A Bargain So Bloody

Kingdom of Dark Magic #1

by Vasilisa Drake

She’s trapped in a magical prison. To break out, she’ll make a deal with the most dangerous prisoner of them all.

Sentenced for a crime she didn’t commit, Samara is bullied by guards and tormented by the screams of her fellow prisoners. She’s resigned herself to enduring her fifteen-year term… until she learns that the freedom she's been promised is the cruelest lie of all.

Now she's faced with a choice: resign herself to dying in the cold walls of Castle Greymere, or do the unthinkable and escape. But no one leaves Greymere alive. So to break out of the prison? She’ll have to use one of the undead.

Raphael is the worst kind of a vampire with a thirst for blood, the mortal enemy of witches, the same breed that killed her mother. And most importantly, he’s unspeakably powerful, his supernatural strength tamed only by the enchanted cuffs forced on him.

He’s her only chance at a life outside the prison walls.

The deal is Samara unlocks his shackles, and he'll help her escape. But although Raphael agreed to help her leave Greymere, he never promised to let her go…

A Bargain So Bloody is the first book in an exciting new romantasy series, perfect for readers who love slow burn romance with morally grey heroes who fall first and hard and heroines who find their own strength.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Vampires, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Audiobook, Dark Romance

496 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2025

About the author

Vasilisa Drake is based in New England and is constantly bouncing from city to city while she tries to find her home amidst overpriced rental apartments. Forsaken Mate is Vasilisa Drake's debut, though she's written contemporary romance under another name for several years. Fantasy romance is her first love, closely followed by pet dragons and men who are obsessed with their women. She can be found staying up way too late reading, organizing her bookshelf for the millionth time, and winning the imaginary arguments in her head at least 30% of the time.

Reviews

[brittany:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release Day: 6/30/25✨

“Everywhere has its ugliness. Some places just cloak it better…” 🩸

I enjoyed this….ALOT!! especially that twist at the end 😮‍💨 I totally didn’t see it coming and it will leave you wanting the next book ASAP‼️

This is a dark, VERY SLOW-burn romantasy that delivers on atmosphere, tension, and intrigue.❤️‍🔥
Spice rating: 🫑 (perfect for those who don’t want over the top spice, plot driven, but the romance, tension and emotion is still at the forefront)

🦇 Vampire x Human void
🔥 Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
🤝 Forced proximity (only one horse / one bed “for warmth” 👀)
🔮 Prophecies, betrayal, secret identities, and a unique magic system
🗡️ High stakes, high tension, and real consequences
💥 That touch her and die vibe? He took that literally

Samara is strong in quiet in her own unique way, I loved watching her step into her sense of self while navigating a world built to break her. Raphael, on the other hand, is that morally grey, dangerously obsessive type I always fall for. He’s lethal, untrusting, ancient, and powerful… but the moment he starts unraveling over her? I was locked in.🧛

Some standout quotes that hit:💬
🩶 “Open your eyes to the world you’re living in, not the one you’d like to believe you are.”
🩶 “The best lies were rooted in the truth.”
🩶 “Always move with a purpose, even if you have none. It was true everywhere from prisons to castles.”

The pacing, tension, and build-up made this a solid series starter. I’m definitely invested. 👏🏾

I will definitely be throwing in her books into my rotation📚
✨ I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Thank you, Vasilisa, for the opportunity 💌

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampire Romantasy

♥️ Bookish Thoughts
Oh snap! I LOVED this book and absolutely devoured it in one sitting. The magic system was so cool, and the world building we got was a great setup for the series.

Samara and Raphael completely hooked me. This is how a slow burn should be done! 🥰 I’m still reeling from that cliffhanger and need the next book ASAP. Samara did PMO a bit at the end though 😩😩😩

This vampire paranormal romance was exactly what I wanted, giving me full on 2010’s vampire nostalgia.

✨ Fave Quote
“I’m sorry,” he said. “No one deserves to be forgotten. If it’s any reassurance, Samara, I intend to live a very long life. And I will not forget you for any of it.”

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the performance. Highly recommend!!

🩸 What to Expect
• Vampire MMC
• Witch FMC
• Enemies to reluctant allies
• Slow burn romance
• Morally grey MMC
• He falls first
______

🎧 Audio Score: 5
🎙 Narration Style: Solo
📅 Pub Date: June 16, 2025
Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Arushi♡ [comment restriction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75💫

“Always move with a purpose, even if you have none. It was true everywhere from prisons to castles.”

Samara has been wrongfully convicted for a crime she never committed. Brutally tormented at Greymere, she wishes nothing but to serve her 15 year sentence and leave. Until she learns that her freedom is the biggest of lies.
Raphael is a vampire, a prisoner at Greymere. He presents Samara with a bargain, to help her escape the hell if she frees him from the enchanted shackles.

Be silent and survive. Words I'd lived by my entire life, even longer than I'd been in Greymere.

Samara, her character arc was so nice. From the "little dove" to the "little viper", how she got her voice and started standing up for herself and what she sought rightful. She would have been perfect for me if she wasn't as indecisive.

"I would kill a thousand innocents to spare you any pain."

Raphael, this man vampire!!! I mean he was so "touch her and die" coded, literally! He has to be the definition of it. Not to forget the first some part of the book he was giving me major Jacks vibes with his cold and restricted persona and witty and humorous remarks. And later on he became more him. He is not a hero, more a villian but you can't do anything than to fall for him or at least have a tinge bit of crush.

"Open your eyes to the world you're living in, not the one you'd like to believe you are."

A slow-burn dark fantasy romance indeed. This was definitely a bit on the darker side. I was honestly not expecting much from this but it delivered!! The writing was easy to understand and there wasn't much world building. Everything flowed in pretty easily. See this is the reason I NEVER start any ongoing series. With so much left to uncover, so many questions left unanswered and that ending! I am left craving for the next book *sigh*. I definitely would have rated this higher only if there would have been more tension and honestly if Samara wasn't as indecisive.

"I do not wish to deceive you, little viper. My world is a brutal one. But I want to share it with you, nonetheless."

.・゜゜・Tropes.・゜゜・
● Vampire x Human
●Slow burn enemies to allies to lovers
●Only one horse
●Only one bed “for warmth”
●Blood drinking
●Touch her and die
●Secret identities

"Everywhere has its ugliness. Someplaces just cloak it better."

❀Thank you Vasilisa Drake, Victory Editing and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.❀


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↝Pre-read°｡⁠.ﾟ.⁠｡♡
Got the arc!!!

Exp. Publication Date: 30/06/2025

[Momo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Thank you to the author
For the NetGallery ALC.

First of all the narration was very good. I enjoyed it. I really loved the start. A prison? A FMC stuck with no escape and a hard backstory that she hides? LOVE. The writing was good too.

But it all went down hill a bit after realising the book reads a lot more YA. The main character is innocent, a virgin, naive and doesn’t know anything about the world. Somehow in a prison full of horrible beings she remained untouched…I find that hard to believe. She was beaten etc but still stayed a virgin. It’s a very YA style plot.

As much as samara grew into herself a bit through this story living amongst vampires, I just couldn’t connect to her as I felt like she was just too young and naive.

Raphael was great. A vampire, broody, dark and dry humour. But I felt like he was a cardboard cutout. Like when he wasn’t in fmcs pov he was an NPC that waited for her to interact with him. He never explained anything to samara and she never asked the right questions. It felt very frustrating.

And I don’t understand what Raphael sees in her either. Why does he like her, treats her so nicely. I constantly felt like the book wasn’t giving us enough of depth, enough of a connection, enough of anything.

I wanted to love this much so much. But it didn’t make me super invested. Too many questions about Samara not answered before end of book 1. A tad of clues could have been given to let us be more invested in her backstory and the secrecy.

I predicted the ending too. I thought it was quite obvious who was manipulating her the whole time 😔. And this again is where Samara felt too young for me. I don’t read YA because i often dislike the naïveté young characters often have.

Also him calling her “little viper” sounded like a nickname for a child hahahah

So yeah I don’t think this is for me. I would say someone who loves vampire Romantasy at 15-16 maybe would absolutely love it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️
0🌶️

[adriana · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 75%.

At first, I was completely spellbound. It had impeccable storytelling that was character-forward, completely in Samara’s pov with slow-building tension between her & Raphael. At some point midway, the story lost its magic & I started to get a bit annoyed or bored, both with the characters & the pacing of the plot.

Thea & her skills, the grimoire, the mysterious “abomination,” the training, it all seemed to go nowhere & started to feel rather unimportant. I can’t even say what the actual plot point was, which I find odd for having read three-quarters of the book.

I’m okay with a soft fmc, but Samara was borderline pathetic. Perhaps the tone of voice from the audio exacerbated it? I feel so terrible saying that because I know she spent so many years surviving in that awful prison, but given that experience & her time with Raphael since she escaped, I feel like her naivety & very childlike mannerisms should have at least abated some. I can understand why she is the way she is, theoretically, but it started to take away from my enjoyment. If you asked me to describe her character in one word —-mouse. She needed the mmc’s assistance or rescuing several times & it was just too much of the mouse in distress trope back to back.

Samara was also highly biased on more than one occasion. By 75% in we know vague details about what happened to her mom & that it involved vampires, but it was not explored enough for me to accept why she was still so back-&-forth with her acceptance of Raphael’s kindness & lack of ill intention towards her. With all his kind gestures & protection? With all the awful things she has seen & experienced more frequently at the hands of humans? I also wanted to learn more about Raphael… I only knew that he was handsome & a fair-ish vampire king.

The romantic buildup between the two mcs was going good & gradual until they made it to the vampire kingdom where it completely paused for a chunk of time. They were separated often & their banter disappeared. Because it was all in Samara’s pov, I got to witness why she’s growing feelings for Raphael, but I didn’t get to understand why or what it was about Samara that intrigued Raphael enough to make her his Chosen. Again, beyond being meek & self-aware of her ignorance, there wasn’t much to her character. At first I enjoyed getting to see what it was like for Samara to experience simple moments she was denied in life, but then those experiences stopped & her character growth stayed stagnant.

And I have to also admit that the first scene where sex between them is openly discussed, & all because Samara drank, gave me such bad second hand embarrassment. I know it was supposed to come off endearing & touching, but I hated every second of it.

For most books I can tell early on if I’ll like it, but this book caught me off guard because I was seriously loving the first half, only to find it obnoxious in the second half.

[Devon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Who categorized this as a dark romance? It’s dark because Vampires, witches and ogres oh my.. but definitely missing romance. The MFC, Sam, lacks any likeable characteristics. She’s self righteousness and hypocritical. I kept waiting for her to come out and tell Raphael (our vampire “love interest”) who she was or maybe that she saw a spy in his kingdom. But that never happened. The fact that she remembers this supposed spy from 12 years ago when she was 8 … unlikely!! Then her seriously thinking her moral compass is better when she is deceitful and ungrateful… also unbelievable. Why would anyone want to read about her in a second book? Just throw her away. The guy literally saves her repeatedly and she’s going to double cross him and toss everything back in his face? 😤
I am soo miffed I read this. I kept hoping it’d get better. terrible book.

[☆EmilyEverAfter☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big thanks to Victory Editing and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️'s rounded up.

First, I need to mention that this narration was so good! The way she told the story was beautiful.
I liked this book. It was pretty unique in terms of magic. The vampires and witches were portrayed somewhat differently in this book compared to others I've read.

Raphael was a monster, truly the villain, but the way he treated Samara... absolute adoration. "Touch her and die" vibes. He definitely fell first and fell hard.
The whole book Samara is lost and confused, and for good reason. She has been imprisoned most of her life. She just wants acceptance, to be good enough. While she is trying to figure out who she is, she is questioning everything she has ever known. Are the vampires evil? Can they change? Is she any better than they are?
The irony of the ending is not lost on me. She felt all these warring opinions about the vampires. Now, she is faced with decisions she never thought she would have to make.

The only thing I disliked about this was that Samara had a lot of internal monolog with herself, asking herself the same questions. It became a little repetitive. Overall, this story was good. I would happily pick up book two!

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was not bad, I think it fell short. I do, however, have hope for book 2 (not promising I'll read it).

I got frustrated by the pace.
I got frustrated by the characters.

It was way too long for the story.
It felt dragged out, 20% would go by, and only one 'big' thing would happen.

They had very little character development, and we know close to nothing about them. This made it really hard for me to care.

I also really wish we got more about the magic system of this world :/
----------
please be good

[Kayla_Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good!! It grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let go. The narrator did such a great job with it too!

The book starts out with our FMC Samara trapped in a witch prison. She finds out that her fifteen year sentence is not in fact almost up and teams up with another prisoner, Raphael, who also happens to be a vampire to escape. They strike a deal and he promises to protect her. I loved the magic system, the characters, the plot, all of it. And that epilogue!!! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book.

For fans of:
Slow burn romance
Dark fantasy
Vampire/human trope
Magic
Enemies to allies to lovers
He falls first
Touch her and die

[amandathebookworm 📚🪱 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was *going to* go 5 stars for me but is probably closer to 3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️now & it’s mostly due to the FMC’s development. I’ll still likely read book 2 but the last 25% or so of this definitely irritated me. Let’s get into all of it!

But first I’d like to thank the author for gifting me a copy of this book!


PLOT
Samara has been imprisoned for over half her life when one day, a vampire shows up. She hates him because she hates all vampires, but she ends up needing to work with him for her freedom. This book has
- vampires, witches, humans, gods
- reluctant allies / enemies-ish to allies to ????
- hidden identities
- possessive MMC
- slowwwwwww burn
- no spice but some steam


PROS
- I. LOVE. RAPHAEL. He is one of my favorite types of MMC & I literally love him so much.
- The romance in this is also one of much favorite tropes. It’s not quite enemies to lovers, because he’s never really mean her? But she despises what he is meanwhile he’s flirting up a storm. I eat it up every time.
- Peeling back the who’s who of this story has been fun. I like not knowing everything about everyone & it unfolding with breadcrumbs.
- I really like the world. The dynamics between each kingdom is very interesting. The brutality of each was fascinating. We got a glimpse of what is all on the continent which could be super interesting over time.
- I liked the writing style quite a bit. It was a super simple. Pretty straightforward & easy to follow.
- I was definitely sucked in from the jump & had a lot of fun reading most of the book.
- Really solid side characters. Really like Thea & excited to see what more we get from her in book 2.
- Beginning was very fast paced & then slowed down & got more political. I liked both for different reasons.


MIDS
- No real twists I didn’t predict. There was something that happened faster than I anticipated but I knew it was gonna happen.


CONS
- Samara started out as a pro & ended up a con. I sort of couldn’t stand her by the end. I thought she was smart & self aware & a survivor to start but she became a type of FMC I don’t personally like at all. Which is the type that can’t read the writing on the wall while simultaneously thinking they’re brilliant.
- & then when we have this type of FMC, all of the conflict that comes from their behavior could just be solved if they asked a follow-up question instead of just making snap decisions on assumptions. So the conflict just feels forced. & this became the end of the book for me so I was just annoyed.
- I LIKE when we don’t know everything about everyone & learn that info over the course of the story. But I feel like we needed to know some things a little sooner to properly empathize with a specific character because over time they got frustrating. I just wanted their “why” sooner to help me get to their level. But it was almost too late to care about?


⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️


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- Samara became a fucking idiot. She’s all high & mighty about the vampires & the evil they do as if she wasn’t literally thrown in jail at 8 years old for a crime she didn’t commit by the witches. Her growing hypocrisy grated on me a lot & took it down from maybe a 5 star read to 3.75 or so. I hope she has a come to Jesus moment in book 2. & her rage is also tough to empathize with because we don’t know WHY for so much of the book. We honestly still don’t really, other than vampires brutally killed her mom. But it’s clear it was a punishment from her witch king. So again like… why are we casting blame everywhere but the source?
- Called her being a necromancer SO fast but this will be interesting regardless.

[Lindsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 85%

TERRIBLE FMC!!! I don’t understand what happened. The book starts off solid; I was into it. Then Samara (Sam) morphs into a self righteous brat. Why?? Make it make sense to me. I cannot handle her attitude. I don’t need to read the ending, it’s so predictable I can already see where it’s heading.

Heres what I don’t understand…

She doesn’t have a loving home to go back to. No friends waiting for her, no job she enjoys. There isn’t even an abusive Stockholm situation she feels a need to return to. No longing. The only thing for her in the witch kingdom is a prison she escaped from and a society that thinks she’s dispensable and a king that condemned her. So why? Why would she even consider going against Raphael? There’s no reason, no “pull”, nothing legitimate to pull her back to her old life. She was literally eating rats before he came along and I’m supposed to believe her sense of self preservation is that lacking that she’d consider anything Titus says🤨come on. Where did this attitude in the second half come from??

Also, this is supposed to be dark romance. WHERE?!? It ain’t in this book.

The blurb / description of the book was complete in the first 10%. I thought it would be more drawn out and they’d be in the prison longer, but it wasn’t. That’s fine. I enjoyed their banter while on the road. But as soon as they arrive in the vampire kingdom and they separate… it’s almost like it’s a different storyline altogether. They hardly talk at all. Also, I still don’t understand why he decided to make her his Chosen. It wasn’t her stunning personality. Now that I’m thinking about it, her character doesn’t really have much depth. I would’ve enjoyed reading his POV. Actually, just more of him

[Aisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

The fmc ruined the whole book !!
She was annoyingly stupid and insecure.
The way she reasoned the choices she made, made no sense !

The sole purpose of her choices was a deeply rooted prejudice of vampires instilled in her from the same kingdom that treated her kind worse. (It gave me a sense of a colonialist mindset of no matter how much good we see in the colonized people. We’re still the best ! Therefore they are monsters, and we should teach them whats morally right)

She was frustratingly wishy washy !!

And not to mention the sudden shift in what she deemed ok.
The first part she was ok will all the unnecessary deaths of her people (especially the boy in the barn i forgot his name) and suddenly in the second part she was suddenly not ok with any human dying.

I went into this excited since I loved vampire books expecting it to be good but I was deeply disappointed.

This is my first time writing a review but I was so annoyed of her character, that I felt compelled to write a review. And please excuse my english its not my first language.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

A Bargain So Bloody is the first book in a new supernatural romantasy series and ensnared me from chapter one.
We follow Samara, who's spent more than half her life in prison for a crime she didn't commit. When a vampire is brought in and chained up, Samara is given the task of tending to his wounds. When she hears some news that leaves her desperate to escape, she strikes a deal with the vampire and is taken under his protection. When they escape, she can't seem to shake him and ends up in the most dangerous of places so far.
The end of this book not only pulled the rug out from under me but has left me hanging on the ledge of such a mind-blowing cliffhanger! I hope book 2 is out soon as I'm dying to read more!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book absolutely BROKE me. That ending? I am deceased. On the ground. Clutching my heart and pearls.

You really feel for Samara and how hard of a life she has had. I immediately had a connection with her and how hard of a life she had. Raphael truly wanted to make things right but went about it completely wrong. I feel like they are just both so damaged in their own way and had too many obstacles in their way for this not to end the way it did with them.

This was a very dark and a very slow burn. Two of my absolute favorite things and it ends on a massive cliffhanger that could go oh so many ways to the point of driving you crazy. But the best books are the ones who drive you absolutely insane this book delivered. I cannot wait for the next book. I would pay a handsome amount of money or cookies just to see what happens because that ending threw me for a loop. I know I am heading down a dark and painful road with this one, but for the life of me I will not give this series up. Their love is absolutely doomed and I am totally here for it with lots of tissues and popcorn.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story would have been fabulous if the FMC wasn’t such a numpty.

Man, I yearn for the times when an author writes a heroine who will actually use the brain she was blessed with and a little COMMON SENSE to make intelligent decisions to solve problems. It may not be the easiest way to write a story, but the results are SO much more rewarding.

[Ash⚔️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished the audiobook version of this! The narrator did a beautiful job with this. I actually listened to it twice 🤭

Samara has been wrongly imprisoned for 12 years, dirty, malnourished, in survival mode…hunting rats for food for f*cks sake. When she realizes there won’t be an end to her sentence, she ends up making a bargain with someone she considers an enemy.. the newest prisoner. And he’s a vampire🩸

🖤 Slow burn dark romantasy
🖤 Vampire x “human”
🖤 Unique magic card system
🖤 Secret identities
🖤 Prison escape
🖤 Vampire court
🖤 Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
🖤 Found family
🖤 Touch her and die
🖤 One horse
🖤 Cuddle for warmth

I can’t get enough. The dark vibes, vampires, witches, voids (humans) and magic cards! I am super intrigued by the magic system. I don’t think I’ve read anything like it before.

Samara learns more and more about this mysterious vampire throughout their journey. Raphael tries to seem indifferent towards her, but gradually you begin to see that he would do anything for her. The monastery scene sealed the deal. He would kill for her and goes feral when she’s hurt 😈

There is a crazy twist ending… I knew something was coming, but not that. I know the next book is going to be freaking epic. My guess is Samara will be entering her villain era. My only complaint- it ended way too soon! What am I supposed to do now😂

I’m thankful to have received this audiobook as an ARC! My review is freely given and all opinions are my own.

[Nash Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC/ALC READER✨4.5⭐️ THAT EPILOGUE!!! I am officially gagged! This was a true dark fantasy romance. We get a world with vampires, witches, and magicless humans. This story was really gritty at times but it truly felt like a kind of healing journey. Our FMC Samara was seriously traumatized and was trying to find a way forward. I really enjoyed the audiobook. The narrator is new to me but I loved it. I did take a little off the rating because the FMC was a little aggravating at times but still loved her 😝The epilogue really sets you up for book 2 which I need like right now!

[Sarah Blakeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh! My! Dog!

From the first line to the last I was fully in!! I need the next book ASAP!

The way they handled her first cycle after years of being malnourished most of her life was so heartwarming!

“Just because theoretical others may have had it worse doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of yourself”

When he calls her Little Viper my heart explodes!

This is a new favorite for sure!

She was wrongly imprisoned for years, she’s 20 when a vampire gets imprisoned and makes a bargain to protect her if she helps him escape! These “monsters” show her more care than she’s ever had in her life but after the life she has she doesn’t trust anyone or anything! Who can blame her?

The ending is WILD!

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review

[Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raphael is 5 stars the perfect book boyfriend and Samara so doesn’t deserve him. I’m hoping in the next book she kinda redeems herself, I know trauma and prejudice can cause us to do some dumb stuff but she’s teaching a master class. The pacing of this was phenomenal right up til the end where all of the sudden I felt like 100 things happened instantly and now i desperately need the next book.

[Stacy Dunning · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This was my first ARC and I enjoyed it very much. Who doesn't love vampires and magic?
The story starts with a twenty year old Samara who is reaching the end of her sentence in a prison (I do not know why she was sentenced there) that she has been stuck in since she was eight. A vampire arrives, and when she is sent to his cell, he offers to help her escape if she unchains him.
They escape and have an extensive journey for weeks. She despises vampires, but during their time together, they both save/ help each other out multiple times, and she finds herself more comfortable in Raphael's presence.
They eventually end up in his home, and she is surrounded by the very vampires she detests. Samara has nowhere else to go, seeing as she is an escaped prisoner, and agrees to another bargain with Raphael. She spends time in his kingdom, and even though there are many things she dislikes, she can't help but find friendship and question everything she thought previously.
Just as Samara is temporarily settling in, someone from her past pops up and tries to sway Samara's loyalty. She is tempted with an offer that was exactly what she wanted prior to living among the vampires, but it comes with betrayal of someone she has become close to.

This is the first book in the series, and it has left me with lots of unanswered questions about the overall agenda of Raphael as well as several questions about Samara's past.

Very little spice, but very good story. It has left me wanting more. It's a slow burn story for sure, but I can't wait to find out what happens next for Samara and Raphael.

Overall, I am very pleased with the story. I am honored that this was my first ARC. Happy reading to all my fellow book lovers ❤️

[Cameron Sauschuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Victory Editing and NetGalley for this advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️ rounded up. I ate this book UP. Samara is wrongfully accused of a crime and has served 12 years in prison. When she learns that she is not going to be released after 15 years, she plots to escape with the newest prisoner that came to Greymere. And he also just so happens to be a vampire.

⚠️⚠️SPOILERS!!!!!!!!⚠️⚠️

This was so much fun. I’ve read a lot of fantasy books and I’ve never seen it done quite like this. The magic system was so interesting with the cards, which I’ve only seen in one other book. Some things were typical fantasy stuff, like a human finds themselves thrown into a group of supernatural beings. But I’ve never read a book that took that plot and did it with vampires. It was a nice refresh from all the fantasy books focusing on high fae.

Raphael… RAPHAEL!!!! That man, sorry that male… GOD DAMN!! He is the definition of touch her and die. He would burn the world down to protect her. The things this man did to protect her and to make sure no one hurt her. The monastery… that was actually insane. But why was I smirking after he just massacred a ton of people???? He fell so damn hard for her. You could see it in everything that he did for her. This man made her breakfast (or tried) after not having made breakfast for over 600 years. And this was before he really got to know her. He bought her a belt that she had been eyeing at the market and gifted it to her. Him hiring all different types of musicians because she once said she liked music. I also loved the take on “mates”. I know they were never called mates, but in fantasy books, that’s how they have two characters be able to read each other’s emotions and talk to one another without other people hearing. She was tied to him because he made her his. I thought it was so cool how him drinking her blood made it possible for him to hear her thoughts and be connected to her like that.

From the moment they started talking about Raphael going to hunt this “abomination” I just knew it was her. I knew it. AND SHE WAS THE NECROMANCER. It was woven into the story so nicely. There were signs all along, like vampires randomly listening to her orders, Raphael not being able to thrall her, and vampires along the way randomly taking orders from her. This plot is going to be so interesting in the next book. I can’t believe I have to wait for the next book, especially when this one hasn’t even come out yet. I just know the next book is going to be so good. And with her now being a vampire!!! HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK! I love that she’s on this revengeful path. And that cliff hanger was so good!!! Raphael being in a coma, and Samara being caged again. I’m so excited!

“I was the necromancer Raphael had been hunting for centuries. And I was going to tear his kingdom apart, one fanged monster at a time.”

Samara did seem to repeat herself a lot, but I chose to overlook it because honestly, if I was a human stuck in a kingdom of vampires, I think I’d be repeating my thoughts to myself too.

One last thing I heavily appreciated from this book was how the author didn’t just throw in random spice chapters. I feel like authors can get carried away in fantasy books and make characters hook up far too soon or out of the blue. I love that this was a slow burn. I was screaming when they kissed. It didn’t even need spicy scenes to be good. I was living for all the little touches and all the moments of eye contact.

[Anna Spraktes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Absolutely brutal in the most delicious detail. I loved that nothing was held back. The writing style, while detailed, was not overbearing or boring.
The storyline progressed quickly but with good character development. All the characters, especially Sam, Thea, and Rafael, end up being so morally gray - which I appreciate so much more than just "good guys" and "bad guys."
I absolutely recommend this book and can't wait for the second one. Holy cliffhanger!
Thank you, Vasilisa Drake, for the opportunity to be on the ARC team.

[☆cortlan skylar☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up

OMG

okay, so raise your hand if you've seen Vampire Diaries.... cool, this is like that, but completely different.

and holy plot twist

when I tell you that I need book two YESTERDAY, I mean it.

Sam & Raphael are originally just allys, then Raphael catches feelings, but Sam still thinks of him as a bloodsucking monster. so, as that devolps, you're gonna have to just... power through. I have less patience than a toddler on hour 2 of 11 otw to Disneyland, and I got through it.

Book two ( A Magic So Deadly) doesn't come out until June 17, 2026 😭 it is currently UNFATHOMABLE to me to have to wait that long but yk....

also the FANART on the last page. OMG NOBODY TALK TO ME. it is SCRUMPTIOUS

anywaysssssss, I def recommend (as long as slowburn doesn't bother u)

<333 xxx

[༚˳⁺✧˚Jennifer ˚✧⁺˳༚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

if you love seeing every plot point coming from 5 miles away then this is the book for you 🫠😭 I should have DNFed

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're fan of vampires, broody and morally dark MMC,  this book is for you! Raphael just might be my new favorite book boyfriend!

"As long as you're here with me, dove, you're mine. And I protect what's mine. Ruthlessly."

Some of my favorite tropes:

🩸Touch her and die 🩸 Slow burn romance 🩸One horse🩸Vampire x human 🩸

Samara was sentenced as a child to serve 15 years in Greymere prison. After 12 horrid years, her desperation reaches the final straw and she wants to escape. Help came from Raphael, the most dangerous creature within the prison walls who made her an offer she can't refuse.

The story hooked me immediately. It's easy to read, well written, flows smoothly, introduces unique magic system within intriguing world. And that epilogue? I need next book right NOW!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op Publishing and author for this book for review. All opinions are my own.

[Yohanna Leon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC and giving an honest review. This book was different from all the other Vampire and Witches books I have read as far as their rituals and magics went but I did feel that the storyline was too close to many other books I have read.

I also didn’t feel that this book was captivating me from beginning to end. The beginning started strong but then i felt like it was very repetitive and boring. Most of the time I was tuning out the book. No smut which is fine but I felt like the author could’ve given a little more romance between FMC and MMCD…

Did I hate the book? No But is it something I will remember and recommend? No. I probably will not continue the series

[Celinda Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Major Spoilers, predictions & a rant, because this book pissed me off at 3am so please ignore the repetition & grammar. But come on!! Girl betrays a man who would do anything for her including die, because she thinks her kingdoms brothels are morally superior to his??? WTF

I wanted to give this book 3 or 4 stars, that was my plan initially because the first half was so enjoyable despite not being nearly as dark or spicy as I expected given the dark romance label. And I’m all for a slow burn, but this reads more like a YA novel in its naivety and desire to maintain its female lead’s innocence/purity at all costs and thus her self righteous attitude later on which ends up killing the book for me honestly. And this is coming from girl who grew up in the Bible Belt and was a still virgin at 20 too. Like there’s naive and then there’s just lobotomizing your FMC. And if she grew up in a prison?? That does not a Virgin Mary make.

Samara is 20 and grew up as the only servant woman in the worst prison in the witch kingdom. She was in that hell hole for 12 years but is somehow still completely innocent to the ways of men. A virgin who’s never even been kissed, or caressed if you can believe it and as such is completely naive to all things sexual…. Yeah this is YA fiction lol no way she didn’t at the very least see things growing up in a prison.

Let’s be real, a woman, and according to the book the only female servant in the entire prison where the servants are slaves and case reviews for parole are seemingly unheard of, after being incarcerated for 12 years under a narcissistic sleezeball and his buddies who regularly drink and derive their only source of pleasure from degrading others has not ever being touched? It’s a miracle she wasn’t raped or coerced into sexual favors by Nelson for a chance at parole. With those conditions and lack of true safety/supervision it’s a wonder they even had a kitchen for her to spend her days washing dishes in rather than something far more unsavory.

I expected there to be a little bit more build up and more time for her to get to know the Vampire before she decided to free him. Literally the next day…. and just hope he doesn’t kill her… But I get it. Desperate times, desperate measures. And a rushed exposition and initial team up and prison break is far from the biggest plot issues I see in this book.

The problem with some of these stories is that because the man is a fantasy designed to be attractive, unless it’s like a toxic romance type story. The dude is as close to perfect as it gets. Minus some murder. So in order to have conflict and a plot, the female lead has to be the problematic one. She’s so blinded by hatred and prejudice, and racism essentially, against vampires that she’s going to betray the leading man who has done nothing but rescue her, protect her and save her repeatedly, heal her, cook for her and give her things, for a creepy old spy from her kingdom that threatened her, abused her, imprisoned her as a child, abandoned her, probably got her mother killed, and who she herself even said multiple times wasn’t a trustworthy person. Excuse me??! All because said leading man is a vampire and that makes him a monster? Her logic is so juvenile it’s painful

Some of this comes from the bonus chapters too so I’m assuming that’s cannon to the lore of this story. But Raphael supposedly allowed himself to be captured and went to Greymere on purpose to kill all the witches there. His Oracle told him the necromancer would be there and his job was to get rid of her. Spoiler the Necromancer is Samara, surprise, surprise, and even though he’s not aware it’s her initially (according to the bonus chapters). I personally would have assumed he knew it was her immediately considering he couldn’t thrall her and he didn’t end up killing anyone else in the prison but some guards and Nelson. May he rot in hell. So either he knew it was her that he was looking for so he spared everyone else, or he just forgot his mission entirely once she freed him? Then he just takes her off on a joy ride to pick up said necromancer’s grimoire and have her translate it? Because that seems smart.

That part could use a little more illumination. So could both of their backstories honestly. Like there’s mystery, and then there’s just a lack of depth or character development by holding onto the big reveals past a certain point. Things get stale & static. Almost 500 pages in and things are hinted at and inferred about Samara and her ties to high witch society. That her mother was brutally killed by a vampire, and so she despises them. Which made Samara’s hatred for vampires understandable, but then towards the end they said “arena.”

Samara’s mother was butchered by a vampire in an arena for all to watch. Not attacked in their home at night by an intruder. No she was made an example of intentionally in a public execution. I’m assuming by the king.. And the spy master even said that Samara’s mother should have known better than to make an enemy of him almost as if he set her up for that end. So with that context it’s not the vampires fault at all. The vampire was the murder weapon but not the trigger puller. Why blame all of vampire society for that over the spy master and her own king/people? Why help the spy master after he reveals this? Because he makes that comment literally the first time he speaks to her. She even knows and says he’s untrustworthy which makes her betraying Raphael and Amalthea(her only friend supposedly) to him all the more stupid & painful. Especially when you consider the Spymaster thinks Amalthea should be killed for even existing and probably would have her head too if Raphael were to die.

This girl is so indoctrinated it’s sad. I liked the fact that she was resourceful, and mechanically inclined, wanted to fix things and invent things, loved books, and languages, was a survivor etc. But I can’t tolerate how ignorant, racist, hypocritical, fickle, and pretentious she is later on.

It’s just like girl your kingdom are the villains. Nobody will trade with you guys, you imprison or abandon children for not having magical abilities. Non magical witches are treated like mud. Your king publicly executed all oracles and still continues to as they are born, because they might pose a threat by having more knowledge/power than him and he most likely sentenced your mother to the most brutal public execution possible to make an example out of her.

Whereas the vampire kingdom takes them all in. The humans, the voids and oracles like Amalthea and their families, they even took you in because if you stayed in the witch kingdom you would’ve been imprisoned again, killed, or stripped of all identity and beaten within an inch of your life at the Monastery. You didn’t even know that other magical creatures had their own societies. And you still have the audacity to be like no Raphael’s entire kingdom are the monsters because they’re drink blood from humans and some Vampires accidentally kill them. There are no vampires in the witch kingdom at all, accept apparently the ones used like mad bulls or lions to stoke fear in public arena style executions. There are however humans openly, safely, and by choice living in the vampire kingdom. Don’t get me wrong humans are mostly second class citizens in vampire society, but they are citizens. They aren’t slaves or chattel or prisoners, by any means. No society is perfect but her country has done far, far worse than what she’s chastising him for. She just blindly hates vampires so much that she can’t see that. But still, like if you’re going to betray your man, after he’s saved your ass 19 times just make it make sense. 🤦🏼‍♀️ This doesn’t unless you’re just looking for drama.

And if you feel strongly enough about something to murder over it don’t change your mind 2 minutes later. She’s fickle too which reduces her credibility and adds an extra layer of annoyance.

The romance kinda stalled at the halfway mark after an awkward cuddle and an erection. Once they get to vampire kingdom they talk even less. I got 75% of the way through and realized there’s not going to be any spice at all in this book. Which is kinda disappointing. They’re not even close to that happening organically. They still barely know eachother so they haven’t had time for that intimacy to really build apart from lust, but they haven’t even kissed each-other yet. Or touched eachother in a way that wasn’t Christian. She still acts like she finds him disgusting half the time.

85% through the book she finally kisses him or lets him kiss her. After he saves her for the 16th time in the least romantic setting I can imagine (a dimly lit previously used brothel on call room with bloody sheets where he just killed someone.) She enjoys kissing him for like 2 minutes before recoiling then asking him a question. He disagrees with her, because she’s wrong, and she’s just like “ohhh fuck this guy I’m going to betray him and his entire kingdom, because they’re the monsters!?” Like girl are you serious? 🫠

She visits one random brothel in the vampire kingdom and gets mistaken for a prostitute because she’s standing in one of the call rooms alone. So a vampire comes in and comes on to her. A vampire whom she stabs before he even touches her, and the male lead comes in and kills on the spot mind you. Then she’s just like you all are violent Monsters how dare you have places with prostitutes who you drink from in this kingdom?!?! Like girl there were brothels in your kingdom too and you didn’t question the ethics or morality of your kingdom. You were even curious. 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️

So she asks him do you think this is a fair system?! And he’s like “yes, it’s their choice they want to be bitten and they’re paid for it.” And she’s just like “who could possibly want that without coercion?” And I’m like 🤦🏼‍♀️ Just because you’re disgusted and can’t fathom other people’s lives/decisions doesn’t mean they’re not valid ones and that those people shouldn’t be able to make them. The whole thing was very puritanical, one-sided, and tone deaf.

And for two people in love they don’t ask each-other enough questions to really get to genuinely know each other. Their closest bonding moment is because she’s drunk for the first time and the most he finds out is that she sleeps under her bed instead of in it out of fear. So this literal king sleeps down there with her, so she won’t be alone while intoxicated, but doesn’t do anything with her because she’s drunk. Then he tricks her bed out later practically building her a fort down there so that she can sleep more securely and comfortably underneath it. That’s the man you’re betraying and calling a monster because he pointed out that you are fragile/weak compared to him and that he didn’t think his brothels were any worse than yours? 🤦🏼‍♀️ So stupid.

I usually don’t write reviews on the apps but this one got me so heated because I genuinely liked it starting out. It had so much potential. I read it in 2 days and I liked Samara initially, her banter, her survival instincts, her mechanical abilities, but now those instincts took a terrible turn, and I’m just bored and annoyed and so fed up I want him to let her go run off and die in the witch kingdom or the woods and pick someone better to be obsessed with.

Not listen to her go “I don’t owe him anything,” and it’s just like girl……. You would still be rotting in jail for the rest of your life unable to even shower, or dead 100x over without him I don’t want to hear it. She’s just so ungrateful, “I’d rather go back to wearing my old unwashed prison rags than have to endure another custom tailored dress fitting,” 🙄 Child, no you wouldn’t. That doesn’t make you sound down to earth, it makes you sound like a spoiled brat. And racist, “I don’t want their vampire fingers touching me,” 🙄 (referring to a seamstress trying to sew her said new dress.) I probably won’t read the second book.

It was almost redeeming when she didn’t follow through on the spymasters plot to poison Raphael. And honestly Raphael turning her to save her life after said spymaster attempts to kill her was very good. That was the best way it could’ve gone down. Although him having to drain her after she was poisoned a second time as opposed to just a sip from her after only being poisoned once was undoubtedly far worse for him. I thought well great at least she’s a vampire too now. She can’t be so high and mighty anymore, right? Maybe this change will be good for her and she’ll be able to learn some empathy. But no…

Now she’s strong and powerful. She can enthrall vampires. Her necromancer powers emerge and what’s the first thing she does? Wish death on Raphael out of petty anger, and plan to destroy the vampire kingdom he built. Even though the spy master admits he turned on her mother, convinced that one vampire to attack her in the library, killed that girl at the brothel she was so upset about, wishes death on her best friend, and tries to kill both Raphael and her. Raphael saved her life the only way possible and she could easily kill herself if that’s what she’d prefer over vampirism. But she won’t, because she wouldn’t really prefer to be dead. Instead she wants to use those new powers to destroy or slaughter (unspecified) an entire kingdom of living beings. Because all of Vampire society are the real monsters… 🙄🤦🏼‍♀️✨

Predictions…. Her mother called her a princess early on in the book. She was training her in royal etiquette like a princess. Initially I assumed she was just a social climber. Then she saw Prince Marcel and reacted strongly to him wondered if he remembered her so I thought maybe her mother had intended her to wed him. But then she noted Raphael’s jealousy and hoped he wouldn’t guess her true connection to the prince. Didn’t seem romantic. Then she mentions her only friend was her half brother. My guess, that half brother is Prince Marcel. How else would she know so much about him and the king’s personal spy master. She admitted her father was still alive and my guess is he’s the king. She’s an illegitimate, void, daughter to the king. Which is why she’s terrified of being found out. Meaning her father was probably the one that had her mother executed publicly and brutally, and then hid her away in that prison most likely so that no one would ever find out. Maybe her mother knew something. She was making sure her daughter learned that old language of the Black Grimoire which couldn’t have been common knowledge since that goddess wasn’t and that could be what the king considered to be heresy or treason enough to have her killed and their daughter charged and imprisoned at 8. Honestly Raphael using the grimoire to keep her from leaving and paying her to translate it… stupid, especially if he had any suspicions she was the necromancer. And he had to otherwise he’s even more stupid. It’s like he’s an NPC whose sole purpose is to love Samara, despite her being a brat because she smells nice and is feisty sometimes? Just chalk it up to the magical thrall of her being the necromancer. Which isn’t real love it’s magically bound enticement. The oracle knows something because of that last look she gave Samara and the fact that she lied about her vision that night of how Raphael would come to drink Samara’s blood. So maybe she has a plan that will save them all from drowning in their own stupidity and terrible communication skills.

The Princess of the witches and the king of the vampires could unite the kingdoms finally. But nahh petty, senseless drama, hot tempered anger, and revenge seems to be more Samara’s speed and I hope she chokes on it. They couldn’t have given those powers to a worse person and Raphael should’ve just let her die. I do not wish her a happy ending. She needs therapy, and she deserves a Greek tragedy.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one so bad, but it just didn't deliver. I hated Samara. I found her to be horribly naive and extremely judgmental. She trusted people she shouldn't, yet didn't the ones she should. I also felt like we should have way more background info on Samara for this book being 498 pages, yet we don't.

I preferred Raphael and questioned why he wanted her. She doesn't deserve him, and I honestly have no desire to read how she weasels herself out of the shit show she caused at the end of this one.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing! This book had my attention from the very first page. Add it to your TBR.

🦇Dark Fantasy
🦇Magic
🦇Touch her and die
🦇Slow burn
🦇Enemies to Allies
🦇Vampire x Mortal
🦇Possessive MMC

Release 6-30-25

The Audiobook sounds amazing! This is one of the few new books I'm excited for. I seriously loved it. I don't want to give too much away, because I feel like it'll ruin the book for you. If you love Dark Fantasy, Vampires, court drama, slow burn, magic, this book is for you.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait for book two.

[Dani · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I was excited in the beginning of the story, but Sam quickly got on my nerves. Raphael was hopelessly in love, and as a fellow romantic, I can’t really fault him for that. But Sam was a hypocrite at basically every moment and angered me.

The story held promise and the world building was cool.

Update: read the bonus chapters and Raphael angered me