A queen with no heir. A prophecy she cannot outrun. And four men who could destroy her—or save her.
Bound by a fruitless marriage contract and pursued for her crown, Safa flees her kingdom with the only allies she has her fiercely loyal best friend, her cold but duty-bound husband, and the assassin who’s always watching from the shadows.
To protect her people, she must forge an alliance with a ruthless enemy king who wants more than power. But as danger closes in, the lines between ally, enemy, and lover begin to blur. Secrets unravel. Loyalties fracture. And the prophecy that haunts her future looms ever larger.
The warrior burns for her. The assassin would kill for her. The husband hides his heart—and something darker. And the enemy king may be the most dangerous of all.
There’s no room in a queen’s life for love. But with every forbidden touch, every stolen moment, Safa’s walls begin to crumble. Can she survive the weight of her prophecy, or will the love she never expected to find be her undoing?
Covenant of Crowns is a standalone novel in the Clans of Yassir series, a first-person, multi POV, reverse harem fantasy romance featuring MMFMM scenes and an epic journey toward a happily ever after. Events in Covenant of Crowns take place 200 years before the events in With a Vengeance, but readers can start with either book. Each novel is perfect for fans of fierce heroines, primal bonds, and slow-burning passion that ignites into a wildfire. See Content Note at the beginning of the book for full warnings.
The current release date is a placeholder and will be moved up.
I definitely enjoyed Covenant of Crowns. Why Choose dynamics can be tough to get right and I feel like this one was well set up and executed. I really understood all the characters' motivations even if some of their decisions left me very frustrated in the middle of the book.
As soon as I finished it I went back and read With a Vengeance as I wanted more of this world.
Overall I would recommend it for fans of why choose fantasy.
Safa, the young khorsari (queen) of Sersa, ascends the throne under immense pressure after her father’s descent into madness following The Shattering—a brutal war that fractured the old Yassir into four divided kingdoms. Bound in an arranged marriage to Riven, the khorsar (king) of Emi, their inability to produce an heir plunges both kingdoms into political unrest.
When an assassination attempt forces Safa, Riven, and their second-in-commands—Malik and Kael—to flee to Wila, they find themselves entangled in an even more dangerous proposal. Wila’s khorsar, Zava, suggests bonding the five of them into a Clan, a sacred, magically enforced tie stronger than blood. With betrayal lurking everywhere and their own kingdoms fracturing beneath them, their only hope of restoring the old Yassir lies in unity… even if their demons threaten to tear them apart from within.
This book is slow burn perfection. The yearning from Malik, Safa’s immense strength under pressure, Kael’s guilt-ridden protectiveness, Riven’s trauma-bound distance, and Zava’s grounded intensity all weave together beautifully. Every character carries a rich history, unique culture, and emotional depth that shapes the dynamics between them.
It’s tragic, heavy, and deeply character-driven—each of them fighting internal battles that could either bind them together or destroy everything they’re trying to build. The worldbuilding is dense in the best way: beliefs, rituals, politics, culture, magic… all layered and immersive. Anne Groves crafted a world so complex I’m shocked it fits into one book.
While I adored the emotional terrain, the major conflict involving Safa felt a bit frustrating—it leaned heavily into her pride and internal struggle in a way that didn’t always work for me. But I can admit: it did serve the story.
Overall, this book is all-encompassing, slow but rewarding, and full of emotion, danger, and connection. It took me a little longer to fall into the rhythm, but once I did, I was fully submerged.
ARC REVIEW I really enjoyed this book—and I wish I could show you how I was genuinely screaming and jumping around at 3 a.m. This story was something new for me. Getting into it felt a little slow at first, but that’s fully on me because I skipped the world-building at the beginning and decided to dive in headfirst. I immediately paid for my crimes. Sara has lived under the weight of a prophecy for most of her life, and honestly? I weirdly related to that part. She’s ruling while her own council is actively working against her, bleeding in shark-infested waters, and expected to survive with grace. Riven… my heart. He’s been buried under trauma for years. Despite being married to Safa, he’s withdrawn, quietly waiting for death and convinced he’s undeserving of love. It hurt in the best way. Malik, Safa’s second-in-command and her first love, is madly in love with her and devastatingly loyal. That loyalty? One of the most admirable (and painful) parts of this book. Kael, my sweet assassin who deserves the entire world. He’s been Riven’s companion for so long, and beneath the sharp edges is the biggest heart. I adore him. Zava, the feared king of a foreign land, was fascinating. He wants love but distrusts what it does to powerful people. He’s fair, just, a little cheeky, and absolutely compelling. They’re all living in their own worlds, yet fate tangles them together when Safa and her companions are forced to flee for their lives and end up in Zava’s kingdom. A land that still honors the old ways, waiting for a clan worthy of choosing its king. And of course, the queen he swore he’d never choose turns out to be exactly who he needs. Yes. She’s married. It works so well with the smut (Sue me . I like the forbidden allure) The pull between all of them had me soaking. Secrets are uncovered. Others are kept. Everyone is trying to protect each other while quietly unraveling themselves. And finally Meka. My favorite. Period. Give that woman her own clan and her own damn book.
I previously read With a Vengeance, so I already had a basic understanding of the world. Though this takes place about 200 years prior and follows a Queen that was mentioned and referred to many times in With a Vengeance, there are still some differences in the world. Sara is an entirely different character as she is a Queen that is fighting to remain on her throne, a prophecy that she has let run her life, and a husband who will not provide her an heir. On a trip to ended with her running for her life with her husband and both their right hand men, she begs for an alliance from another kingdom but she gains so much more instead. But damn was the road there so chaotic. Sara is not a perfect character by any means. But all her flaws are because of the heavy weight that is the crown and protecting her kingdom. She is constantly at war with herself for what she should do and what she needs to do. It gives her tunnel vision when making choices. This book is also multi POV so we get into the heads of each of the men as well. Of course each of them also are going through their own struggles of either past trauma, their own desires, and wanting to protect those they love while also supporting their kingdoms. Theirs struggles, love, betrayal, and attempts to remove crowns, but there is also growth, acceptance, love. I really did enjoy With a Vengeance but Covenant of Crowns was far superior. Although now I’m itching to reread Vengeance. I can’t wait to see what Anne comes up with next.
I loved that this was sort of a prequel to With a Vengeance! It was nice to read from Safa’s pov and see the beginning of the traditions that were already set in place during Vienne’s story.
I also really enjoyed the multiple povs. It’s nice to see into the heads of the other characters. I can honestly say you could definitely tell each character’s voice during their povs, which is something a lot of authors struggle with. However, Anne did an amazing job differentiating between the voices. I can’t pick a favorite between the men, but Zava and Riven are definitely at the top.
My main issue with this was that the story didn’t really grip me. In With a Vengeance, Vienne’s desire for revenge against the man who killed her parents worked so well. We understand why she lied about her true intentions behind joining a clan. Her story was gripping.
However, I didn’t feel the same with Safa. There didn’t seem to be a lot going on and I was hoping the ‘I have a secret’ trope wouldn’t be the basis for this story considering Vienne dealt with something similar.
Aside from that, I did enjoy what I read and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you to Anne Grove for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a huge fan of Anne Grove's writing. I read With a Vengeance and found it really intriguing, so I absolutely love that Covenant of Crowns takes us back 100+ years! It’s awesome to see the history of this world.
So, the world-building is really, really great. What I love about these 'Clans of Yassir' standalone books is that everything feels so new. It actually gives me Dune vibes—not the setting itself, but that specific vibe of an entirely different world that is just... unlike all the other 'why choose' fantasy books that seem to use the same familiar blueprint.
Even the creatures are different and the magic system is also great, which is a fantastic detail. The politics are definitely there, too, so it's not just romance fantasy; it has that high-stakes element. And thank goodness, the characters are so well-fleshed out, especially the FMC. She’s strong but not obnoxious. Thanks, Anne, for that. LOL.
What can I say? This was a really good read for me. I was really enthralled within the story especially having the read the first book "With A Veangance". I love the MMC's! They were so patient with the FMC because she had her stubborn moments but the love everyone shared really brought this book home for me. Great bi rep and I could not put this book down. I love how the world and nations are described and kudos to the author for providing a map and key/legend in the book. It really immersed me into the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy and adventure all wrapped into one. I did receive this book as an ARC.
Covenant of Crowns by Anne Grove presents an original and intriguing concept that immediately piques interest. The story explores fresh ideas that add a unique dimension to the fantasy romance genre.While the creativity shines through, I found the writing style a bit distracting at times, which occasionally pulled me away from fully immersing in the narrative. With some refinement in flow and clarity, the story has great potential to engage readers even more deeply.Overall, a thoughtfully crafted story with a compelling foundation and much room to grow. I look forward to seeing how Anne Grove’s storytelling evolves. I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was a revelation, a hug and an adventure all wrapped into a heck of a story. And I was so fortunate to receive it as an ARC! I dove in blind, since I haven't read the first book set in the Clan of Yassir universe but rest assured they both can be read in no particular order and they are, in fact, standalone.
Safa, our fierce FMC, took hold of my heart and never let it go. Even when I was cross with her I loved all her flaws, her unadvised decisions, even the stubbornness that put all her careful plans at risk. The fantasy plot was perfectly balanced with the romance one and I was always as invested in one as much as the other. Safa's men where... phew, the hottest I've read in a while! Not to mention we got a shadow daddy as well... Don't miss out on this wonderful author and the magical world she creates!
Well, this was an adventure! And why choose indeed! There is amazingly written world and character and species. Truly amazing! But who could choose between Zava, Riven, Kael and Malik? There is something hot in every one of them! If you can’t get them put together, you take all of them. Simple! Safa know her stuff! And she is fierce FMC! And she will learn to trust more and listen her gut. There was few times when I wanted to yell all of them, they were being stupid. But they thankfully understand that themself and fixed things. And of course there was few characters that I personally could put to the space, thank you. Good story and it has spice, a lot, I liked that!
With the popularity of trilogy formats, a good standalone is a rare find. I really enjoyed CoC. The book's drawing point is that it's a Why Choose Romantasy, but I got hooked with the different kingdoms and the political intrigue. It comes with a map and glossary, but I appreciate how easy it was to infer the meaning behind certain words or titles. The major characters were very likeable and while they have different backgrounds and personalities, the author was able to mesh them well.
It is SO rare these days to see a book in the Romantasy sector that is not part of a series, and is still well flushed out and with plenty of world building! This one does it well, and adds in doses of political intrigue, dynamic characters with depth, and a healthy dose of spice intermixed with sweetness.
I know this is part of a shared world and I definitely want to look that story up!
I received an advanced reader copy for free and am leaving a review voluntarily.
Once I understood the world and looming prophecy, I was hooked and couldn’t seem to put this book down. This was the first book I read from the author, but it certainly won’t be my last.
While the plot was engaging and full of adventure, this is absolutely a character driven story. The growth Safa and her men went through was beautiful, as they all learned the true meaning of life, love, duty, and purpose along the way. I mean, I wouldn’t want to choose between them either!
This was an amazing romantasy and I had a lot of fun reading it. This is a standalone, so no waiting for the next part which is nice. I enjoyed being able to finish the book knowing how everything wrapped up. If you enjoy fierce FMCs and men who would do anything for them, this is a book for you.
This is the first book from this author. I was definitely not disappointed! The world building was amazing, I loved the characters. I would recommend this for sure
This was a why choose romance. I enjoyed all the characters and they all worked well together. I did not read with a vengeance but will be going to read it soon. I received this an ARC.
I absolutely love this book! Our lovely FMC is perfect! She's strong and smart which is something that's lacking in many books I've read. The guys each have their own quirks. Each one is devoted. Seeing the clan grow together & heal together is the stuff of dreams. They go through a lot as individuals as well as a clan & grow stronger together through it all. I'm so happy they got their happy ending, it was well deserved!