Kletba krve a kamene

Fate & Flame #2

by K.A. Tucker, Josef Kalousek (Translator)

Romeria utekla z Ciriley s cejchem zrádkyně. Zander se vzdal koruny, aby jí zachránil život, ale přesto ji jako královnu Isloru žádný z nesmrtelných nikdy nepřijme. Teď kráčí bok po boku jako vyhnanci a sledují, jak povstává dosud nepředstavitelná hrozba. Ve snaze najít odpovědi se vydávají do Venhornského pohoří, ale vede je nejisté proroctví a jejich spojenci jim přestávají důvěřovat. A protože Romeria se jen těžko sžívá se svými novými schopnostmi a povstání smrtelníků sílí, mohlo by už být příliš pozdě.

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

472 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2022

About the author

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge.

​

She is the internationally bestselling author of over thirty books, including Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and the Fate & Flame series, Until It Fades, Say You Still Love Me, and Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women.

Ten Tiny Breaths, The Simple Wild, and A Queen of Thieves & Chaos were Goodreads Choice award nominees.

​K.A. Tucker lives outside of Toronto. When she's not writing books, you can find her reading recipes she'll never make or chasing rabbits away from her hostas.

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Reviews

[jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

this sequel proves thats KATs dip into fantasy is no mistake. what could have been a stroke of luck with the first book has now become a full on strength. this really is her genre.

because of the events of the first book, this installment follows the “journey” narrative. everyone is on the move with reaching a specific destination being the goal. so if you arent a fan of long trips, then this sequel might feel too slow paced for you. but i enjoyed the escapades, the visits to different cities within the kingdom, all while trying to escape danger and strengthen bonds.

with the way things end, im a little nervous for how the next book is going to go. its heavily hinting at characters being separated, which is my all time pet-peeve. but, honestly, this series is just too good that i know im going to enjoy it regardless. so i cant wait! lol.

↠ 4.5 stars

[K.A. Tucker]

Available now!




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[• Lindsey Dahling • · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. This book was…well, it was a thing I read. You can tell it’s setting up for a lot to go down in book 3. Unfortunately, that means not a whole lot happens in this one. In fact, it grew a bit repetitive after awhile (as much as it pains me to say).

I’m not giving up on the series though. The ending is the type of cliffhanger where the plot can shoot in a million different directions, so let’s hope we get a bit more…everything…in book 3.

Also, I am in love with Commander Abarrane.

[Aviva’s Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a horrible case of middle book syndrome. There was so much info-dumping and mundane moments which I didn’t find particularly interesting or compelling to read about - and I might have felt more connected to the story if I was into the romance… but that was a complete disappointment all on its own… so there wasn’t really anything going on that was giving me a reason to want to keep reading… but somehow I forced myself to the end (with the help of some heavy skimming).

Like I said in my review for book one - we didn’t get a great build up for the romance even though by the end of it, the couple ended up together and was somehow madly in love from the few interactions they had… only to be broken up by the start of book two without much of an explanation or even a conversation… and then we spent half of this book with them basically not talking to each other - and then have them get back together because he realizes that their original reasoning for breaking up was stupid… which just made the entire first half of this book feel even more pointless than it already was since absolutely nothing happened besides for them traveling to a bunch of different places.

I’m not feeling the spark or tension between the two of them and I don’t even like Zander as a character. I was liking Romeria in book one well enough but she kind became less interesting to me in this book for some reason… probably because everything else was boring me… but still. — I was honestly finding all of the side characters more interesting than the main ones… I felt like Elijah & Jarek had better banter with Romeria than Zander did and I found myself liking the moments with Pan and Eden more than Romeria and Zander’s. —- plus, all of their issues are rooted in miscommunication/withholding of truths and it was driving me crazy.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to Valentine PR and the author for giving me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Aaaaahhhh I loved it!!!! K.A. Tucker, you are never a miss!!!! ❤️

In Curse of Blood and Stone, poor Romy realizes she just cannot catch a break.

When we saw her last, she was fleeing Cirilea with a distant and pissed off Zander, plus a few others, after Atticus's coup. In this sequel, which picks up right where book one left off, she has to follow Zander's lead in order for them to secure him his throne back, and try not to think about what will happen to her once he does.

This is largely a traveling book, since, before the characters find their way back to Cirilea, they have to gather soldiers and supplies by way of the Venhorn Mountains to try to defeat Atticus.

Understandably, Zander's insistence in protecting Romy throughout the journey and leaving her unharmed creates confusion and hesitation among his allies, making the road to vengeance a treacherous one.

The world and the story K.A. Tucker created with this is just so compelling. Usually, my main concern is with the romance arc (and don't worry, it still is, lol) but with this series I'm just so interested in everyone's motivations and backgrounds, from Sofie's sleeping husband and her association with Malachi to what the hell Wendeline is doing. Every part of this plot is interesting, and there are so many new characters to learn about!

And going back to the romance... oh, boy. That Zander, he's so confused. He wants to let go of his anger and suspicion and just let himself love Romy, but it ain't easy! The road sure is thrilling and full of sexual tension, though. 😏

Truly, the romance here was everything I wanted it to be. I actually do love that edge that accompanies Zander's words and actions towards the beginning, when he and Romy are in not so good of a place. We need a little friction sometimes!

Finally, I think this book was a lot better about reigning in the history lessons, instead choosing to incorporate the political context and background in a more dynamic way, if that makes sense.

I absolutely loved getting to know more of this fantastical world and all its intrigue, as well as spending more time with Romy and Zander. They still have a long way to go, but the stuff we get in this book is spellbinding. Can’t wait for book three!!!

[M Gregs · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’m rounding down for now, mostly because I don’t think I see myself ever rereading this series. But it’s a good series, and this book kept me engaged throughout, despite its length.

After some thought, I am going to round up to 4 stars because I can’t stop thinking about this book.

This is a truly sweeping world and it took me about 300 pages to re-familiarize myself with everything that happened in Book 1, which made for a somewhat frustrating reading experience. That said, I liked this book more than the first book, and looking back at my review of AFoWaF I realize that all the issues I had with the way that book ended are more or less resolved in this book. I liked the characters, I liked the story, and I want more.


I’m determined to go into Book 3 more equipped to quickly sink into the plot, though. So below is my note-to-self recap for Book 2. Future me will thank me.

Also Future Me: I spent like two hours writing this so you'd damn well better read the third book.

**Spoilers Follow**

The Characters

Romeria
Romeria was born and raised on Earth, while an alternate Romeria was born and raised in Ybaris. Ybarisan Romeria was deliberately infected with some sort of potion that made her blood poisonous to Islorians (who are cursed with a "blood sickness" that is analogous to vampirism). After knowingly killing the king and queen of Islor with her blood, Ybarisan Romeria was also killed. However, she was "resurrected" when Sofie (a key caster immortal who lives on Earth) implanted Earth Romeria's soul/essence into Ybarisan Romeria's body. Earth Romeria woke up in Islor with no knowledge of who she was and was taken to the palace where she spent all of A Wrath of Fate and Flame learning who she was and falling in love with Zander, the king of Islor.

Romeria is a key caster, which means that she is able to wield all four elements (and also has healing abilities), though since she did not grow up knowing how to use this power, she spends much of A Curse of Blood and Stone attempting to learn how to use her power with varying success. She is best able to use her power when she is attempting to hide herself or when she is in dire situations and trying to defend the people she loves. By the end of the book she has greater control over her powers. Her Ybarisan body still carries poisoned blood; if any Islorian drinks her blood they will die a horrible death.

Romeria is somewhat impulsive and reckless, though she is able to think on her feet and talk her way out of almost any situation. She is in love with Zander. The two of them spent all of the first book falling in love and about half of the second book denying that they are in love. However, by the end of the book they are in a committed relationship despite their complicated history. Most of the people who are close to Romeria know that she is a key caster, though few know that she is a different person altogether than Ybarisan Romeria.

Zander
Zander is the exiled king of Islor. At the end of A Wrath of Fate and Flame he chose Romeria over trying to defend his throne against his brother, Atticus. Instead, he, Romeria, his friend Elisaf, and another key caster, Gesine, escape the capitol and flee north toward Stonekeep, a mountain near Ybaris that is prophesied to bring Islor and Ybaris together to end the blood curse. The group is joined by The Legion--a select group of guards led by Abarrane and Jarek--who all make the trek north together.

Zander knows all about the two Romerias. He was initially cool toward Romeria in A Wrath of Fate and Flame, but he loves her by the end of that book and all throughout A Curse of Blood and Stone. He is a good king who is trying to do what he can to end the blood curse and save his people. Unlike many Islorians, he feels that humans should be afforded rights instead of being made to serve Islorians. He is a caster with a strong affinity for fire.

Oh. And he’s also, like, a vampire (though he calls it a blood curse). He eats regular food but also has to drink human blood to survive. He is immortal in that he could theoretically live forever. But he can be injured and he can die.

Gesine
Gesine is a caster (affinities for everything but fire) who was once in service to the Ybarisan queen, but who has fled her service in order to help Zander and Romeria. Apparently key casters in this world are casters until they reach somewhere before 30 and 40 years of age, at which point they become seers, and age/deteriorate quickly, eventually going mad and dying. Gesine fled Ysbaris with her lover, Ianca, because Ianca had become a seer and prophecied that Romeria and Zander together were going to be able to stop the blood curse and united Ysbaris and Islor once more. Gesine helps Romeria hone her powers and successfully leads the group to Stonekeep. She is also a capable healer who saves many lives along the way. However, she is also kind of cagey, and likely knows more than she is letting on.

Elisaf
Zander's guard and Romeria's good friend. I can't remember exactly what happened in A Wrath of Fate and Flame, but I believe that Zander "turned" Elisaf, potentially to save his life.

The Legion
A group of elite guards loyal to Zander. Abarrane is the leader and Jarek is her second in command. Other guards include Zorya (who is becoming friends with Gesine by the end of the book) and Brynn, as well as Iago and Drakon--scouts who were taken hostage and are still missing at the end of A Curse of Blood and Stone. Jarek and Abarrane are key characters. While neither of them is fond of Romeria at the beginning of the book, she earns their trust and respect by the end.

The Humans
During the trek north, Zander and Romeria rescue a bunch of humans from inhumane Islorian "keepers" in the towns they pass through. The most important of these humans are Eden (who willingly becomes something of a servant to Romeria); Pan (a boy who drank some of Romeria's blood in order to poison his own blood and kill his keeper. Romeria intervened and he is faithful to her and has saved both her and members of their party multiple times); and Fearghal (a late addition to the party, and someone who helps them find Stonekeep).

Sofie and Malachi
Sofie doesn't show up much in A Curse of Blood and Stone, but her presence is felt throughout the book. Hundreds of years ago on Earth she fell in love with an immortal named Elijah. She convinced Elijah to turn her immortal; however she had also allied herself with the god Malachi (god of fire). After Elijah turned her, he fell into a coma and stayed that way for hundreds of years (with Malachi preserving his body). In those years, Sofie carried out tasks in service to Malachi with his promise that he would one day bring Elijah back. It is at Malachi's request that Sofie hunts down Romeria and channels her soul into Ysbarian Romeria's body. She also has a lot of sex with Malachi on the alter on which Elijah's body rests which is... as weird as it sounds.

At the end of A Curse of Blood and Stone Gesine, Zander, and Romeria have worked out that, rather than resurrect Elijah, Malachi intends to take over his body as king with Sofie at his side. He can only do so if Romeria opens the nymphaeum (the only place where immortals can conceive children). This part of the plot is somewhat lost in A Curse of Blood and Stone, but it's there in the background. Romeria has to do something on Malachi's behalf in order to bring Malachi and Sofie to life in Islor. Romeria is aware that he wants her to perform a task, but insists that she will not do it (to which Malachi insists that she will "not have a choice").

Others
Atticus - Current king of Islor
Annika - Atticus and Zander's sister; currently in Islor
Tyree - Ysbarian Romeria's brother who plotted against Zander; currently in Islor
Adley - Some nobleman (I think?) who is currently allied with Atticus in Islor
Saoirse - Adley's daughter, betrothed to Atticus
Wendoline - A caster who betrayed Zander and Romeria in Islor

Basic Recap
The book starts with Romeria, Zander, Gesine, and Elisaf fleeing the Islorian capitol. They flee via boat, and Boaz--the head of the army--orders his soldiers to fire arrows at them as they row away. Gesine and Romeria are able to redirect the arrows and use the wind to quicken the boat's pace, and the group is able to flee.

They wind up on another coast and travel into the woods where they find what's left of The Legion, guards who are loyal to Zander. There are 19 Legion left, and they are led by Abarrane and Jarek, neither of whom trusts Romeria. Gesine privately tells Zander that Ianca (a seer) had a vision that said that a) Romeria needs to travel to Stonekeep to see something that is written on the wall there, and b) Romeria and Zander (son of Malachi and daughter of Aoife) will jointly sacrifice something (perhaps their lives) to defeat the fates and bring peace to Islor. They decide not to tell Romeria this, but to continue on to Stonekeep to see if Romeria can find anything of use there. Abarrane is told about Romeria's true identity, but no one else is.

The group travels through Freywhich, a place that is run by Danthrin, a keeper who mistreats his human "tributes" or servants. After becoming friends with Eden, one of the servants, Romeria convinces Zander to free the humans in the town. He does so, somewhat reluctantly, and also burns all of the orchards in the town because Lord of the town lied about being destitute and having no crops. The group leaves the town with many humans in tow, including Eden, who now sees herself as in service to Romeria.

The group travels on to Bellcross, which is another large city. Gesine has left Ianca there and wants to find her and bring her with them. Zander wants to speak with Lord Rengard, who has been his friend, and asks for provisions for their journey. Gesine, Abarrane, Zorya, Elisaf, Romeria, and Jake find Ianca, who has aged considerably, is blind, and is losing her mind. Gesine and Zorya sneak Ianca out of the city in a cart while Elisaf, Romeria, and Jarek walk through the market back to the place where they are meant to meet Zander and Abarrane. However, while they are in the market, a butcher draws a crowd by shouting that his servant--Pan (18)--has taken a vial of Romeria's blood that will turn his blood to poison. Pan denies it and Romeria stands up for him publicly. Meanwhile, Zander secures a promise of provisions from his friend, but they are interrupted when a messenger informs them about the trouble in the market. Zander and Rengard find Romeria and insist that Pan go free. As they leave the town with Pan, they see that Gesine, Zorya, and Ianca have been attacked by bandits. Zander, Jarek, Elisaf, and Abarrane rush to help, at which point Pan and Romeria are kidnapped by other bandits. When Romeria comes to, she is tied up with Pan. One of the bandits drinks from Pan's blood and dies, indicating that Pan has actually purposefully infected himself. Romeria is able to kill one of the bandits, but a third bandit takes Pan hostage and threatens to kill him. Romeria summons her power and causes an earthquake, which kills the third bandit, just as Zander arrives.

Zander and Romeria reunite and reaffirm their love for one another. Pan is "marked" as poisonous by Gesine, but allowed to join their group. The party travels on to Norcaster. Along the way, Gesine teaches Romeria how to draw on her affinities and Ianca grows weaker. Once at Norcaster, Zander, Elisaf, and Abarrane venture into the town to try to figure out what has become of two of their scouts who never reported back. Angry that she was left behind, Romeria uses her caster abilities to sneak her and Pan out of the camp and follow the group to a tavern. Jarek follows them. There are several humans chained in the town square under suspicion of having poisoned their blood. Guards from the town--led by Isembert--confront Zander, and a deadly bar brawl ensues. In the resulting pandemonium, Romeria and Pan try to free the humans from the square. They are quickly surrounded, but Romeria summons her fire ability and is able to hold them off until Zander and the others come to finish the job. The group brings the humans with them when they leave town. Because Jarek witnessed Romeria using her powers, he is told that she is a key caster, and is pissed that he was kept in the dark this whole time.

Fearghal, one of the men in the bar, decides to help Zander. He tells the group that Isembert has been sending immortals north to the mountains for decades to feed the "saplings." [Saplings are immortals who only feed on other immortals' blood. They are more akin to vampires, as they cannot go out in the daylight.] The arrangement is that Isembert sends immortals to their death in the mountains--where the saplings live--and in return the saplings leave Norcaster alone. So the group continues toward the mountains in an effort to find their missing scouts. It is on this trip that Ianca finally succumbs to her fate and dies; but not before issuing a final prophecy that Romeria will use her blood so "they will bow," and uttering the word "Ulysede."

As they approach, they are pretty much immediately surrounded by saplings. The group is outnumbered, particularly as the saplings wield merth (a substance that weakens Islorians), and the Legion begin to fall. Jarek is badly wounded and Romeria has Gesine help him. While Zander and others act as a distraction, Pan and Romeria free the Legion that are bound by merth. The tide begins to shift, but then a Grif--a two-headed dragon thing--shows up and quickly begins taking people down. Elisaf is badly wounded and Romeria figures out how to heal him on instinct, mostly. The Grif attacks Zander and Romeria basically unleashes all her caster abilities on it, destroying it, and saving almost everyone's lives.

The group continues to make their way northward and finally arrive at Stonekeep. Elisaf, Zander, Abarrane, Jarek, Gesine, and Romeria travel to a rock wall that has carvings in it that no one can read. At first it appears that the trip was futile, but then Romeria hears voices in the wall and realizes that she can hear nymphs [nymphs being older and more powerful than fates; but I think the nymphs have been locked in the nymphaeum or something... they're not around anymore]. Romeria finds a carving that looks like a handprint and puts her hand in it. Her hand is instantly sliced open, and as her blood travels along the carvings the stone opens, revealing an entire city within the mountains. Zander and Romeria suspect that the nymphs created this place--Ulysede--for Islorians as a safe haven. Elisaf and Zander realize that once they are in Ulysede, they no longer feel the need to feed on human blood. They find a throne room with a crown in it, and there is writing on the walls that says, "she who wears the crown will rule them all." Zander places the crown on Romeria's head and bows to her, as do the rest of their party.

At the end of the book, Zander realizes that he has to return to Islor to help his people and reclaim his throne. Romeria is determined to go with him.

Back in Islor, we get our only glimpse of Atticus' rule. Atticus is dreading--but resigned--to his marriage with Saiorse. He has also arranged fro Annika to marry Tyree against her will. The book closes with him receiving a message from a place he has never heard of -- Ulysede.

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with Jarek this series

[Aoife - Bookish_Babbling · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

This picked up right where book1 left off and it does not take its foot off the pedal from there. The world and magic we got a sniff of last book ramps up in this one as we’re given a taste of what is still yet to come 🤩

We meet new awesome characters that surprise and grow on us alongside our faves from the first book. Sadly some of my favs didn’t get to come on this adventure and I am hopeful from the final chapter that we may get to see more of them as the series continues 🤞
The page time given to the new characters vs my previous faves is possibly my only downside to this read no matter how much the new characters grew on me and I did (as always) enjoy their snark…I still resent the page time they “took” from my initial faves. (Yes I mean Elisaf - am I alone in feeling like he got a little short-changed in lieu of J’s character development/interactions? 🥺)

Told in alternating PoV, although not exactly 50/50 – we hear mostly from Romy but I did enjoy getting a peak at Zanders thoughts from time to time and two other surprise PoV chapters just to mix things up a bit but 🤐 cos no spoilers 😈

I am still team MCs and pulling for their continued handling of the situations they find themselves in – they strike me as a more mature Poppy + Cas & I don’t mean in an NSFW way, altho they do bring their own better timed smexy interactions. I just enjoy the way they prioritise decision-making, have things out with one another and call each other on their BS as needed.

I have so many spoiler’y thoughts and will splurge them in a spoiler tag below but suffice to say I think it is worth remembering that history is recorded by the “victors” and considering where this ends – let’s just say I have so many questions and spent quite a lot of reading time double guessing character motives 🕵️🙊

Now to rapidly reread this before my library loan autoreturns...please tell me I am not alone in needing MOAR 😅

****spoilers after this***

First up considering the ending – the Nymphs…I know we’re being told we cannot trust them, but work with me here. History is told by the winners…in this case the Fates. From all we’ve learned about them over the last two books they do not sound all that trustworthy & make me wonder why they locked the Nymphs away initially. I’m not saying trust the Nymphs implicitly, but it is imho worth remembering that age old adage as to who is writing the history and what their motives might be is all – the Nymphs may be equally awful…but can we really trust the word of the previous “victors”? 🤔
Just some food for thought 🤷

Speaking of trust, walk with me a little more off the beaten path for a bit…where do others stand on Sofie?
I want to root for her so badly!
What Malachi has done to her for more than 300 years is horrendous and his plans for Romy’s opening of that darn door makes things worse…I’m all in on S getting a redemption arc and losing her ever-loving shit when she realises what he’s done to her, holding an unfulfillable promise over her head & while I don’t think she can take him on alone; I wouldn’t bet against her joining with the others once they all find out what Malachi has been up to – what a twisted sick mf’ing b@$t@rd he is!
So long as she doesn’t go along with his current plan I can see Romy forgiving Sofie for the role she has played so far, however if S goes along with M’s actual plan with her eyes open I cannot see a redemption path for her which would be unfortunate cos despite what she did in book1 – as she stands now she has been equally if not more hoodwinked by Malachi not to mention literally abused (if I’ve read between the lines correctly and am not grasping at straws) – from where I stand she has a way bigger bone to pick with M and deserves her shot at redemeption and a chance to burn that @$$hole into the gd ground 🤬🔥🤬🔥🤬🔥

This somewhat brings me back to the other Fates, why do we only hear about Aoife and Malachi? The other two will have to get more page time at some point, right?
While potentially not as strong as Fire & Water – they are presumably not to be sneezed at so wth have they been up to and why do they let this other stuff slide so much? Air needs to realise their role in Fire and cut that mofo off at the knees … maybe the other two fates need to read Zodiac Academy to see how their elements can effectively be wielded against the supposedly stronger fire & water 😎

Now for a quick gush about the characters 🤗
Despite what it might sound like above I actually really like Jarek, right from his intro through his somewhat mellowing (lolz he’s deffo not a fully signed up gungho team member yet) his snarky interactions and barbs are great fun 🙃

Abarrane continues to be her own brand of delightful lolz – I mean that, I also really enjoy her page time…well minus the torture stuff, apparently I’ve a weaker stomach than her on that front!

Gesine is probably the character that most kept me on my toes 🙈
I kept second guessing her motives and whether she could be trusted! Those last few “cliffhanger” chapters had me on tenterhooks in case any of Romy’s actions there got her somehow bloodcursed or sucked into another dimension again – when Gesine was the only one who could read/understand the other language I was convinced she could easily lie to them at every turn … pretty sure all this distrust on my part says much more about me and my reading tastes than I wish to examine rn (or ever) tho 🤭

As mentioned above I lament that Elisaf did not get more on page interactions.
Pan & Eden are also sweet additions, Pan surprised me and you’ll see from my reader update who he 100% reminds me of lol – but they cannot replace the Corrin & Annika shaped holes from book1! The last PoV chapter gives me hope that we might get to see more of them altho I want to root for that character’s PoV and that their intentions were not purely jealousy driven. I am not ready to forgive and will need to see more to decide if I want to…I think that’s more than enough waffle for now, however as I am hopeful of getting in a quick reread I may wind up editing this with more thoughts later - sorry not sorry 😇

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 🌟

K.A. Tucker managed to create a mesmerizing and complex world building in this installment. Spell bounding settings, elaborate and entangled plot, captivating romance, so many layered and terrible villains and so much on the line. This was definitely a grand sequel.

We can see Romy's development throughout the book, her becoming more aware of her powers and feelings. I loved how she become the people's queen. a great character in the making!

I wasn't a fan of Zander's behavior in this installment. He kept on treating Romy as a thing to be used, a weapon, and was ignoring her for a significant amount of time. I hate how he had every right to be mad and upset when she lied or manipulated him. But she's not allowed to be upset when he does the same thing. He concealed a big portion of her destiny from her. She should've been seething mad. I didn't see any groveling so couldn't give this a 5 stars rating. However, They had a few endearing scenes that I relished.

Brilliant side characters, Pan and Jarek were a great comic relief and a lovely addition to the amazing set of characters we already have. Jarek and Romy being frenemies was unexpected but definitely enjoyed.

Alas, I can't wait to see what happens on book 3.
--------------
Give it to me!!!

[✰ Liz ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

" No one stops us."



"Love me tonight and be the king you need to be tomorrow."

A Curse of Blood & Stone is the second book in the Fate and Flame Series. In order to truly enjoy the story, you must read the first book in the series first A Fate of Wrath and Flame.

"I think every choice you have had to make has led you into danger."

Blood & Stone picks up directly after Wrath and Flame. Romeria and Zander are on the run and both are struggling with their given circumstances. Unsure of their relationship with each other and unsure of their destiny, they only know that they still have strong feelings for each other. Zander is strong-willed and dedicated to his people and yet, Romy has his heart. As he grapples with this truth and Romy is learning how to wield her power, the stakes are high for them both to find their path.

"He assumes you will not go."

Told in dual POV, KA Tucker has crafted a very well-written masterpiece with great detail. I enjoy the world-building and the author's descriptive writing style. The characters are captivating and complex. The passion and banter between Romy and Zander are intricate and the ensemble of characters adds texture to the plot. The story is charged with danger, intrigue, and magic. There are a few plot twists that I didn't see coming which made for an even more enjoyable read.

"I will not risk her, not for all the crowns and all the kingdoms."

Overall, I highly recommend this series to those who enjoy high fantasy with a blockbuster romance. I have been a fan of KA Tucker since the beginning of my reading journey. She never fails to amaze me with her writing. The next book in the series could not get here fast enough!




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[Lucie V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ 2 POVs
✅ Characters
✅ New characters
✅ World-building
✅ Magic
✅ Romance
✅(🆗) Plot
✅🆗 Pace

3.5 stars for the first half and 4 stars for the second

This book picks up exactly where A Fate of Wrath and Flame ended. Romy, Zander, and Elisaf are escaping the castle with the help of Gesine and meet with what is left of Abarrane’s Legion. Most of the book is about traveling from the capital to the mountains in the North, so even if there is action, it felt a little long at times, but it sets up things for an interesting third book.

While the story overall is good, and the plot is engaging, the pace felt slow in the first half of the book. It feels like all Romy, Zander, and the Legion did was travel from town to town, encounter some situation where humans were mistreated, help them, and leave. I also have to say that while I am invested in Zander’s quest to regain his throne, and I want to see him and Romy succeed, I do not really care about the other half of the plot. The half about the prophecy and the Nypherium’s doors. It is constantly brought up by Gesine, but I find that I just don’t care about that part. Winning back Zander’s throne and Kingdom is a big mission enough; I don’t need the extra complication of Malachi and this weird prophecy (I am also not the biggest fan of plots relying on prophecies).

The world-building continues to be rich and complex. We see more of Iloria and Gesine and Romy’s magic. Romy is also learning, slowly but surely, to control her magic, and once again, I like that it didn’t come too easily to her. She worked and struggled to coax her magic and control it, except when she is very emotional, and it makes sense to me, considering where she comes from and that she never believed or tried to do magic before.

Romy is slowly but surely establishing herself as the liberator of the people. She helps and frees mistreated mortals as she travels through Ilor, and she has gained quite a group of stray but very loyal humans by the end of the book. I love that Zander supports her, not only because he loves her but because he sees how badly mortals are being treated, and he wants all of his people to be treated fairly. That being said, I feel that Romy stole the show and took most of the important decisions in this book. It is hinted at the end of this book that Romy and Zander might be separated for a while in the next book, and I am happy and eager to see how each of them will deal without the other. How Romy will gain in confidence, and how, hopefully, Zander will grow into the king he is meant to be.

Zander finally knows that I do not belong in this world, and he is searching for an excuse to abandon me to it.

It annoyed me that Romy made this about herself when Zander owes her nothing. It got better after a few chapters, thankfully, but it still annoyed me greatly while it lasted. Sure, he is attracted to her and she to him, but as she said, he just learned that she is not from his world and that she is a potential threat to his kingdom. On top of it, he has to deal with a coup and an army trying to find him. Of course, he is saying that their paths are different, they have different goals and priorities, and this has nothing to do with him wanting to get rid of her (in my opinion) but rather about him focusing on his kingdom and letting her focus on her search for meaning and answers. The author used this situation to create some hurt and drama, but it fell flat to me because I thought that it made Romy appear self-centered more than it portrayed her as a victim of Zander’s supposed callousness.

The romance between Romy and Zander does get better as the book progresses. Once Romy is over her little self-pity party, and Zander realizes that he cannot and does not want to leave Romy behind, he decides to let himself succumb to the temptation, and they continue where they left off. There is not a lot of smut in this book, but through conversations and a few sweet moments, we can see that Romy and Zander are falling hard for each other, but also that they have a lot of work to do, because of their past with evil-Romeria, and because while Zander wants to live happily ever after with Romy, he needs to think about his kingdom and his people first.

Jarek quickly went from being an ass, to being a character I really like. He is still a jerk, but a likable jerk that I believe will gain importance as the series progresses. Romy and he have a complex relationship, but it is a relationship that feels real and believable. Jarek does not trust Romy at all, and she has to work hard to earn his trust, and someday, she might even earn his loyalty. I can’t help but like this grumpy and arrogant legionnaire, and I hope Romy will listen to Zander’s advice and keep Jarek close to her for what is to come.

Sadly, Atticus was pretty much absent from this sequel. There is one chapter from his POV at the very end, promising more of him in the next book, but I am a little disappointed. The first book ended with a shocking betrayal, and Atticus created so many problems for his brother, yet we don’t know what he is up to in this book, besides spreading rumors about Zander and Romy, and we don’t see how he is dealing with his new position, except from hearsay. I was hoping for more chapters from his POV or Annika’s, if only to allow us to understand what is happening in both camps.


1.A Fate of Wrath and Flame ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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[haylee · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5✨

• thank you to Valentine PR for the e-ARC! •

welllllll that was disappointing. i loved the first book in this series so much and constantly recommend it as a great fantasy/paranormal romance, but this fell into the trap that i see a lot of great first books in series fall in which is: extending the series by any means necessary. aka: this all felt like filler.

no spoilers here!

the first half of the story only shows our main characters from the first book on the run and quite literally nothing happens besides being introduced to a million new characters to now have to keep track of AND a bunch of heavy lore drops that only confused me more than i already was. i’ll admit, i should’ve reread the first book before reading the sequel, but this was the most issues i’ve ever had when reading a sequel months after the first book? there’s just so much going on in terms of the magic system/politics/gods lore and it’s a lot to have to keep track of.

the best part of the first book imo was the banter and slow burn romance between Romeria and Zander, which we get next to nothing from here. until about half way, neither of them trust each other and just walk in circles around wanting to be in love but also just wanting to hide away. i missed all their banter and actual ROMANCE ya know? i ended up not caring at all if they were together or not.

i doubt i’ll continue reading this series when the next book comes out but i still have love in my heart for book one!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

THAT GODDAMN CLIFFHANGER THO

[Florencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relectura 2025:

Estoy buscando fallas en esta saga porque el año pasado la leí demasiado rápido y pensé que quizás pase por alto algún detalle, pero todo lo contrario. No solo no encontré nada malo sino que le daría más estrellas de ser posible


ME TENGO QUE CALMAR

Lo devoré en menos de 24 horas, así que voy a esperar un poco para leer el siguiente libro de la saga, simplemente porque mi vida tiene que continuar, además porque probablemente lo necesite releer pronto.

Es impresionante lo mucho que necesitaba que un libro me volviera a enganchar de esta manera, si bien es un libro de transición, está plagado de aventura y romance que me tiene completamente en vilo.

Voy con mi lista de pros & cons:

Lo que más me gustó:

🧚🏻‍♀️ Los nuevos personajes que se van sumando a la trama, amo a cada integrante de la legión y a lo nuevos mortales.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Me encanta la personalidad irónica de Romy, me hizo soltar varias carcajadas.

🧚🏻‍♀️Debo admitir que la mezcla de fantasía y aventura es mi debilidad absoluta, este libro tiene muchísimo de eso.

🧚🏻‍♀️ Me sorprende lo fácil de leer que este libro, más que nada teniendo en cuenta el género, no me hice lío con nombres, ni lugares. Siento que la autora logró que todo sea muy claro en ese sentido.

🧚🏻‍♀️ ZADEN 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

🧚🏻‍♀️ Me enternece mucho los vínculos de amistad que se están generando, en especial Romy y Elisaf.

Lo que no disfruté tanto:

🐺 Solo puedo decir que NECESITO que en los próximos libros exista un POV de Elisaf, más allá de eso no tengo ninguna otra crítica.

Solo me queda decir que espero con todo mi corazón que el resto de los libros de la saga no decepcionen porque viene muy bien.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. This has become one of my top 5 fantasy romance series. I received an ARC copy from Valentine PR (thank youuuu) and read this within 3 days of receiving it. I could have pulled an all-nighter and finished it one day bc it was that good, but alas I had work and could only squeeze this in during breaks.

What stood out:
1. The worldbuilding and politics are so interesting and easy enough to follow along with if you're not hugely into fantasy like me

2. The characters are *chefs kiss* The number of times I yelled "Romeria!" out loud in laughter or face palming was uncalled for. She is such a funny main character and I could stand behind almost all of her choices in the story. Daddy Zander came back in full force. I love me a fanged hero who broods and wears leathers. Swoon.

3. The pacing was really fun and fast-paced. One of the reasons I dislike fantasy is the middle slog where characters are traveling and trying to figure out conflicts very passively, which can take forever to read through. This story had some of those scenes of course, but it never felt too slow for me.

All in all, I think this was an incredible sequel (dare I say better than the 1st book?) and I CAN'T WAIT until book 3.

xx

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

Wow, what a read! The second book in the Fate & Flame series, this is an exciting, intriguing, dramatic, fun and romantic story, continuing the adventure of a woman trapped in a fantasy world – inhabiting the fae body of a woman who was literally bred for chaos. I was sucked in from start to finish, and it’s such a fantastic read.

This book is NOT a standalone, so make sure you read A Fate of Wrath & Flame before diving into this world – also a 5 star read, though for me, this one was even better! And beware that this review will be spoilery for the first book of the series (though nothing beyond what is already revealed in the blurb).

This book picks up immediately where the first book left off. Zander walked away from the throne of Islor to save Romeria’s life, and the two of them, along with their trusted guards, are on the run. Trying to unravel an ancient prophecy, they are travelling across the kingdom led by a powerful caster who is also attempting to teach Romeria about her newly-discovered powers. Their travels take them to large and small cities within Islor, which have been mostly ignored by the royal family, so they (and we) get to see first-hand the living conditions of immortals and humans outside of the capital - the people are suffering, the deadly poison circulated by their enemy is wreaking havoc, and Islor is being torn apart.

And in the middle of it all, Romeria is trying to figure out who she is and her place in her new world, and Zander is fighting for his throne, and for the life of the woman he loves. It’s a wild adventure, full of intrigue, action and romance, in a wonderfully developed fantasy world, and I loved every moment of it!

“I will need you beside me and ready to fight every stop of the way.”
I smooth my hand over his heart, my palm absorbing the warmth. “You already have me by your side.”

I love that we get to explore this world in so much more detail – the towns, the people, and the way they all connect together, we experience it all alongside Romeria and Zander as they travel. There are new reveals, but it didn’t feel as overwhelming as the last book occasionally did, with so much information unloaded. I had just finished a reread of Fate of Wrath and Flame, so I was fully prepared going into this one, remembering all of the little details, and was able to just sit back and watch it all unfold.

And this time around it’s written in dual POV, so we get Romeria’s perspective, and Zander’s, and OMG, I loved it! These are two wonderful characters – both intelligent and real, and despite the setting, and their extreme situation, I could relate to both of them. This is, at its heart, an emotional story. It’s people realising that their world is not as it seems, and finding the courage and strength to fight for what they believe is right. And their struggle to do that is beautifully written.

“I do not know how to love you and be a good king to my people … But I realize now that I will never be him if it means losing you.”

And on an even more emotional note - the last book had a hint of romance, but it didn’t really develop properly, now we get to see everything that is between Romeria and Zander, and though they’re in a really difficult position, we get to see an actual love story, and it’s so gorgeous! Playful, emotional and passionate, I loved seeing these two together. They know they have a massive fight on their hands to reclaim the throne, and for Zander’s people to accept Romeria as his Queen, but they’re in it together, and it was fantastic to see them so strong and so committed.

“I can’t live in this world if it’s not with you by my side.”
“Then that is where I will be. Always.”

There’s a great bunch of side characters with them – some that we already know and get to know better, and some wonderful new ones. All of them bring so much to the story, and there are some fantastically entertaining dynamics that keep things light and entertaining.

“Can you try not to keep up the entire camp this time?”
My cheeks burn as I grasp Jarek’s meaning. “We weren’t that loud.”
He smirks. “He wasn’t.”
I push aside my embarrassment. “Aw, it’s okay.” I reach up to toy with the thick rope of braided hair draped over his shoulder … “One day, if you try really hard, you’ll please someone that much too.”

I love this world, I’m loving this series, and I absolutely loved this book! It finishes in a good place, though the story is not over yet. That ending brings some big reveals and a twist or two, and I cannot wait to continue on.

Such a great read – 5 stars!

An Advanced Review copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.

[Maria Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A VER CÓMO LE ENTRO A ESTA SEGUNDA PARTE, SIN DECIR NADA😱!

Y es que ya se sabe que las segundas partes son las peores para reseñar en una trilogía, no?

Este.... vale, me arranco: ¿te acuerdas de lo que te dije de la primera parte?

¿Sí😍?

Pues súmale a eso más traiciones, secretos, enfrentamientos, intrigas palaciegas, dioses despiadados, brujas y un sinfín de seres con los que gritas de emoción cuando los descubres😍!

Todo esto y una pasión que, a cada libro, se pone más interesante, ¿no sé si me entiendes😏🔥?

Pero si tengo que hacer una mención especial, esta sin duda es para Jarek... Vamos, ya te dijo yo que me hubiera encantando que dicho personaje hubiera tenido un affaire con quien iba montada en su caballo... (si es que me va el morbo, qué quieres que te diga🤭)

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good and I need the third book now as I want to see what happens to my babies

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok- not what I was anticipating. I LOVED the first book and was so excited for this. Even did a reread of the first to prepare and it still absolutely slapped. This, unfortunately, does not slap nearly as hard. 😞

We pick up right where we left off with Romy and Zander fleeing the castle with Gesine and Elisaf. This book is basically them fleeing/traveling and trying to make sense of Romy’s caster abilities and Malachi’s treacherous plans. The first 30% of this book makes sense to me. Both Romy and Zander are feeling betrayed by one another and are left with conflicting emotions towards one another. This creates tension between them which I didn’t mind at first, since I felt like it added character and growth to their relationship. However, the behaviors portrayed by them towards one another (ignoring/“stomping off”/etc.) were very childish and melodramatic in my opinion, which really put a bad taste in my mouth. Speaking of melodramatic-

Why is every character in this entire book acting like a spoiled bratty child?! Romy used to be this bad ass, snarky, quick-thinking thief in the first book. And now suddenly for majority of this book she is crying over Zander and acting like a baby because he won’t acknowledge her fast enough? Romy is the worst character in this book now. I don’t even recognize her anymore. Her entire character arc is basically just turning into this immediately loved savior of the humans and whining/simping over Zander. At times she acts like she is above the humans around her?! Like GURRL, YOU USED TO BE ONE??

Seems like the author took some notes from SJM writing and starts using all too convenient excuses to hide plot holes. Just starts telling you things happened instead of showing which is the worst. Also starts using the words male/mates VERY frequently which is even more of a SJM vibe 🤢

I still appreciate the world this author built but there are so many “potentially happening” plots in the story that everything starts getting muddled. The ending of this book left me extremely underwhelmed?? No spoilers, but I genuinely don’t understand where the story would even go from here. It seems like Romy and Zander will likely be on different paths and honestly what is the point of continuing to read if they aren’t interacting together??

Romance takes a big back seat in this one. The sex scenes are rinse and repeat each time. Very little banter/snarky moments between Romy and Zander. This book has multiple POV between Romy and Zander and this book suffers because of it. The Zander chapters basically negate the tension that is portrayed between them in the first part of the book because the reader knows from Zander’s chapters that ITS OK HE STILL ACTUALLY REALLY LOVES HER. Also you can tell the writer starts to forget the tone she is supposed to be writing in between Zander vs. Romy chapters and it all just starts to blend together into a blobby mess of boring.

There are zero high stakes in this book. Everyone is immediately healed by Gisene. Fight scenes extremely brief and Romy’s super speshal powers save the day immediately. Forced witty banter between characters that adds nothing to the story. Too many comedic relief side characters introduced. Not much really happening in this book at any given moment.

Unsure if I will continue this series (I think there is supposed to be another book?) but gosh, definitely not reading this again. 👎🏼

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread - this sequel is still perfection. And I loved Jarek even more the second time around

------ ORIGINAL REVIEW -------

Thank you so much to Valentine PR and the author for providing an e-arc of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

This sequel did NOT disappoint! There is something about this series that I just cannot get enough of. Every element has me completely hooked - the plot, the world, the characters, the writing, the romance.

This book picks up immediately where book 1 left off. I was nervous because traveling stories always seem to lose me. But somehow K.A. Tucker wrote a traveling story that I fell in love with.

We're following our characters as they travel Cirilea steered by prophecy. The world and magic is expanded on so much and I'm continuously blown away by the subtle world and magic building that KA Tucker weaves into this story. Once again, I never felt bogged down by info-dumpy passages or scenes. Instead it's a woven into the story seamlessly.

We get so many new characters and time with characters we only got small glimpses of in book 1. And I absolutely adore all of the characters. Despite this having a relatively large cast, everyone feels unique and developed. And I love the banter and camaraderie amongst the cast. This book is very politically driven so I love the lighthearted moments sprinkled in.

And of course I adored the romance. This romance is a slow, slow burn. But it is so worth it. Zander and Romy's connection is everything I wanted.

Overall this book blew me away and I'm already looking forward to a reread as soon as the audiobook releases. Book 3 cannot be in my hands soon enough!

[Ana Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romeria and Zander leave the “safety” of the walls of the palace and face a whole number of dangerous and perilous situations. They face scary monsters and may enemies along the way. We get much more action and much less politics.

It’s time to learn about new and incredible powers, to meet old and loyal friends and to make new ones.

It’s a time of discovery, where Romeria and Zander’s love unravels, flourishes and blooms. It’s beautiful to watch!

They head the North, fleeing the treacherous “loyal” subjects they left behind in Cirilea (like Boaz, that pile of steaming excrement, and Atticus, the throne usurper brother!😡).

Romeria is about to know if the prophecy is really true or how much of it… She will start to know what the fates have reserved for her and how much is for her benefit.

We finally get Zander’s POV!😍 And also Atticus’s right at the end, which is a surprising one actually…😳

Do I recommend this book? Of course I do!

[Rockstar · Rating 3 out of 5]

subpar

As much as I wanted to like the sequel, it was too drawn out. The book picks up with them trying to escape the city and the kings brother. They are accompanied by a castor that intends to help them find another castor that can provide more info on the prophecies and the deities goals. Most of the book explored there travels dealing with humans who had sometimes knowingly or unknowingly taken the poison because of the ybaris (or however you spell it). In my personal opinion, this could’ve been wrapped up in 300 pages or less. 1) it took forever for Rommy to get a grasp on her abilities it’s not until at 80% that we get an idea of how powerful she is. 2) We know the nymphs exist but we don’t know there motivations even by the end of the book though it may be a bit safe to say they may help our heroes. 3) I hated how zander pushed rommy away and waited to nearly halfway through to make sure she was trained which could’ve saved them a lot of time and energy being expended. 4) We now know that Malachi is trying to find away to escape his prison and sofie and her dead husband is being played. This book was dragged out with useless escape travels that in no way advanced the plot. Rommy saving 100 people is not enough to amass an army and is pure delusion. I will say that there are a few new characters that are enjoyable to see Rommy interact with; however, they are never fully fleshed out and honestly just come off as flat. The way the book ended was actually kind of a let down because I was expecting her to actually find and interact with the nymphs or discover a secret passage that could transport her back to the nyphaeum or a second entrance. The author needs to work on not dragging out plots because if you’re gonna drag something out the payoff needs to be high and focus more on world building such as the prophecies and deities. I’ll probably read book #3 but hopefully it’s less filler. Also when the hell is Zander gonna see what this girl actually looks like??!!! Imagine dating a man that doesn’t even know what your real face is like. 😵‍💫🫤😕 lastly I think it would be cool if the fight transferred over into the real world. We never found out what the cult in new York with the symbols that Rommy and Xander are branding humans with fully represented.

[Arini · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1 A Fate of Wrath & Flame — 3.5 stars
#2 A Curse of Blood & Stone — 3.75 stars

travelling books where the characters go on a long journey can be a hit or miss. thankfully, this one was more the former. characters dynamic and all the shenanigans that they got themselves into along the way were what made this book readable and less boring. Zander & Romy spent the first half of this book “broken up,” but im just glad they were in this battle together. i thought the point of this expedition was to gather support and find armies to help take back Zanders kingdom, so im not sure why they found what they found at the end of this (cause it aint supports or armies). but whatever. please just dont separate these characters in the next book.

(read as an audiobook)

[☾All of Meg☀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I do not know how to love you and be a good king to my people”

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

What to expect:
✔️ Forbidden love
✔️ A realm in political turmoil
✔️ Feisty and powerful FMC
✔️ Brooding and protective MMC
✔️ Intriguing magic system
✔️ Hidden agendas/subplots
✔️ Tension with great spice pay-off

After reading book 1 (Fate of Wrath and Flame), I was excited to get stuck back into Romy’s story and see what happens next given where we left things off…
*Note* This is going to be a spoiler-free review so it won’t contain spoilers for either book one or two and will just speak on the overall experience of the book, characters, plot and pacing instead.

The tension between Romeria and Zander is both palpable and heartbreaking on the back of the events of book 1. Progress was finally being made, and now it feels like any chance at a romantic connection has been dashed. There’s angst, frustration, and anger between these two characters for a good portion of the book while they deal with their conflicting feelings towards one another and their duties.

The romance is not an insta-love romance so don’t go into this book expecting that. In book one, it’s very much enemies-to-lovers vibes, where’s here it is almost falling under the forbidden love trope. The angst plays such a big part in their relationship throughout the progression of the book and the plot, and the tension breaks at several key points leading to some very raw and moving confessions. It can be very choppy at times though so prepare mentally for that; their connection romantically is unstable throughout this book at they try to navigate how to be together/if they can be together given everything that has happened. Zander can come across at times as though he is using Romy which was a slight downside to me at times, but this is rectified through the later half of the book.

The plot pacing over all was good. There was a couple of points where I did feel like it became a little bit slow if I’m being very nit-picky but overall I moved along very well. Once I properly got into the thick of the book, I couldn’t put it down!

Overall, I am looking forward to book 3 and seeing where Romy and Zander’s story goes next… I am not sure at all what is going to happen, especially after how book 2 ended… iykyk 🫠 I have been left with many questions and am just very confused on how it all going to play out 🙈… I’m keen to see Romy use her powers even more in book 3 as that is always a major highlight for me in any fantasy book: seeing a strong and powerful female character come into her own. If the next book has even more romance/spicy scenes too then I also won’t be opposed to that either 😂🙈❤️

See my review for Fate of Wrath and Flame here! 💖

[Xia ✻. · Rating 2 out of 5]

#1 A fate of Wrath & Flame ★★★★★ / 5
#2 A Curse of Blood & Stone ★★✩✩✩ / 2

★★✩✩✩ / 2

Well, after giving 5 glowing stars to the first book I must say: I’m disappointed.

Take this review with a grain of salt, as my main complain and reason for not liking this as much is that this installment is full of pet peeves of mine.

⚠️ Beware of mild spoilers ⚠️

My first glaring problem: this felt like filler and a mean to extend the series. Whereas the first book was imaginative, with twisty tropes, tension and gripping, this took the same turn EVERY magic-kingdom book takes lately: our prince/king/royalty characters escaping after a coup and looking for a way to take back the throne. I’m kinda bored of this.

My second problem: it is a BIG like UNFORGIVABLE BIG pet peeve of mine when characters are supposed to be inconspicuous because they are escaping for their lives, and a character decides starting to save random people on the street who they never seen in their lives before is a good idea, going out into the public and attracting attention, and even getting angry if they are called out for putting everyone in danger. I. JUST. HATE. IT. 


To this you can add things like allowing the hero/heroine to break rules with no consequences whatsoever, ultra-over-powered hero/heroine who has no idea how to use their powers, etc…

Usually when I get picky I just start to rip apart the whole book, for things I forgive in stories I like, so I’m not going to enumerate more things because I know it’s just a domino effect, but, alas, I still ended up with a bad taste and no interest in reading the next one.

I’m just sad because I swear the first book was fucking amazing and different than anything I’ve read before and it just took the same turn as any other special-heroine-take-back-throne book out there.

[ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Whether it was a curse of fates or prophecy that brought us together, I no longer care, and I will not allow anything or anyone to keep us from each other again.”

I loved it the same way like i did in book 1. The story is very intriguing and thriller. The world building is vast and more travelling. This book begins where we left Romy and Zander fleeing Cirilea. It has full of travelling and actions. Romy started to learn her new powers and Zander was confused and suspicious where his feelings for Romy is real or not since its discovered that whole bunch of nonsence is Malachi doing. We still haven't know what's his motivation to Sofie and Romy but it's progressing slowly. Romy is caught between love and prophecy. The prophecy doesn't make any sense at the beginning but it all clicks to place soon. Romy is practicing her powers and learns how it helps whenever danger comes. There is a tension between Romy and Zander throughout the journey but can't deny each other anymore since it was obvious. There's some mistrust with legions and she is trying very hard not to get on anyone's bad side. The story ends on a cliffhanger and i think we will get more of Zander in the next book.

The plot was so far good, banters, new characters and new places, prophecies. I'm excited for fate & flame 3.

[Emms-hiatus(ish) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Middle book syndrome.

I enjoyed the 1st book quite a bit, this one is really disappointing.

The FMC had more chemistry with Jarek than she did with the MMC.

The whole "break up" at the beginning was so unnecessary and forced for the drama that it was annoying, and they were annoying whining about it.

I think I would have liked it if they had stayed broken up and she would have moved on with Jarek, who she actually had hot hot chemistry with

[Coco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madre mía, vaya ritmo y evolución que ha tenido la historia. Me ha tenido enganchada total a sus páginas porque solo quería saber que era lo siguiente que podía pasar.
El trasfondo político, lejos de aburrir, está lógicamente hilvanado. Y la trama de los Destinos me tiene totalmente perdida, aunque incita a seguir una dirección, no creo que la autora tome la vía fácil conociéndola.

[Koisty · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars ⭐️

This sequel does not disappoint and is definitely putting this series on the list of one of the best series I have read this year (and the series isn’t even finished yet!)

It is not as strong as the first book, and that’s why it’s not a full 5 stars. There are definitely moments where it does feel like the plot does slow down because majority of the plot of this book is just the journey from place A to place B. Some might also say it almost has a feeling of “Middle book syndrome” where it’s just setting up for the culmination of this series in the last book. And let me tell you, I am dying internally, screaming to myself and in a book depression that the next book is not out and I don’t know how I’ll be able to wait for 2023.

I did not think the world building could be better than perfection, because I love the complex world created in book one book. However this book took it so much deeper, with an even more elaborate and entangled world, but still easy to read, understand, and comprehend what was going on.

This book really does play on your emotions around the relationship between Romy and Zander. They do go through a couple of ups and downs that were heart-wrenching at times but it’s also so heartwarming at others. I would’ve liked a little more the for them to work at their relationship, especially from Zander’s perspective. He can often come across that he is just using Romy and doesn’t actually love her and she just forgives him for his crappy behaviour with very little effort from his part as it feels like she just wants to get into his pants again.

However, horniness aside, I really liked the continuation of the character development of Romy. Whilst she is powerful, I like how she built up to understanding her power and how her Caster abilities worked. Sometimes in books it can be too quick for a “chosen one” to know how to use their power and too easy for them to solve problems. In this she had to learn to have a handle on it and struggled with making them work. I also loved that she had such a unique way of touching peoples lives that they would actually care for her and respect her and would be willing to lay their lives down for her. A true “People’s Princess”. Zander felt a little bit flat. He didn’t have as much depth to his personality in this book, so he was a little bit dislikable at times.

Pan and Jarek are two of the best additions as characters to this story. They were such well formed characters, and so interesting. All I wanted was more scenes with Jarek and Romy and was, at times, sometimes wishing that Romy would actually end up with Jarek over Zander because the frenamies banter between Jarek and Romy was amazing and made me giggle out loud numerous times.

One of my favourite things about this book is I had a gripe about something in book 1 with Romy‘s character, AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY turned into a plot point!!!! I did not like that Romy was such an amazing thief and never used her abilities in book 1, and both times she tried stealing something she was caught, and it was all part of the story because she was not using her caster abilities when she tried those times! It’s just amazing how the seeds planted from book 1 started to grow in this book. I have never had something that stood out like that (and annoyed me) turned on its head and addressed like this book did.

Overall really entertaining read and glad that I picked up this series! Cannot wait for A Queen of Thieves and Chaos!

[Elsa Gomes (BookishAurora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➳ Rate: 5/ 5 stars

I devoured this in only a few hours! It was so damn good!! I'm absolutely loving getting to know this world and its history. I'm a bit obsessed with these characters.

I love books like this one. It felt a lot like when I was reading A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire or Siege & Storm. That journey vibe visiting all these new towns you get to explore, the characters getting to know each other and forming friendships, learning about their powers, getting stronger, or learning who they are on the journey. I loveeeee all that so much. I loved it in this book. Their journey was dangerous, yet so fun and interesting. I loved every minute.

Romeria grew so much and she's such a strong character. I loved watching her come into who she really is. And gosh she makes Zander a better person/king. I love watching that dynamic between them, even when he's an asshole towards her and wants to keep away from her, he'll take everything she says and does and really listen.

I really enjoyed getting to know all the Legion guards and even Zander's old friends, and the new humans Romeria saved were so cute and endearing. That girl is gonna make such a great Queen. When it comes to the romance, things are a bit rocky throughout the book after the whole truth was revealed at the end of the first book, but it was super cute to watch them pine for each other. I loved the angst. And then those moments where they just couldn't resist each other>>>> I died. I loved them. And in the end, they just don't care and embrace who they are and who they could be together!! I loved their connection, their chemistry. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Those last chapters were fantastic. It was so surprising and fascinating. I really wished the book hadn't ended. I was loving exploring yet another discovery. I can't wait to see what it all means and what's gonna be their next step. I hope book 3 won't be long cause I need it.

➳ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.

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