world building is good. I highly enjoyed this read and would recommend to all romantasy fans that love a good shadow daddy MMC.

Thank you to the author and Grey's Promotions for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Ivy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very rarely do I say this, but I hated getting an arc of this. You know why? because now I have a tremendously long wait for book two.

It is such a minor thing to be bitching about, but whatever, these are my problems.

I was hooked from the first chapter. The writing, the descriptions, all of it chef’s fucking French kiss.

If you like a story with elevated prose, a rich plot that takes its time to be uncovered, a morally grey MMC and most importantly an FMC that you just know is going to be a bad bitch, then make sure that you are reading this the first damn day it comes out.

Thank you so much to author E.D. Crowe for the arc. This review was left voluntarily.

[Kaimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Love Notes PR for introducing me to this series, I would never have found out about it otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed this and read majority of it in 1 day. I’m not sure how I feel about Kaden in the epilogue.. but I am excited for the next 2!

I feel so sorry for max that nobody has ever been willing to try and understand her magic for her sake instead of telling her to stay away from people. My girl has known nothing but betrayal and being bullied :(

You can tell that this wasn’t proof read as there are quite a few spelling and grammar errors throughout, however it didn’t affect the story or my capability to read along.

[Spooks Reads it · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy wow!! can I read book two nowwww please 😆 I absolutely loved this book the fmc is a badass and I loved her the writing is captivatingly addictive you'll want to finish in one setting 🥰 want spice oh you'll get it trust me 😈 well done I can't wait for book Two

[Kassie Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

So clever, amazing writing

The magic system? The blut coven? I’ve never been hooked so fast as i was with her mother’s chapter at the beginning. WOW

book 2 can’t come fast enough

[ashp_reads1875 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot believe this it the writers first attempt at a dark romantasy novel! I was hooked right from the start and would have sat and read the whole thing in one go if I could have. The world building is easy to follow and you don’t feel like that is all you are getting for the first few chapters. You get introduced to Kaden, the very hot shadow daddy mmc, and his plotting within the first chapter. The second chapter introduces you to Max, the fmc who you immediately know is badass. Yes she might not like her powers but she certainly knows how to use them and will use them to protect the people around her.
The unique magic system was easy to follow which for me is always a bonus.
It is a slow burn which just means you get the extra bonus of yearning for each other but when the spice hits ooooooh does it hit!!!
The further you read the higher the stakes get and I cannot wait for book 2 in this series

[Talia Samara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of The Path of Blood and Betrayals in exchange for my honest review. My overall rating does not reflect any spelling or grammar errors found within the text.

The Path of Blood and Betrayals is a book that I think is on its way to becoming a decent romance fantasy story. Max, our FMC is compelling with her struggles of feeling like an outsider and craving acceptance and understanding. The world is an interesting one, with different species coming together to navigate their differing beliefs and politics. The magic system is also intriguing, and the author provides impressive imagery in regards to how the different powers take shape.

That being said, I personally believe this book could have benefited from some further editing before it went to publishing (spoilers below).

While I enjoyed many aspects of the world, I would have liked it to be more fully developed. For example, it was unclear who was at war with who at the start of the story. I would have liked to read more information about the Fae, Humans, and Witch covens and how they worked amongst themselves as well as what their relationships are to each other. Since the book also starts during a war, I would have liked to get a little more background on who is fighting who and what the threats are.

The magic system was also a bit confusing to me. We’re told a lot about the different magics, but I think the story could have done a better job at showing. For example, Max talks a lot about how she’s afraid of losing control, and we’re told she did it once as a child, but other than that, when she uses her power, she doesn’t seem to be out of control, and she doesn’t hurt anyone that isn’t an enemy. It also doesn’t make sense to me that her friends would be mad that she used her power against enemies. I was also a little confused as to how Max’s powers actually work. I understand she can feel and control blood, but I don’t understand why her power craves that. What is the benefit, especially if the only thing that happens when she uses it is her being weakened. Who or what is benefitting from the control of the blood?

Regarding the relationship between Max and Kaden, I like the idea of Kaden wanting to use Max as a weapon for his father/kingdom, but I wish he would have come up with that plan before he started caring for Max in his inner monologue. It didn’t really make sense to me that he would want to subject her to his father after he’d admitted to himself/the audience that he had feelings for her. The instant connection/attraction is great, but Kaden feeling or recognizing that he’s feeling love for her needs to be denied, in my opinion. I think that also would have made the ending more impactful.

Lastly, in my opinion, a lot of the narration was a little repetitive and/or wordy and could have been cut down.

Again, I really do think there is a good start of a story here, but I would have liked it to have been more developed and gone through further edits before being published.

[Abi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoilers....Putting aside the spelling and grammar mistakes this is not a good book anyway. There's one moment when the FMC being a blood summoner is meant to be a secret yet it's announced and no one bats an eye. The whole claiming thing at the end is confusing I honestly thought it was the shifter claiming her because of how confusing it was I couldn't tell who was talking, and why is she so mad he's been calling her 'mine' for majority of the book and she was fine with it. There are so many conveniences it's laughable, plot points went nowhere like what was the point of Taylay going if he's going to tap out and have no real issues with it, we were told multiple times dark Fae are ruthless and mean from kaden's pov so it's not even a misinterpretation but they really aren't and at no point showed that (yeah he killed a guy but it was done out of spite, I thought this was meant to be a cool prince). And for being told multiple times that Max is super powerful she's really not she's a Mary sue and everything is handed to her or she's constantly being rescued, she makes dumb choices but it conveniently works out, like what was the point of the fury and hadeon side plots that went no where. There's no stakes whatsoever and I was guessing the plot from the start.

[Michaela | bumblebeeslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Path of Blood and Betrayals is a slow burn dark romance with a powerful FMC and morally grey MMC.

FMC Maximillia, Max for short, is a rare blood summoner witch, who lives mostly in solitude amongst her coven and village. While she is close to the leaders of the coven, most others are afraid of her powers. After her village is attacked by the Crimson Army, her and Tay (a healer) decide to attend the human Kings peace talks. What Max is not prepared for is the broody dark fae Prince.

MMC Kaden is the cursed Prince of the dark fae, who is also, unexpectedly, in attendance at the peace talks. He and his siblings have gone for one thing only, to find a weapon to use against the humans. Kaden does not expect to meet Max, nor the unexplainable pull he has towards her. He cannot understand this odd need to ensure she is ok, he has never cared about anyone's well-being like this before.

As the peace talk party themselves are attached by the Crimson Army, it is agreed that a smaller group will go into the cursed forest to find where the Crimson Army's base is, but it is an extremely dangerous journey. Kaden and Max both go on this journey, and keep finding themselves in precarious situations that are both deadly, and spicy. Will these enemies be able to resist the pull they have towards each other?

This story is marvelous! So many stories, we are used to the morally grey MMC character, but this story we get a morally grey FMC, and I am so here for it. Both Kaden and Max are dark characters, with dark gifts that they literally spend their entire existence fighting so that their monster's are not released into the world to cause havoc and death. Max has been taught her entire life that her gift is dangerous and that she should not use it, so even when she has to defend herself against cruel men, she feels such guilt. But Kaden finds her blood summoning gift to be just glorious, and something to be worshipped. While Max hates Kaden, she can't deny her attraction towards him, or the fact that he is the first person to ever to NOT be afraid of her. This is a mutual feeling, as the characters go along their journeys, because Max is also not afraid of Kaden, something he is also not used to experiencing.

The two of them seem to repeatedly find themselves in situations that they both have to use their monstrous gifts against other creatures or humans trying to kill them, and they continue to be in awe of each other. This story is such a slow burn too, with Kaden constantly teasing Max, leaving her wanting more, and him very frustrated. How long can they hold out?

Beyond the budding love/hate romance between Kaden and Max, there is so much going on in this story, so much action, and secrets that are slowly revealed. I love when a book is named so perfectly for the story, the path of blood and betrayals could not be a better name, as Kaden and Max forge a path through blood, only to find extreme betrayal near the end of the story. The betrayal comes at the hands of multiple characters.

This story does end on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for that, but book 2 does come out soon!!

Some Fav Quotes:
"They always called me a monster. They were right. Everyone is afraid of me and they should be."

"It's the man's voice that freezes my feet in place, tripping over my heels. It's deep rumble, something lilting, seductive even. My stomach clenches, something warm and fluid dripping into my lower belly. That voice is one from the Gods."

"Heat, thick and burning, wraps around me and I step back, physically pulling my gaze away. Whatever the heir is, my body is responding oddly. He's a flame and I am a moth, drawn to him; or repelled."

"Her blood red lips are her only spark of color on her creamy pale face. It's the kind of face armies would be sent to war over."

"I may fear the Dark Fae Heir, but I'm attracted to him as well. Horribly so. Just my luck."

"She's not a defenseless kitten. She's a f***ing hellcat hiding in disguise. She's wicked and bloodthirsty, her blue eyes cold and hard. She looks ready to slaughter, and my beast preens at the ferocity in such a simple glare."

"Fiery Bell's balls, I wanted to claim her. Fill her with my seed, mark her with my scent. See her cling to me, hear that deceptively alluring voice moan my name. Let her stained fingers claw into my back, marking me in return. I wanted to devour her soul."

""I would happily, gleefully bend my knees for your beauty. I would let you walk all over me for your power. But for your lips?" "Well, for that, I would conquer the world for just a kiss.""

[Fabtasmagoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d give The Path of Blood and Betrayal by E.D. Crowe about 3 stars, which might be a little generous if I’m being honest.

There are some pretty painful spelling and grammatical errors throughout that made it clear this book really needed a stronger round of editing. I’m not sure if it’s self-published or not, but either way it’s noticeable enough that it pulls you out of the story more than once. I also want to say I never want to come off as elitist when I point that out. I know that part of writing is just getting the story out in the first place. But I do think it’s worth addressing, because every installment should be an opportunity to grow.

One of my bigger issues was the inconsistency in tone, especially in the dialogue. There were moments where the manner of speaking created this kind of undefined era. I know the book is rooted in magic and witches, so historically accuracy matters not, but it does feel like it’s set in some sort of medieval or Renaissance-adjacent world. So when the dialogue jumps from something more formal to someone casually saying “cool,” it’s jarring. It breaks immersion, and consistency matters more than accuracy here.

That said, I didn’t hate it. It is a very slow burn, sometimes to a fault. The enemies to lovers dynamic worked for me and yes, that part was hot, but the pacing made it feel like it took a long time to really get anywhere. There were stretches where not much was happening, and then when something finally did, it didn’t always hit the way it should have.

The lore is probably the strongest part. You can tell there was a lot of thought put into the worldbuilding, the magic system, and the different groups and tensions within the story. I’ve been playing a lot of RPGs lately with really immersive worlds and layered histories, so I appreciated that depth here.

I just wish the execution matched the ideas. The big reveal of her powers, for example, felt weirdly anticlimactic for something that had so much buildup. It should have landed harder.

Overall, there are things I enjoyed, especially the darker tone and the romance, but the pacing issues, lack of polish, and inconsistency made it hard to fully get lost in it. It feels like a book that could have been great with more refinement.

[Lara Loves Lit · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Path of Blood and Betrayal
Blood WItch Series, Book 1 of 2
By E.D. Crowe

This paranormal romantasy started off with a riveting prologue and then did not let up. I ended up reading this book in a day because I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about Max and Kaden. I need to know what happens next right now as I loved everything about their story!

Haunted by nightmares of her past, Maximillia has lived her life shunned by others due to the rare dark blood magic she struggles to control. When the coven who took her in is attacked by the Crimson Army— the same people who burned her village and nearly killed her, she helps to gain resources to garner a peace by uniting the witch’s against this army with the humans and the Dark Fae. Max feels pulled to the Dark Fae heir, Kaden, but with mysteries and betrayal around every corner, she doesn’t know who to trust even though Kaden has decided that he wants her whether she wants him or not.

The tension between Max and the Dark Fae is top notch and the bantering keeps the sparks flying between these two until their slow burn fully ignites. I thoroughly enjoyed the world building and the underlying suspense the reader feels knowing there are ulterior motives in almost every character. As the story unfolds, Max’s character grows from being afraid of her magic to beginning to embrace it and her true nature. The complexity of Kaden’s character creates the perfect morally grey MC who lets his shadows and his monsters come out to play— with Max being his favorite prey.

The plot is quickly paced and filled with action. If you love a book with tropes such as: a morally grey to black shadow daddy MC, a fierce FMC, arranged marriage and forced proximity, and a spicy slow burn that detonates, then run to add this to your TBR now. I am now absolutely feral for book 2, The Crown of Shadows and Distrust releasing 10/28!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, let's start with this book gets 4.5 stars from me.

Where to start... THAT ENDING first..... Like what the what...... UMMMMMM it's a good thing I have book 2. Like it doesn't end on a major cliff hanger but it ends with what just happened and I need more.

So we have our MFC, Max and our MMC, Kaden..... She has magic that people are scared of, he is a dark fae prince..... and of course both of them have trauma. We have a "best friend" to Max who at times I like and others I wanna reach in and slap. Our MMC has some shadows so now he is my shadow daddy.... LETS GOOOOO! I love me a good shadow daddy.

So this story starts off with our MFC as a child and what happened to protect said MFC.... Then we get into our MMC and it goes back and forth between how they ended up at the kings home in order to create a truce. No one trust the king for good reason. He kinda is a slug in my opinion. Just there and drinks your beer and does no good. As the story progresses, you learn more about our MFC and MMC. Toward the end there is a revelation and boy does it come with a slap!! I really want to say more but I don't want to leave spoilers

If you want a MFC who has been told she is to be feared and has that lost puppy dog but also kick butt when she gets snarky and brave, then you need this book. If you want a "shadow daddy" who tries to be a baddie but then is more of a cinnamon roll but with burnt edges, then you want this book. If you wanted fated mates and some thirsty comments... and one thirsty scene that had me cracking up even though I shouldn't have (one tent, one bed, ummmmmmmm not a happy ending - that's all you get from me - IYKYK). Like that was a whole level in itself.

So just trust and go get this book. If you like witches, faes, humans, lots of backstabbing, lots of what just happened, just get this book and thank me later.

Thank you to Love Notes PR and ED Crowe for providing me with a copy of this book to read.

[Aimee Harkess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book – I was pulled in with the unique magic systems and addictive tropes like dark fantasy romance, betrayal, fated mates, and forced proximity. The story has a moody, tension-filled atmosphere that kept me hooked throughout.

The story starts in the middle of a political war between witches, dark fae and humans. While the full reasoning behind the conflict of the war isn’t fully clear (yet), I’m hoping the sequel will offer deeper worldbuilding and shed light on the missing pieces.

The main FMC, Max, is fierce and independent, though it’s clear that her strength was forged in isolation. Max is treated as an outsider due to her dangerous ability to control blood – a power which makes her both feared and hunted. A blood summoner is also a coveted weapon.

Max and the MMC, Kaden, are drawn to each other by their shared experience of being feared for the darkness within them and the silent struggle of battling their inner monsters. The slow-burn chemistry is intense, and once the spark ignites, it is not long before betrayal flips their dynamic from lovers to enemies. The story ends on a cliffhanger which has left me eager to read the sequel.

I see a lot of potential in this series, and I am keen to see where the sequel takes the complex characters and their tangled emotions.

As this was an ARC (which I’m very grateful to have received), I expected some spelling and grammatical errors. However, I did find that some of the internal monologues felt overly wordy at times, which occasionally pulled me out of the narrative.

Still, if you love morally grey characters, angsty romance, and magic-fueled drama, I’d recommend adding this to your TBR.

[Bri Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite retellings/renditions of The Beauty and The Beast that I have read. It has fae, witches, shifters, dark creatures, and more. It has the right amount of fantasy and romance mixed in. I love the dynamics between the characters and how the relationships grow and/or change. There are times where you gasp, where you giggle while kicking your feet, and where you want to strangle certain characters. You don’t see the betrayal that comes. It destroys you and it ends in tears.

Maximillia - Max (FMC) is a blood witch who has been ostracized for her whole life. She doesn’t remember anything before the age of 10, but the coven she has been in since has been scared of her powers since she was found. All she wants is to prove that she is good and that she isn’t the monster that everyone sees her as. She needs to keep her powers a secret if she wants to survive.

Kaden (MMC) is the Dark Fae Heir. He is cursed, being half fae, half beast. Kaden can control shadows and up until he met Max, he thought he was the only one who could do magic. Kaden has been raised to be a weapon for the Dark Fae once he gains control of his beast. His siblings, Reid (MC) and Fee (FC), join Kaden in the Human King’s Palace.

Kaden and Max feel a pull towards one another, but they don’t know why. Max has been taught that all Dark Fae are bad and you shouldn’t interact with them. Kaden is intrigued by Max; he wants to know more about her. Max can’t hide from Kaden and he eventually finds out her secret. They go through trials with one another, bringing them closer. Kaden becomes obsessive and protective over Max and Max accepts Kaden and all of his parts.

I 10/10 recommend giving this book a read!

[Cojay Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Path of Blood and Betrayals
By E.D. Crowe

How do I begin to articulate the way this book made me feel? First and foremost, I want to state how proud I am of E.D. Crowe for following her intuition and putting her thoughts into words. It blows my mind that this was her debut and her introduction to writing a romantacy novel. Her attention to detail and world building is so divine that you can close your eyes and set every elaborate scene. Her characters are relatable, powerful, fierce and 100% fuckable. This dynamic is bloodthirsty. The main characters relationship is reflective of meeting someone where they are in their trauma and darkness and choosing to see them despite the challenges within their kingdom. Our author gave a voice to a pair of personages isolated in their own heads. Where other readers may misinterpret this as “wordy”, others will recognize the over analyzed inner monologue of the solo lonely lovers; recognizing the beauty in one another’s danger. Max’s full capabilities are still a mystery that hasn’t stopped bouncing around in my brain since I reread multiple chapters in an attempt to uncover the full potency of her blood magic. I have suspicions on how this will deliciously shift the power dynamics. These torch Kaden is carrying for Max is creating so much sexual tension my kindle all but spontaneously combusted. I’m anxiously awaiting the second book in this series because I NEED to know how our strong and powerful FMC will assert herself as the threat that only the weapon of being a strong woman can afford us. E.D. Crowe has pulled me into Romantacy and I kinda just wanna live here for a second. 5⭐️4🌶️

[Locdgalreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Blood Witch Chronicles by E.D. Crowe is everything I want in a dark romantasy; dangerous magic, morally grey characters and a romance that feels like it could ruin them both.

Maximillia (Max) is such a standout FMC. She’s a rare blood summoner, feared and isolated because of how powerful and deadly she is . What I loved most is how layered she feels: she’s strong, yes, but also carries so much fear, guilt and loneliness from being treated like a weapon her entire life. Watching her slowly step into her power and stop shrinking herself? That was so satisfying.

And Kaden… yeah, he’s exactly the kind of MMC that makes this genre addictive. A cursed Dark Fae prince, completely comfortable with his darkness and just unhinged enough to keep you questioning him . He’s morally grey in the best (and worst) ways; manipulative, intense, protective, and absolutely obsessed with Max. Their dynamic is that perfect mix of tension, mistrust, and undeniable pull that makes every interaction feel charged.

The chemistry between Max and Kaden is pure slow burn torture. The banter, the push and pull, the constant “I shouldn’t want you but I do” energy; it builds so well and actually pays off. Readers weren’t lying when they said the tension is insane and the spice hits when it finally lands .

The world itself is rich but easy to follow; witches, dark fae, humans all tangled in war, politics and betrayal. There’s constant action, but it never overshadows the emotional depth. And the stakes feel real; alliances shift, trust is fragile and betrayal cuts deep.

What really makes this series a 5-star read for me is how addictive it is. It’s the kind of story you fly through because you need to know what happens next especially with those brutal cliffhangers that leave you stressed and desperate for the next book .

If you love:
– Morally grey FMC and MMC
– Enemies to lovers with actual tension
– Dark magic and high stakes betrayal
– “I hate you but I crave you” dynamics

…this series will have you completely hooked.

Max and Kaden aren’t soft. Their story isn’t easy. But that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whooooo boy, this was a doozy in the best way.
You like magic? You like dangerous? You like sexy? You like death? WELL, HERE YA GO
But in all seriousness, this book takes dark romantasy and adds an entirely new spin. E.D. has creativity and uniqueness in spades.
FMC is a sweet baby angel, but also hella deadly. She's comically clumsy and sassy as hell but can be equally submissive and quiet. She's got bite, both in her magic and her words.
MMC is a literal shadow daddy. This man has an internal beast (twist on vampires) and controls shadows! He's incredibly serious, disciplined, and brutal... until he meets FMC, who hides a beast inside as dangerous as his.
These two meet by chance of all species uniting to take down a common enemy. They verbally spar constantly, hating each other because of their dangerous attraction. They are the definition of "love to hate" and "hate to love" but eventually they give in and theres some bloody spice...all whilst MMC is reluctantly plotting to betray FMC to his father (whose title is The Wretched, I might add. That's never good).

[Jenna Elines · Rating 5 out of 5]

That slow and hot build-up was REAL! Forced *trust* with the odds stacked against her and nothing in her favour but good intentions and a love for her best friends. All of that is torn to shreds and she’s left looking at the only other self-described “monster” around and it’s like looking in a mirror. He understands her and her magic and he doesn’t fear it. He encourages her to help it work in her favour, and in return she helps him and saves his family and probably the entire local populated area from a grisly demise.
Im grateful for the MMC’s chapters because he’s the farthest thing from an open book and a lot of his actions can be contradictory to his words. That knowledge is all that saved me from loosing consciousness in those last few chapters as they were absolutely heart wrenching. An outcome that was looming, but still I was in my happy place and that didn’t last nearly long enough ( a whole novel pls)! The stakes are high going into book 2 because our FMC won’t make the same mistakes twice. Love love love!

[THE NEXT CHAPTERS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading The Path of Blood and Betrayal felt like stepping into a world where every choice could be your last, and every ally might be a traitor in disguise. This book is a rollercoaster—dark, twisted, and completely gripping from start to finish.

Crowe does an amazing job at creating characters who are as complex as they are unpredictable. There’s no simple good vs. evil here. Each character is battling their own demons, and just when you think you know who to trust, the story throws in a twist that makes you question everything. It’s the kind of story that keeps you turning the pages, not just for the action but for the psychological depth.

The stakes feel real, and the betrayals hit hard, especially since you’re always wondering what’s lurking in the shadows. If you’re a fan of high-stakes fantasy with morally gray characters and an unpredictable plot, this is definitely a book you need to pick up.

Crowe’s writing pulls you in and doesn’t let go. It's a journey of power, trust, and sacrifice—one that will leave you thinking long after the last page.

[Faiza BEGUM · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Path of Blood and Betrayals

First book from The Blood Witch Trilogy series

Available in KU & Paperback

⭐️ - 5
🌶️ - 3

This book follow our FMC Max who’s a blood summoner witch. Comes our MMC the cursed dark fae prince Kaden. What’ll happen when both of their paths cross ? This book is full with twist and turns. Plot of this book was really plotting. You’d be surprised to see where does this book will take us. Slow burn with perfect amount of spice to balance this book. Also I loved how this book continue with its story and grew more and more interesting. This book kept me on edge for every page I was turning and was hooked from the very first chapter. I just love this book. Can’t complain even if I want to cause there isn’t. Author knew what she was doing. And she surely did a great job this time as well. The way it ended to a cliffhanger gosh now I can’t wait for the 2nd book.

[Nikolett Berkiné Varga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so damn good! I absolutely loved Max and Kaden and their story completely hooked me, and ohh, what a ride it was!

We have Max, a blood summoner and the last of her kind. She’s fierce, strong, and carries a heartbreaking backstory. She was taught to hide and fear her powers, and I was so mad at the coven for what they did to her. And then there’s Kaden a cursed dark fae prince who embraces his darkness and deadly magic. He’s completely obsessed with Max, and I loved their banter. The chemistry between them was addictive!

This book is packed with action, magic, and emotion. There’s a lot happening, but it never felt overwhelming the pacing was great, and the story was gripping from start to finish. The world building was fascinating, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

And that ending?! Let’s just say I’m beyond grateful I could jump straight into book two, because that cliffhanger was mean!

[shadowarc13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.” The path of blood and betrayal. This fast paced paranormal romantasy hooked me from the first page and never let go. Maximillia, burdened by her dark blood magic and haunted past, is drawn into a dangerous alliance between witches, humans, and the Dark Fae after her coven is attacked. Her connection with Kaden, the mysterious Dark Fae heir, crackles with tension, mistrust, and undeniable chemistry.
The worldbuilding is rich, the pacing relentless, and the romance a perfectly executed slow burn. Max’s journey from fear to self acceptance and Kaden’s morally grey complexity make for a captivating duo.
Fans of fierce heroines, shadowy heroes, arranged marriages, forced proximity, and spicy slow burns will devour this story. I started immediately with the next book: The Crown of Shadows and Distrust. Love it! A must read series!💛

[Shyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Witches, dark fae, shifters, humans, beasts, and so much unknown.

Max fears her magic. She doesn’t remember anything before being found in the forest, where she was almost ☠️. The coven that saved her fears her, so why would she not fear herself. Max doesn’t know normal. Now Max is strong witty, and is not afraid to hold back when pushed.

Tay, her best friend excepts an invitation from the human king. Max goes as his advisor and that when things really change for Max.

Kaden our dark fae prince heir to the throne has his own dark secrets. However, the two are drawn together. Neither know the reason. Kaden just knows the more he is with Max the more she is his.

The story is extremely fast paced and things turn dicey pretty fast.

Who will survive and who can be trusted? When you put these characters together it’s everyone person for themselves.

[Bernadette Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good!! It follows Kaden, a Dark Fae and Maximillia (Max) as they are forced to work together with a human king to fight against the Crimson Army. Both have ulterior motives that neither know about and their partnership leads them on an extremely tumultuous path of blood magic, shadow magic, tension, banter, hidden identities, secrets betrayals, prophecies, and plot twists galore. There may or may not be a familiar in there too 😊

Our boy Kaden is morally DARK gray but I absolutely LIVED for his POV to get in his head and LOVED every second of it. He literally has demons he has to control and lo and behold he was gifted Max- what she does to him….. Max is an amazing character herself. Dealt a shit hand from the get-go and how she has been treated her whole life would make anyone meek and quiet. She comes into her own and her strength is so admirable. I also really liked Kaden’s siblings Fee and Reid and I’m really hoping we get to learn more about them in book two 😊

The writing was great- the banter was top notch- Kaden’s internal monologue will make anyone’s heart melt and you just want to wrap Max into your arms and tell her everything is going to be ok. The magic system was super unique, and the world building was great! The ending definitely has me impatiently waiting for book two to see how Kaden and Max get out of their mess and if their relationship (or what Kaden thinks is a relationship) will survive!

[Valkyrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and tasty literary treat, full of action, suspense, darkness, chemistry, and self-discovery. The book was too short, but I enjoyed every page.

The tension along the way was often palpable, and the chemistry between the main characters was as thick as honey, which I found myself sticking to. Uff. Full of twists and turns and "oh crap" reactions.

As always, I appreciate the perspectives of both participants. It makes the story even more compelling.
I can't wait to see how Max has grown up and where she and Kaden will end up, in the next installment, of course.

Note (more for me 5/5):
Story: 🫀5
Spice: 🔥 4
Action: 🥷4
Magic: 🧚4
Worldbuilding: 🌋4
FMC: 👰5
MMC: 🫅5
Other characters: 💃🦸🦹🧌🧟 4

[Amber Mock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is perfectly paced and I love the way E. D. Crowe ties in the layout and history of this world as the book goes on so it’s easy to understand without it being overwhelming or feeling like I needed to reread any of it.
Awesome plot that kept me questioning things.
SPICE AFTER THE SLOW BURN 🔥 OH MY GOODNESS.
I LOVED watching Max start to grow into the BA I think she’ll end up being! Kaden had me hooked because we love a shadow daddy with a dirty mouth drool 🤤 but by the end of the book I have decided he’s an idiot and I’m mad at him.
Tay is a horrible friend and I hope his pillow is always hot and his little toe always get stubbed. He’s just ICKY.

If I was reading this and book two was not already out I’d be in a full panic because WHY!

[Nikki B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am hooked. The Max and Kaden tension is killing me.
Max and Kaden both have magical powers. Max is extremely powerful and hasn't ever really been taught how to use her powers. She is not a damsel in distress either. She is so strong and powerful that she is feared by most. Kaden is a shadow daddy. They both feel a pull towards each other. It's a slow burn with lots of tension, banter, and betrayal.
The world building was easy to follow and the writing style was very easy to understand. I loved the mix of all the different types of magical powers and creatures. I cannot wait for book 2. The end of book 1 was so intense. I need to know what happens next!

[Enelyae Is Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely liked this book! So much fun and I seriously loved Kaden, especially since he showed Max how she should be treated! Since even her “friends” (if you can call them that) were not very nice. I loved how Max came into her self and her power throughout the book! The tension, the intrigue, all of it was just so captivating that it kept me hooked throughout the whole book.

The story was absolutely thrilling and loved all the revelations revealed. I really started to like Kaden’s siblings! I think they are super awesome and I am loving the build up and tension between Kaden and Max. Also how much he fought his feelings. Ugh I need to read book 2 now!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🌶️.5

[Diamanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello, people!
Dark romantasy. Do you love it? If the answer is yes, then you have to read it. Also, it's a slow burn with morally grey characters. Did I manage to convince you to read it?
I loved it because the tropes are some of my favorite, so and the genre.
The writing of author is fascinating, interesting, enjoyable, marvelous and the book is page-turned. I adored the worldbulding of the author and the characters' development.

This is the first book of the series.

Thank you to the author and Grey's Promotions for the eARC!
This is my honest review!

[Sarah Landis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg—this book consumed me!!! I was absolutely enthralled from page one and could not put it down.

A witch harbouring a dangerous power, a cursed shadow wielding fae prince, and a world steeped in darkness and betrayal…. what more could I ask for?!

Max is determined to prove she’s more than the darkness inside her. And Kaden? Brutal. Magnetic. Impossible not to root for. Their connection is pure chaos and chemistry, like calling to like in the best possible way.

That ending wrecked me—and I cannot wait to dive into the next book.