Prince of Bluestone

Hearts of Bluestone #1

by Quinn Blackbird

Dray Sinclair will inherit the world one day.
The devil in Prada has no use for masks—not at Bluestone.

I should be among them, the Snakes, the future kings and queens of this world.

But I am ostracised, a deadblood—
And I pay the price for that everyday.

I have one goal I cling to: Finish my senior year... I just need to avoid Dray Sinclair at all costs to do it.

At Bluestone, Dray Sinclair sheds that mask moulded for high society, drops his disarming smiles, and when I stare into his eyes through the tears of my own, I see the depths of his darkness.
I see the emptiness looking right back at me.


_____________________________________________________________________________
The Bluestone series is not a reverse harem. This saga contains strong bully themes and a slow burn. Unapologetic/irredeemable MMC. Content warnings apply, listed in book's front matter.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Dark, Paranormal, Romance, Witches, Magic

342 pages, ebook

Published December 8, 2024

About the author

QUINN BLACKBIRD is a wanderer, a caffeine addict, a concern to her teachers & a bit of a dork.
You can find Quinn buying gym equipment she never uses or being dragged out of the writing cave by pesky friends.
Mention "margarita" and she'll come ah-runnin.

QB's goal is to live on a farm with rescue animals and write!

Now beware!! Blackbird writes about everything she loathes. This makes for books that are darker, grittier, anti-heroes, messed-up characters, and dark worlds. It's not a guarantee you'll find redemption in her pages. Because, as Gaslight Her warns, 'sometimes, the villains win.'


popular questions answered:
*there is no reading order to the dark fae universe books ~ and yes, another dark fae book is coming!*

CONTACT:
FB Quinn Blackbird
FB READER GROUP: Quinn Blackbird and Her Blackbirds

Reviews

[Alina Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why I didn’t check if this series is completed or not. I have a hard time putting down fantasy books by this author and I’m very aware of that. So it’s honestly my fault for not checking the status of the book

[The Aqua Pisces · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the story!

My only problem is Olivia. It’s her personality that she is all high and mighty and still above the servants and all others that fall under the aristos. You would think her not having any power and being bullied she would be more humble. Her ONLY friend Courtney, she even really doesn’t like.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something so consuming about this author’s books. However, I definitely didn’t read this as a romance. The MMC is so abusive and toxic, that I’m genuinely not sure if I’m supposed to be touched the few times he’s gentle with her, or when characters hint that he’s been interested in her. Not to mention that he forced a kiss on her, which I feel is going to be glossed over. The torture that her ex love, ex Best friend, and her own brother put her through was more heartbreaking than anything. There was so much loneliness and sadness to Olivia that I feel got dismissed as self pitying, when really she’s just been through so much trauma and abuse and then gets into more trouble when she tries to fight back. The way that the men in this book can get away with being horrible, then turn and snitch on her for minor things is astounding and very unattractive. While Olivia herself is often bratty, selfish, and immature, I feel that makes her a more realistic flawed character. Whether I like her or not will be determined by whether she takes Dray’s abusive ass back and forgives her psycho brother, or finds a way to get revenge and rid herself of them both for good.
Sigh. Now to wait for indefinite news about book releases far in the future.

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

All bully no romance

Unless you love reading about someone eating, lying in their bed, and constantly wallowing in self-pity, skip this book. I'm annoyed that I didn't DNF it when there were paragraphs detailing her standing in line.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope she ends up accessing her magic in a big way and the MMC ends up rueing the day and is tortured, regretful, and groveling for a long ass time and has to really work for it. She deserves the chance to come into her own. Also MASSIVE double standard from the males in this book, they can all physically hurt the FMC and emotionally abuse her, but if she does anything to retaliate or defend herself they SNITCH on her to her FATHER and she gets even more punishment. She’s literally put into an untenable situation where she can never win. What kind of hero snitches like a little bitch

[Kreela · Rating 4 out of 5]

{Single POV, M/F, PNR}
❤️ Bully, dark PNR
❤️ Love Triangle?
❤️ Witch Academy
❤️Waiting for marriage (i.e. virgin)


Just in time for Christmas. Seriously, who doesn’t love evil snowmen attacking a village? An enchanted school that looks like a ski resort in the alps? A bully romance based on a class system where no reindeer dare tread? 😃

The Magic System

The magic is understated here. All the magical extras could be performed without magic. Who needs an automatically hardened snowball when you can create a snowball with rocks inside? I think any dark romance reader would feel comfortable with this story. Since I love Halloween and all the trappings, I love the little details about the school for witches and hope there is some expansion on this.

The Class System

This is the most exciting part of the novel. Even in the U.S. money defines one’s class. Olivia is the definition of a spoiled, privileged princess. Self-centered. Pursuing the wife degree. She doesn’t even consider the option of a career. She expects grade inflation.
Bullied but somewhat deserved: she avoids making real friends while staying lonely. Is it okay to like a waste of space? Because I find an unmotivated and money-sucking character is normally a DNF.

“I’m not carrying around a rucksack or a duffel bag, I would die from the shame.“

Courtney and Eric are her token friends. I think she uses them as shields, but she definitely doesn’t care enough to support them emotionally. Courtney is pursuing a journalism hobby, and I could see Olivia joining her....but no. Work is not in her future.

Some examples of the system:
Oliver and Serena:

“They will be happy enough when they are married. And when they are married, they will be faithful to one another. But not before the nuptials.
Sleep around but be respectful. The betrothed should always come before the flings “

“If my father even chose to do something—which I doubt he would since we’re so heavily tied to the Sinclairs—it would destroy an alliance older than this school, an alliance that feeds this world, our own and the krums’.
Our families have always worked together.”

The Romance

Dray is one option, the safe, father-preferred candidate for spouse. Olivia and Dray once were friends. Dray even stated he loved her once. But right now she doesn’t act her age and just attacks him or avoids him. I hope in book 2 she has a cycle of self-awareness and reforms her juvenile ways.

Edgar is another option. He is her tutor, intern teacher, and classmate. It’s a step down in the class system for her, but her lack of magic makes her a very unattractive option for a marriage contract. She likes him, but discovers he and Dray’s contracted snuggling together, which supports the idea that he is a gold-digger.

(By the way, I love single POV, just one M/F pairing at the end)

[Loons · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far the book is pretty cute. It reads a bit like a wattpad novel. Like I don't need everything in this book compared to swords. Astas hair is like a sword, people have brown hazel swords in their eyes etc. My kingdom for a proofreader and editor perhaps?

Also this is so obviously a Malfoy/Hermione fan fic so I can't even 🤣 like i mean it is sort of entertaining but like please for the love of God can the FMC grow a backbone sometime? She behaves soooo pathetic. It also doesn't read like dark romance. Yeah he is bullying her but I feel like Cardan in the Cruel Prince was wayyyy more of a bully. (I absolutely loved those Holly Black books)

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

We can all collectively say we knew who the suitor was gonna be but also this drawn out “slow burn” is not giving. And Eric is mad weird. What is this ping ponging between girls and why is Olivia so gullible and naive. Stand up girl if you’re gonna stand up for yourself with Dray have the same energy with Eric puhlease. 🙄

[Essa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'ALL A BULLY ROMANCE I AM RATING 5 STARS
ACTUAL bully romance, none of the lukewarm stuff that people are calling 'bully' romances nowadays
AND IT'S SLOW BURNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
ugh, I am so happy!!

The only downsides are that it's the first of four books, and the last two don't come out until next year

[°мαggιє° (っ⚈ᴥ⚈)っ™ · Rating 2 out of 5]

the abuse dray puts olivia through is too much for me. there's not a way to redeem him from my point of view.

and olivia is beyond useless in this entire book. i was waiting for a big reveal to prove that she was powerful/had a hidden magic or even just that she had a lightbulb on in her head but all she could do was cry and pity herself woe is her. like grow a back bone and don't just throw fists wildly but do something with precision and cunning that makes the bullies stop bullying you or at least respect you a bit more.

[carul_neon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eu não sei nem por onde começar. A FMC é insuportável me desculpa, toda essa pataguada é ridícula. Não vou nem gastar meu tempo com o MMC que ele também é patético. Ate o meio do livro eu tava tentando ser compreensiva mas chegou um momento que por deus, vai se fuder.

[Michelle Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good, can’t wait for book 2!

I loved this book and went into it not realizing it wasn’t a completed series. I dying to see what happens next after that cliffhanger. What does Olivia do now and what happens with her and Dray after that ending?!!

[pining.deciduous · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved this! couldn't stop thinking about it! finished it and went right onto the next. I love first person only perspectives, it draws me further into the story. I may have a new favorite author!

[Cindy MacDougall · Rating 5 out of 5]

love her books

All I do is wait for her next book. My favorite stories. This is a perfect bully story no idea what will happen next.

[Isabellam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fell in love all over again

Quinn has again and again proven she’s my favorite author. The story pulls you in so deeply that you feel everything. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Chastity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

I like the bully romance of the story although I am failing to see the true struggle of the bully feeling bad about his actions.

[RAY · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like all this author's FMCs have a touch of petulance to them. I wish they would have more fight, maybe more violence, more of a plan.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 1%

[Bryony-Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn you’re amazing

[Ni🧸 · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. JUST WOW.

[Jayden Carrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book despite being like annoying because of drays antics is really good in my opinion. i’ve read a handful of books with this like academic setup and this one i feel does it really well

[Daenerys Targaryen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope this will be one book where the heroine finds her happily ever after (and her backbone) with a nice, magic-less human who thinks the world of her and the hero is left behind languishing on his loss. Like many reviewers mentioned the hero is very much like Cyrus (the hero in Eris Belmonte's book "The King") who is irredeemable as he seems needlessly cruel to the heroine and his sporadic good deeds doesn't balance years of cruelty. But let's wait for the other books in the series and see where it goes.

[꣑ৎ sue (hatter-pendragon version) ꣑ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book was so difficult for me to read because of how awful the fmc was towards the people she called “friends”. i don’t understand she was imperfect but the way she treated courtney, especially was horrendous. fatphobic, condescending, misogynistic. like girl literally nobody likes you? why are you doing this to someone who’s actually nice to you?

[𝜗ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dying to know what dray’s motives are. He got so unreasonably angry in the end and said the most cruel things😩 this author always makes these irredeemable mmcs likeable for me because of the moments where you feel how deep and intense their attraction to the fmc really is.

[Jordanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

REALLY ENJOYED this! Loved the world building; so immersive. Dray was such a COMPLEX 🔮 character - so dark, sexy, and mysterious... captivating 😈 Finally a bully romance with actual bullying.

[Debbie Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect as always.

Amazing author, my fave! I love this new storyline and can’t wait to see it through! To the end! 🥰