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Black Smoke Rising
After generations of war, the world has settled into an uncomfortable peace, the foundations of which are built on the simple premise laid out in unwritten law – you keep to your own kind.
For the fae of Viriador and the elves of Carpathia, this way of life has seen them flourish and thrive, content with their own ways, the stains of bloody wars nothing more than words on pages of old scripture.
For the dragon-shifters of Predoran, however, the lust for bloodshed is proving hard to suppress.
King Dracul was the one to force the fae and elves from his lands, driven by the need to be cleansed of his sworn enemies. Now though, the disappointments of peace see him craving violence.
His decision to take the lands of those he despises threatens to destroy all that has been built – and in doing so will change the course of six lives forever.
For the fae of Viriador and the elves of Carpathia, this way of life has seen them flourish and thrive, content with their own ways, the stains of bloody wars nothing more than words on pages of old scripture.
For the dragon-shifters of Predoran, however, the lust for bloodshed is proving hard to suppress.
King Dracul was the one to force the fae and elves from his lands, driven by the need to be cleansed of his sworn enemies. Now though, the disappointments of peace see him craving violence.
His decision to take the lands of those he despises threatens to destroy all that has been built – and in doing so will change the course of six lives forever.
380 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2025
31 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Cuell
1 book6 followersCaroline lives in Dorset UK. When she isn’t writing you can find her curled up with a cup of tea and a good book or making TikTok videos. She enjoys playing video games with her family and walking her dogs on the beach.
Black Smoke Rising is her debut novel and the start of a series exploring the world of Meohithra.
Black Smoke Rising is her debut novel and the start of a series exploring the world of Meohithra.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 22, 2025
Black Smoke Rising is an exceptional debut novel set in a fantasy world with different species. There are dragonshifters, fae and elves - all with their own culture, hierarchy and beliefs. We get to meet all of them, with wonderful insights into their different cultures and daily lives - even if those lives mainly focus on royalty.
With six POV characters (technically even seven), every voice is clearly its own and distinguishable. Each character has their own struggle and past, their own goals - from survival to peace or more power. Each chapter pulled me deeper into their stories, made me curious about certain aspects, some of which were explained in this volume, so of which I'm desperate to find out in the next ones.
The writing lets the reader easily immerse themself into the world and minds of the characters, feel, hope and love with them. The side characters are their own persons as well, three-dimensional and believable.
Even the romances are built differently, each pair growing together at their own pace, the same with friendships and overall character growth. Add to that a heavy amount of family trauma and expectations - it'll make you cry, hope, fear.
You'll start loving characters you didn't think you'd remotely enjoy. Bonus mention for a certain orange cat. Always love cats.
5/5, need the sequel right now, because HOW DARE THIS BOOK ENDS WHERE IT ENDS?
With six POV characters (technically even seven), every voice is clearly its own and distinguishable. Each character has their own struggle and past, their own goals - from survival to peace or more power. Each chapter pulled me deeper into their stories, made me curious about certain aspects, some of which were explained in this volume, so of which I'm desperate to find out in the next ones.
He was just a shell, a carcass, hollow inside.
The writing lets the reader easily immerse themself into the world and minds of the characters, feel, hope and love with them. The side characters are their own persons as well, three-dimensional and believable.
Even the romances are built differently, each pair growing together at their own pace, the same with friendships and overall character growth. Add to that a heavy amount of family trauma and expectations - it'll make you cry, hope, fear.
You'll start loving characters you didn't think you'd remotely enjoy. Bonus mention for a certain orange cat. Always love cats.
5/5, need the sequel right now, because HOW DARE THIS BOOK ENDS WHERE IT ENDS?
April 22, 2025
What a ride.
From the get-go, the characters of Black Smoke Rising had me rooting for them - each and every one. And the ones I hated, I hated with a passion, wishing for them to fail at every turn. That is the sign of an unforgettable book.
The emotional tension is to die for and the plot itself is a gift, rising and rising and rising, leaving you eager for more to come! I am so glad this is a series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Black Smoke Rising is one of those rare books where every single romantic relationship presented to us WORKED. I shipped every single one of these pairs and the romance does not disappoint.
If you like crying, laughing and getting all sorts of feels, I highly recommend this book.
Oh...and the cat is a nice surprise. Can guarantee you will LOVE him.
Five stars five stars five stars. Can't wait for the next one.
From the get-go, the characters of Black Smoke Rising had me rooting for them - each and every one. And the ones I hated, I hated with a passion, wishing for them to fail at every turn. That is the sign of an unforgettable book.
The emotional tension is to die for and the plot itself is a gift, rising and rising and rising, leaving you eager for more to come! I am so glad this is a series and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
Black Smoke Rising is one of those rare books where every single romantic relationship presented to us WORKED. I shipped every single one of these pairs and the romance does not disappoint.
If you like crying, laughing and getting all sorts of feels, I highly recommend this book.
Oh...and the cat is a nice surprise. Can guarantee you will LOVE him.
Five stars five stars five stars. Can't wait for the next one.
August 27, 2025
if I could give this book an infinity of stars I would. no words would do it justice for how good it was.
firstly I loved how it had multiple pov's. we got the best of all worlds. it connected so beautifully and there was not a character I dread reading from. I loved them all and I couldn't wait for their time again.
the romance???? I can't even explain how intense that was. it made me want to wrap them all in my arms for how deep they loved each other.
the plot just destroyed me. it messed everything up leaving the characters with nothing. they just had to run towards unknown hoping they will find something to help them.
all the quotes from this book, all the emotions, all the action that left me breathless just made me want to sit in my bed and read.
this was a 5 star read from start to finish.
firstly I loved how it had multiple pov's. we got the best of all worlds. it connected so beautifully and there was not a character I dread reading from. I loved them all and I couldn't wait for their time again.
the romance???? I can't even explain how intense that was. it made me want to wrap them all in my arms for how deep they loved each other.
the plot just destroyed me. it messed everything up leaving the characters with nothing. they just had to run towards unknown hoping they will find something to help them.
all the quotes from this book, all the emotions, all the action that left me breathless just made me want to sit in my bed and read.
this was a 5 star read from start to finish.
June 22, 2025
Holy wow.
What a rollercoaster! I need the second book, ASAP!!!
Dragons, fae, elven kind, a war that's lasted for decades, love, betrayal, cruelty, and kindness, all wrapped up in one exquisite cover.
Can you spell book hungover? Because that's what I am right now.
Loved, loved, loved Black Smoke Rising.
A perfect balance of world-building and introspection. The main characters are wonderfully flawed and constantly growing. I am beyond exciting to see where and how they end up.
The secondary characters are strong, a wonderful addition to the story.
An absolute bonus has been to see that in a world where even breathing the wrong way can get you killed, who you love is always cherished and celebrated. <3
Such a wonderful read. Cannot wait for Book 2.
Ms. Cuell, I am absolutely NOT forgiving you for making me love her and then turning her into Judas. She better be suffering in the next book.
What a rollercoaster! I need the second book, ASAP!!!
Dragons, fae, elven kind, a war that's lasted for decades, love, betrayal, cruelty, and kindness, all wrapped up in one exquisite cover.
Can you spell book hungover? Because that's what I am right now.
Loved, loved, loved Black Smoke Rising.
A perfect balance of world-building and introspection. The main characters are wonderfully flawed and constantly growing. I am beyond exciting to see where and how they end up.
The secondary characters are strong, a wonderful addition to the story.
An absolute bonus has been to see that in a world where even breathing the wrong way can get you killed, who you love is always cherished and celebrated. <3
Such a wonderful read. Cannot wait for Book 2.
Ms. Cuell, I am absolutely NOT forgiving you for making me love her and then turning her into Judas. She better be suffering in the next book.
April 29, 2025
ARC reader. I loved this book. Nico was my favourite character. I had some hesitation as I’ve struggled with fantasy recently but this was like being swept off to an escapist land on a dragon’s back. Definitely worth a read. I can’t wait for the next in the series.
December 13, 2025
Beautiful debut *chefs kiss* I didn’t expect to grow as close to the characters as I did, especially Nico and Melana. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for these characters as they face new challenges ahead of them.
December 18, 2025
Wow! I don't think I've read a book before, apart from Six of Crows, where I've switched between favourite characters this many times! It started with Cyrus--sarcastic, morally-grey dragon shifter who was reading up on how to perform magic and work his way up in the castle. Then Nico--crown prince of the dragon shifters, traumatized by his cruel father and forced to be equally cruel in order to survive in such a harsh world where his people seek to take the lands and the lives of the fae and elves. Yet, deep down, there was still some good in him. And then there was Melana, a kind-hearted yet firey (when she had to be) fae seer... The author ensured each character had strengths and flaws in equal measures. Each was relatable and well-thought-out. I especially loved Melana's seer abilities and how she acted upon them. I think, having finished the book, that Nico is my final choice for favourite character.
The representation in this book was well done, too. Plenty of gay and bi rep, a non-binary character, racial diversity, disability (one of the protagonists has a prosthetic leg), and mental health--all worked in seamlessly so it never felt forced.
This book had a satisfying conclusion, yet this is definitely not the end of the story. I can't wait for book two!
Edit: I forgot to mention Tormund! He was more than just a regular cat... And he was hilarious.
The representation in this book was well done, too. Plenty of gay and bi rep, a non-binary character, racial diversity, disability (one of the protagonists has a prosthetic leg), and mental health--all worked in seamlessly so it never felt forced.
This book had a satisfying conclusion, yet this is definitely not the end of the story. I can't wait for book two!
Edit: I forgot to mention Tormund! He was more than just a regular cat... And he was hilarious.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews