This highly anticipated Dark Romantic Fantasy by Author Bree Granado features enemies-to-lovers, touch-her-and-die, found family, fated mates and more in a story that it deliciously addictive and hauntingly beautiful.
As a human raised among fae, Aria has never felt like she truly belongs in the enchanting Court of Flames. Surrounded by the constant barrage of thinly veiled hostility by everyone around her, she’s learned to keep her head down, her lips sealed, and her heart guarded. Even her adoptive father, King Pyrros, who rescued her after her human parents were slaughtered, treats her like an outsider.
But as her twenty-first birthday approaches, the king’s sudden attention to Aria unnerves her more than ever before.
To Harlequin, the charismatic yet ruthless princeof a rival kingdom, The Court of Shadows, Aria would be the perfect pawn to tip the scales of the brewing tension between the courts. He concocts a scheme to kidnap her andleverage her captivity to force Pyrros into submission, giving him no choice but to retreat.
But it’s a deadly miscalculation.
The girl he intended to manipulate is not so easily tamed. As the line between captor and captive begins to blur, her presence ignites conflict in his kingdom, threatening his precarious hold on the throne.
When Aria uncovers long buried truths about her past, her role in the growing conflict between kingdoms is madepainfully clear. Now, she must trust Harlequin –her once-sworn enemy– and work with him to end the war before it destroys the world to which she so desperately wants to belong.
If they can’t bring an end to the war and restore peace across the land, countless lives will be lost, and Aria will have no home, her future will be ruined, and she’ll be left completely alone…forever.
"You will fall instantly for Aria, the damaged but strong-willed orphaned heroine. Then, you’ll be pulled in by Harlequin, the dark fae ruler of her found family’s rival kingdom. You’ll stay up reading past 2am because of the extreme enemies-to-lovers and “touch her and die” storyline. And finally, you’ll become a die-hard fanatic because of the heart-wrenching and incomparable story of survival and redemption. Trust me when I tell you to “Buy it Now!” - Christina Kaye, Award-Winning, Bestselling Author of Presumed Dead
My kiddo’s teacher recommended this book so I snagged it from Amazon once it was out. I so enjoyed it! If you love SJM type of books (especially 2 & 3 of ACOTAR) you will enjoy this too! Has the perfect mix of action, enemy to lovers banter, slow burn, spice, one surprise after another, and oh man that ending! Gimme book 2 now Bree plz and thank yew! 💨🔥😆
I loved this book! This dark fantasy romance had tropes I enjoy: enemies to lovers, touch her and die, he falls first, captor and captive, forced proximity, and it is a slow burn in the sense of how much time has passed in the book but the book itself is a bit more of a medium/fast pace. I also loved that we get the MMC pov right out of the gate, since it usually takes until book 2 or 3 in a fantasy series to see this. This book made me giggle and laugh, made me cry and broke my heart at times, and also made me feel the same anger and rage as the characters.
The storyline is great, with many shocking moments throughout and a phenomenal twist at the end that had my jaw on the floor and now I’m itching for book 2! The FMC learns a lot about herself and her past in the book which bodes well for her character development and growth. The MMC is a broody shadow daddy type we all love, with a soft spot for her and yearning I can’t get enough of. They have great banter, at times being sexy and other times being a bit funny/witty. They had me kicking my feet and giggling so many times throughout the book. Aside from the romance, the battles scenes/fighting are done well, which I love to have in a fantasy series. I feel like the world building and small details are done really well too, which makes the book feel more immersive. There are some moments where the small details stuck out and made me stop for a second and think about how much effort was made into making this a great read! 10/10 recommend this book and I’m desperate for book 2!
There wasn’t really anything I enjoyed about this book so I’ll just stick to the facts.
It had way too many popular tropes and nothing felt complete, instead of focusing and building upon only a few there was so much going on at the same time that the plot wasn’t actually progressing. I wasn’t impressed with the fantasy aspect because it was so random, all of a sudden there’s a magical book with all the answers but then nothing would follow, most of the book felt pointless because a-lot of what happened didn’t matter or make a difference.
The FMC throws herself a pitty party the whole time and doesn’t change in the end.
The MMC has a funny side but falls for his “enemy” after only 50 pages and is such a simp it was painful.
I might have enjoyed it more if it was split into two books because the halfway point would have made an amazing cliffhanger ending but instead I got over 400 pages of me just waiting to see when something would happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
this story sucked me in from the very beginning. Aria, the human growing up in the fae world is treated like shes nothing UNTIL she gets taken to the court of shawdows by Quinn and then everything changes. she finds a family, love, and things about herself that should be impossible.
if you love banter, you'll love aria and quinn's relationship. because wow. the yearning though from both of them. gosh, it was a slowburn romance but sooo good.
the book hits you right in the feels. The fantasy elements are easy to follow which made this scuh an easy and fun read. the characters while mainly serious majority of the time, have these sweet and funny moments which bring more to their character and gave us some lighthearted moments in the story.
i will be reccomending this book to everyone from now on.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The only reason I did not give it a 5 star is because there are a few parts that still need to be edited. The good thing is that I know the author is in the process of fixing them.
If you are looking for any of these tropes: ▪️Enemies to Lovers ♥️ ▪️Slow burn 🔥 ▪️Dark Fantasy Romance🖤 ▪️He falls First 😘 ▪️Found Family ▪️Touch her and die 💀
Then this book is ABSOLUTELY for you!! I had the privilege of Beta reading this book and let me tell you not only has the author done an amazing job building a fantasy romance but I love the way she changed the typical human girl finds a Fae world scenario to one where the human girl was raised in the Fae world with a foundation of lies! She draws you in from the very first chapter all the way through to the end where it leaves the story open for a book 2!
DNFd. By page 62 they had already kissed. Not quite lovers yet but idk man there was no yearning or build up just “he’s hot but I hate him but maybe not” it just feels like a rip off Rhysand(a court of thorns and roses) attempt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
If you were to ask me if I could find another book to read after ACOTAR & FOURTH WING series, then this book is EXACTLY what you are looking for! This book had the dynamic change I was looking for from enemies to lovers, fated mates, action packed and unexpected twists and turns to much MUCH MORE!!! I was on my toes from beginning to end. As you read the book, I could vivdely imagine and understand how the FMC & MMC were through every aspect of the trials that they faced. I was on the edge of my seat from beginning to end of this book and couldn't put it down except maybe to eat but still read it even then lol.
Just a forwarning that the last two chapters at the end of the book are eye opening. ESPECIALLY with the massive cliffhanger that is given to us!!! *Just a heada up, you better grab some tissues and be ready for that ending*
THIS IS A MUST READ HANDS DOWN.... now I need book 2 like ASAP!!!! 🤣
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! So I have been looking forward to reading this one since I heard about it, and I finally got to read and *finish* it! Life has been lifing and it took me a hot minute to finish it - but only due to my time. If I had the time, I would have finished this in just a few days.
I loved this book! It was so fast-paced, and it was easy to follow the whole time. I felt all the emotions from giggling, disgust, heartbreak, honestly you name it, I fucking felt it.
Aria - such a strong willed female who just took her hits with strides, and kept going. She truly seemed like she had no one on her side for over half the book and it was just so nice to see her do HER! (chapter 17, FULL BODY CHILLS Aria you stunning woman)
Quin - You had me in the first half angry and upset because WTF are you doing. The broodyness came off strong and you could not open yourself up at all and it was irritating, but seeing the charatcer growth through the book, it was so refreshing!
Niall - ohhhhh my Nial. I was low-key mad at you, too, in the beginning. How are you just letting Aria down like that? But like Quin you proved yourself and I fell in love with you in the process!
All in all - don't wait to read this book - move it to the top of your TBR and read it because it is more than worth it!
This was just so bad… I’m sorry but it just feels like an ACOTAR self insertion fan fiction. I mean I’m not a big fan of ACOTAR either, but at least it’s not as poorly written as this one.
It feels like a checklist of bad tropes, everything is rushed (where is the slow burn, the anticipation, he falls for her already on page 40 and they kiss on page 60 something) no build up of emotion, he feels like he is bipolar and not dangerous (he switches emotion so fast I sometimes didn’t even know what actually happened 🙃) it seems like the reader is just supposed to know he’s dangerous because he is the „Shadow Prince“ with no real stakes or whatsoever. I stopped reading after page 100 or so, sorry, maybe there where some good twists… but I did not feel the characters, I didn’t think it was sexy or anything (come on, the red pants part 🙄) and I neither thought it was funny or cute or that there was tension between them.
And nothing is subtle, everything is spoon fed and speeded out. I know that’s part of some of those fantasy tropes, but at least we don’t get it from both sides already in the first few pages. That’s what keeps the reader guessing. If we know all of this already it’s just like watching a bad soap opera 🙃
I LOVED every second of A Fate of Shadows and Flames! From the very first page, I was completely hooked. The premise—a human girl thrust into a dangerous fae world. Is raised as a princess, and then gets kidnapped by the very enemy who murdered her parents—was everything I wanted and more.
The tension between the characters was off the charts. One bed? Check. Banter? Off the charts. And don’t even get me started on the morally grey male main character—he had me swooning and questioning my morals right alongside the heroine. Their chemistry was electric, the spice was chef’s kiss, and the mutual jealousy had me grinning like a fool.
This story was packed with twists and turns, heartbreak just when you think things are finally okay, and a betrayal that left me stunned. The cliffhanger? Brutal in the best way. I’m desperate for the next book already.
If you love fae fantasy with heat, angst, and emotionally-charged storytelling, this is a must-read. Bree Granado just made it onto my auto-buy list!
Now. I didn’t dislike this book. But I didn’t love it. But I did enjoy it. And I did like elements and I will read the next book.
My issue is: I’ve read this book before before is other books.
But I did like: The story started without a long session of world building. That for me into the story quicker.
The last chapters. I like a good twist and ending on an unexpected cliffhanger
I disliked: The similarities in other books.
How much it mimicked another series and books 2 and 3 of that series. It was like it was a summary of them make into this book. Even with the staying at an inn scene as 1 example.
3 stars. I wish there was more originality but I’m interested in the next book.
I had to DNF around 40% in. I feel like this book is just about tropes upon tropes upon tropes (one bed, FMC commenting on sight being beautiful and MMC agrees while looking at her) and it’s over kill. While I usually eat those up, they need to be spaced out, earned and have more substance to them other than chucking a bunch of tropes into a story just-because. The romance was way too insta love-y for me. The main characters kiss almost immediately and then the MMC does this irritating back and forth nonsense that gave me whiplash, it wasn’t enjoyable nor exciting for me. This was a big nope for me, and I knew about 10 pages in but did try to progress on I just couldn’t do it any longer. Way too many books in my TBR to read and time is precious.
As I immersed myself in the narrative, I was captivated by the intense story of Aria and Harlequin. Their forbidden love and the dark secrets they concealed created a compelling tension. Aria’s past was intricately woven into the conflict between the fae kingdoms, further enhancing the intrigue. The relatable themes of enemies-to-lovers and found family resonated deeply, drawing me into their world of shadows and flames. Bree Granado’s meticulous and engaging writing transported me to their realm, allowing me to experience their journey through darkness and desire alongside them.
Oh. My. Gosh. Honestly I didn't have high hopes. Because of how much I love ACOTAR and Quicksilver. I didn't think it was even possible to love another Fae book. But yup. Bree did it. This is probably in the top 10 of my favorite books I've read this year! The back and forth. The subtle sex scenes. The banter between Aria, Quinn and Niall. The way I cried and felt her pain during the war. And all the things she learned since being kidnapped and taken to the Court of Shadows. Overall. Just wow. Absolutely loved this book and already looking forward to more! And that last page!!!!????? Man!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
If i could give this book 8 stars I would! That’s how good this was!!I enjoyed every page of this but that ending… and Niall!! Is it bad that I just want to 😭?!? Because why Bree!! So much happened and I don’t know how to feel about it, I don’t know how to process it. That’s how GOOD and gut wrenching it was. It was funny and beautiful and it left me speechless. thank you Bree for breaking my heart with this!! 💔😭 looking forward to the next book.
Such a fun and fast paced read!!! It was giving Acotar meets Once Upon a Time vibes. I did feel like they fell really fast but as the story unravelled it slowed a bit and I was guessing a bit more (without spoiling haha) The plot was really good and fun!!! All the usual tropes made an appearance but there were GREAT TWISTS in the end!!! Can’t wait for book 2!!!!!!
I really wanted to give this one 5 ⭐️ but there were a few errors that need to be edited a bit and I also was expecting more of that banter between the main characters in the beginning. But other than that this book was amazing! The twists were unexpected. I laughed, felt the frustration, and even cried 🥲 My mouth even fell open at the ending…and now I just need book 2.
I found this book thanks to TikTok, and I'm so glad I did! The world building and character development was addictive. There was everything I wanted in a good Fantasy Romance forbidden love, secrets, dragons, a powerful FMC, and a magic system. Can't wait for the next book.
Highly anticipated? By who? This reads like a teenager trying to write what they deem "good" fantasy... and it's awful. Even if you can get past the writing, the characters are flat and rip offs that have no substance of their own. The plot/twists are beyond obvious. It feels like the author threw every trope at the wall to see what would stick... none of it does.
I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Bree at a book signing near where I live. She’s so sweet and genuine. I love this book, Great story, dark romance and the twists & turns it took! I so look forward to book 2!