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The Four Realms #1
Night's Fall
The Four Realms are experiencing an unprecedented period of peacе...
At thirteen years old, it became known Prince Aleksei Knightstar of Night's Fall was the True Heir. The next king, the fiercest warrior, the mightiest beast in all the realm.
The Fall rejoiced at having the first True Heir in over a century.
But Aleksei is private, no nonsense, and worried about why The Fall, in a time of peace, would need a True Heir.
Laura Makepeace is a talented costume designer and everywoman who's recovering from a recent random and traumatic attack where she lost something vital. She barely has it in her to put on a pretty frock and go drinking with her girlfriends.
She certainly isn't prepared to be summoned to the True Heir's table in the VIP section of a club.
The prince is not a male easily put off, not to mention, like every other female in the Four Realms, Laura has been crushing on him since she first saw him.
Thus, Laura finds herself suddenly being courted by Prince Aleksei and thrown into a whirl of public and press attention, royal family dysfunction...
And a plot that threatens lives and the peace of the Four Realms.
At thirteen years old, it became known Prince Aleksei Knightstar of Night's Fall was the True Heir. The next king, the fiercest warrior, the mightiest beast in all the realm.
The Fall rejoiced at having the first True Heir in over a century.
But Aleksei is private, no nonsense, and worried about why The Fall, in a time of peace, would need a True Heir.
Laura Makepeace is a talented costume designer and everywoman who's recovering from a recent random and traumatic attack where she lost something vital. She barely has it in her to put on a pretty frock and go drinking with her girlfriends.
She certainly isn't prepared to be summoned to the True Heir's table in the VIP section of a club.
The prince is not a male easily put off, not to mention, like every other female in the Four Realms, Laura has been crushing on him since she first saw him.
Thus, Laura finds herself suddenly being courted by Prince Aleksei and thrown into a whirl of public and press attention, royal family dysfunction...
And a plot that threatens lives and the peace of the Four Realms.
672 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2025
328 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Ashley
139 books39.5k followersKristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.
And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
August 5, 2025
An urban fantasy with dragon shifters as a surprise release? À la KA? Worth giving a try to me and I went into it completely blind. I had started to enjoy Kristen Ashely again with her latest releases (Avenging Angel series) after a few years of not connecting with her new books and thought I was in for a treat because I still count among my favorites her Fantasyland, The Three and Ghosts & Reincarnations series.
Unfortunately, the book fell short of my expectations in several key areas.
Night’s Fall is set in an urban fantasy world with dragon shifters, demons, fae-like creatures and features a fated mates/commoner vs. royal tropes. There’s no doubt that KA thrives in contemporary settings though I find that transposing her stereotypical characters —lots of hair, nice ass, long legs— IYKYK, in an altogether different sub-genre doesn’t quite work here. Or maybe it would with some fine tuning but the way it is done here, reads jarringly incompatible.
This was my first cause for disappointment because, in a contemporary premise, I wouldn’t have had issues with Laura and Aleksei other than they do read like cookie cutter KA protagonists.
The plot is rather ordinary but filled with so many HGTV moments and stiff world building that I found it hard to remain invested.
And reading several Kristen Ashley’s books, well, it’s apparent to me how appropriate this statement applies to her storytelling in general.
She gets such a hard on for descriptions she actually forgets to tell the story. I mean, sure, character’s environment can help set a scene but surely shouldn’t be done at the detriment of the story? Admittedly, I used to enjoy some of the overly detailed descriptions—the HGTV part I mentioned earlier— of her books, but it is unnecessary long winded and happens in every new scene.
The inspiration for this book is said to be Nora Roberts’s In Death series but I couldn’t tell what was inspired by Eve and Roarke. Surely not the futuristic premise? For there was nothing quite futuristic to it in my opinion. Perhaps the power balance dynamic between them? I’m not sure.
I would have preferred a tighter world building. Instead of a cohesive and immersive fantasy world, here I was presented with a hodgepodge of terms and concepts that have little to no impact to the actual plot.
As for the futuristic elements of the urban fantasy… I could not read anything seriously. So many tech words made up by a boomer was my first thought (Yes, I’m critically mean).
At the mention of any futuristic tech device I found myself reading with a retro voice of a 50’s TV infomercial. Or was it intended?
The “Ultra Paint 5000”, a mask device that applies your skin care and make-up instantly! Bath tubs are a vintage thing, they have “bath pods”.
An urban fantasy with dragon shifters living in some kind of futuristic era, with technology that sounds straight out an Austin Powers movie (Yeah Baby!) with verbiage from Texas and French words thrown in there to sound refined.
The heroine would speak like your typical KA woman, “dang”, “sock it to me” but address to her mother in law as “maman”. So many French words in this, ugh, as expected I hated this part because the French was, as always, butchered.
They also have tablets devices for everything. They do not talk or call or facetime but “comm” video or audio or even better Holo, as in, holograms. “Comm me tonight when you get home” sounds silly.
Everything is voice activated so characters would incessantly voice over commands “lights on, doors open, video call”.
I’d hate to read so many occurrences of characters using “Alexa” voice commands in a contemporary story for example. Are we so evolved in futuristic set ups than we are not able to use our thumbs anymore? I mean, sure, it is a great step for disabled people I guess?
Their transport system, hero has a sleek flying vehicle called Jet Panther 570. JetPanther 570. LOL
People are not people but “beings”
If I have to read MEGA one. more.time!!!!
Everything read so goofy to me. I couldn’t help it!
Heroine’s dragon is actually PINK with satin like pink fur. All I could picture at this point because of the aforementioned goofiness is Madam Mim’s dragon from Disney’s The Sword in the Stone. Yeah. There was no going back after this.
To summarize: They meet in a club, they’re fated mates, they spend a few days getting to know each other and I enjoyed this part, with Laura, the commoner getting lessons about Royal etiquette. There’s a bit of other woman drama, family drama (on both sides) they try to find the bad guys, they discover the villains are truly villainous —a little more family drama here— and it ends on a cliffhanger or should I say in anticipation for the next book that will feature the rejected mate trope.
Seeing how I nitpicked and ranted here, I’m not set on pursuing this Austin Powers meets Fourth Wing, unfortunately.
Unfortunately, the book fell short of my expectations in several key areas.
Night’s Fall is set in an urban fantasy world with dragon shifters, demons, fae-like creatures and features a fated mates/commoner vs. royal tropes. There’s no doubt that KA thrives in contemporary settings though I find that transposing her stereotypical characters —lots of hair, nice ass, long legs— IYKYK, in an altogether different sub-genre doesn’t quite work here. Or maybe it would with some fine tuning but the way it is done here, reads jarringly incompatible.
This was my first cause for disappointment because, in a contemporary premise, I wouldn’t have had issues with Laura and Aleksei other than they do read like cookie cutter KA protagonists.
The plot is rather ordinary but filled with so many HGTV moments and stiff world building that I found it hard to remain invested.
“In many cases when a reader puts a story aside because it 'got boring,' the boredom arose because the writer grew enchanted with his powers of description and lost sight of his priority, which is to keep the ball rolling.”— Stephen King
And reading several Kristen Ashley’s books, well, it’s apparent to me how appropriate this statement applies to her storytelling in general.
She gets such a hard on for descriptions she actually forgets to tell the story. I mean, sure, character’s environment can help set a scene but surely shouldn’t be done at the detriment of the story? Admittedly, I used to enjoy some of the overly detailed descriptions—the HGTV part I mentioned earlier— of her books, but it is unnecessary long winded and happens in every new scene.
The inspiration for this book is said to be Nora Roberts’s In Death series but I couldn’t tell what was inspired by Eve and Roarke. Surely not the futuristic premise? For there was nothing quite futuristic to it in my opinion. Perhaps the power balance dynamic between them? I’m not sure.
I would have preferred a tighter world building. Instead of a cohesive and immersive fantasy world, here I was presented with a hodgepodge of terms and concepts that have little to no impact to the actual plot.
As for the futuristic elements of the urban fantasy… I could not read anything seriously. So many tech words made up by a boomer was my first thought (Yes, I’m critically mean).
At the mention of any futuristic tech device I found myself reading with a retro voice of a 50’s TV infomercial. Or was it intended?
The “Ultra Paint 5000”, a mask device that applies your skin care and make-up instantly! Bath tubs are a vintage thing, they have “bath pods”.
An urban fantasy with dragon shifters living in some kind of futuristic era, with technology that sounds straight out an Austin Powers movie (Yeah Baby!) with verbiage from Texas and French words thrown in there to sound refined.
The heroine would speak like your typical KA woman, “dang”, “sock it to me” but address to her mother in law as “maman”. So many French words in this, ugh, as expected I hated this part because the French was, as always, butchered.
They also have tablets devices for everything. They do not talk or call or facetime but “comm” video or audio or even better Holo, as in, holograms. “Comm me tonight when you get home” sounds silly.
Everything is voice activated so characters would incessantly voice over commands “lights on, doors open, video call”.
I’d hate to read so many occurrences of characters using “Alexa” voice commands in a contemporary story for example. Are we so evolved in futuristic set ups than we are not able to use our thumbs anymore? I mean, sure, it is a great step for disabled people I guess?
Their transport system, hero has a sleek flying vehicle called Jet Panther 570. JetPanther 570. LOL
People are not people but “beings”
If I have to read MEGA one. more.time!!!!
Everything read so goofy to me. I couldn’t help it!
Heroine’s dragon is actually PINK with satin like pink fur. All I could picture at this point because of the aforementioned goofiness is Madam Mim’s dragon from Disney’s The Sword in the Stone. Yeah. There was no going back after this.
To summarize: They meet in a club, they’re fated mates, they spend a few days getting to know each other and I enjoyed this part, with Laura, the commoner getting lessons about Royal etiquette. There’s a bit of other woman drama, family drama (on both sides) they try to find the bad guys, they discover the villains are truly villainous —a little more family drama here— and it ends on a cliffhanger or should I say in anticipation for the next book that will feature the rejected mate trope.
Seeing how I nitpicked and ranted here, I’m not set on pursuing this Austin Powers meets Fourth Wing, unfortunately.
August 3, 2025
3.5 stars. I’m hit or miss with Kristen Ashley books. This one wasn’t a hit, but it also wasn’t a total miss. I enjoyed a lot about it – the main characters, the relationship, the intrigue part of the plot. There was also stuff that annoyed me, like the worldbuilding is a chaotic MESS. But, I've read a lot of her books, so I know the score. Her books are very, "I said I liked it, I didn't say it was GOOD." So, in another author's hands, I would find this kind of sloppy worldbuilding unreadable. In her hands, I still was glued to this, despite its flaws.
Some of her recent books have been bafflingly bad– like Perfect Together– and this book isn’t like that. It does feel like a “return to form,” to the better type of story that she used to write.
This is set in a fantasy world where they’re dragon shifters and fated mates (there are also other supernaturals, like the heroine’s friends are fae and demons. But, these main characters are shifters). Aleksei, the hero, is the Prince. Laura (30) is a costume designer for their version of Hollywood, but she's a commoner– so this has the “commoner heroine ends up with a Prince, and she has to get used to Royal life” trope. And there’s also social media in this world (called "social tapes," to make it sound more fantasy, I guess?). So it’s the “he’s famous, and she’s a random nobody who is thrown into fame” trope, too. On top of that, someone is trying to assassinate them and possibly start a war between kingdoms. So that’s the main intrigue plot. I liked all this: the intrigue plot, their relationship.
The main other Kristen Ashley book this reminded me of is With Everything I Am, in terms of the main characters and the relationship. I like WEIA a little better than this book, since that has a simpler and more focused plot. This plot was too chaotic and all over the place. But, I do think if you liked WEIA and that book’s hero, you’d probably like this book and its hero, too.
Some KA heroine are annoyingly ditzy, or stupidly rush into danger. But for the most part, Laura was a good KA heroine – she stood up for what she believed in, even when it was not convenient to the royal family. And she didn’t do it in an obnoxious loud way, but in a quietly assertive way. (Her only real crime was saying "farg" instead of "oh fuck," which I could NOT take seriously). Aleksei was decent, too –he really only pissed me off once, which is pretty tame for a KA hero. But, I am still mad he never apologized – I don’t expect a grovel from a KA hero, she doesn't write heroes who grovel (despite hilariously having a random line in this book saying that grovelling is the best part of romance novels. Oh really?). So, I know what I signed up for when I read one of her books. But some KA heroes DO apologize for their wrongs, like in Complicated, so he could have, and should have.
The main bad thing about this book is that the wordbuilding is a mess, with WAY too much going on. It has everything but the kitchen sink. There are supernatural creatures like fae, dragon shifters, demons, which gives the story a paranormal vibe. But, there are ALSO references to traveling “off planet” and they drive hovercraft type vehicles. So, there’s a sci-fi vibe. There are ALSO references to how they had wars with Trolls in the past, giving it a Lord of the Rings vibe. That’s too many different things! No! Pick a lane!
This book was trying to be EVERY kind of supernatural, fantasy, and sci-fi plot at the same time. It was way too much. (Hilariously, in addition to all that, it also tried to capitalize on the trend of hockey being popular in romance right now, since this Prince randomly mentioned that he plays hockey as a hobby. But of course, this book had to give hockey a weird fantasy name, “ring ice”).
This story also threw a bunch of terms at us, without explaining them, expecting us to just know what they were from context. I just kind of blipped over it, but it was annoying. For example, the heroine kept saying, “I put on my cosme-mask.” Eventually, it became clear that a “cosme-mask” is some kind of high-tech device that you put on your face to put on makeup. But this book was littered with references like that on every page. Like, she couldn't just say "I poured a cup of coffee," she had to make a reference to a "Bev-Buddy," which is some kind of high-tech device they use to get drinks in this world. So, that did interrupt the flow of the story, to try to figure out what she meant, when she was like, "I put on my cosme-mask and then went over to the Bev-Buddy," instead of just telling us, "I put on makeup, and then went and got coffee." The heroine telling us about doing such mundane tasks shouldn't make us pause to try to grasp what's happening. That throws off narrative momentum, and makes it hard to stay immersed.
Despite how annoying and chaotic the worldbuilding was, I did enjoy the “who is trying to assassinate them” plot, the romance, and the main characters. And this set up intriguing books for the heroine’s friends (one of her friends is in a sudden arranged marriage to another Prince, her other friend is the fated mate of another Prince, but he rejected her), so I’ll stick around in this series, despite its flaws.
Some of her recent books have been bafflingly bad– like Perfect Together– and this book isn’t like that. It does feel like a “return to form,” to the better type of story that she used to write.
This is set in a fantasy world where they’re dragon shifters and fated mates (there are also other supernaturals, like the heroine’s friends are fae and demons. But, these main characters are shifters). Aleksei, the hero, is the Prince. Laura (30) is a costume designer for their version of Hollywood, but she's a commoner– so this has the “commoner heroine ends up with a Prince, and she has to get used to Royal life” trope. And there’s also social media in this world (called "social tapes," to make it sound more fantasy, I guess?). So it’s the “he’s famous, and she’s a random nobody who is thrown into fame” trope, too. On top of that, someone is trying to assassinate them and possibly start a war between kingdoms. So that’s the main intrigue plot. I liked all this: the intrigue plot, their relationship.
The main other Kristen Ashley book this reminded me of is With Everything I Am, in terms of the main characters and the relationship. I like WEIA a little better than this book, since that has a simpler and more focused plot. This plot was too chaotic and all over the place. But, I do think if you liked WEIA and that book’s hero, you’d probably like this book and its hero, too.
Some KA heroine are annoyingly ditzy, or stupidly rush into danger. But for the most part, Laura was a good KA heroine – she stood up for what she believed in, even when it was not convenient to the royal family. And she didn’t do it in an obnoxious loud way, but in a quietly assertive way. (Her only real crime was saying "farg" instead of "oh fuck," which I could NOT take seriously). Aleksei was decent, too –he really only pissed me off once, which is pretty tame for a KA hero. But, I am still mad he never apologized – I don’t expect a grovel from a KA hero, she doesn't write heroes who grovel (despite hilariously having a random line in this book saying that grovelling is the best part of romance novels. Oh really?). So, I know what I signed up for when I read one of her books. But some KA heroes DO apologize for their wrongs, like in Complicated, so he could have, and should have.
The main bad thing about this book is that the wordbuilding is a mess, with WAY too much going on. It has everything but the kitchen sink. There are supernatural creatures like fae, dragon shifters, demons, which gives the story a paranormal vibe. But, there are ALSO references to traveling “off planet” and they drive hovercraft type vehicles. So, there’s a sci-fi vibe. There are ALSO references to how they had wars with Trolls in the past, giving it a Lord of the Rings vibe. That’s too many different things! No! Pick a lane!
This book was trying to be EVERY kind of supernatural, fantasy, and sci-fi plot at the same time. It was way too much. (Hilariously, in addition to all that, it also tried to capitalize on the trend of hockey being popular in romance right now, since this Prince randomly mentioned that he plays hockey as a hobby. But of course, this book had to give hockey a weird fantasy name, “ring ice”).
This story also threw a bunch of terms at us, without explaining them, expecting us to just know what they were from context. I just kind of blipped over it, but it was annoying. For example, the heroine kept saying, “I put on my cosme-mask.” Eventually, it became clear that a “cosme-mask” is some kind of high-tech device that you put on your face to put on makeup. But this book was littered with references like that on every page. Like, she couldn't just say "I poured a cup of coffee," she had to make a reference to a "Bev-Buddy," which is some kind of high-tech device they use to get drinks in this world. So, that did interrupt the flow of the story, to try to figure out what she meant, when she was like, "I put on my cosme-mask and then went over to the Bev-Buddy," instead of just telling us, "I put on makeup, and then went and got coffee." The heroine telling us about doing such mundane tasks shouldn't make us pause to try to grasp what's happening. That throws off narrative momentum, and makes it hard to stay immersed.
Despite how annoying and chaotic the worldbuilding was, I did enjoy the “who is trying to assassinate them” plot, the romance, and the main characters. And this set up intriguing books for the heroine’s friends (one of her friends is in a sudden arranged marriage to another Prince, her other friend is the fated mate of another Prince, but he rejected her), so I’ll stick around in this series, despite its flaws.
September 30, 2025
2.5 ⭐️
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I can never fully quit this author her blend of romance and fantasy is what hooked me years ago, and I still adore her older series (Fantasyland will forever be chef’s kiss among many others). On the other hand, I’ve been struggling with her newer works, and unfortunately, this one fell into that category.
The premise is intriguing: a True Heir, a costume designer heroine, royal politics, and a looming threat to peace. It should have been everything I love. But the execution didn’t land for me. The worldbuilding felt unnecessarily complicated, with too many elements jammed in without much payoff. Instead of pulling me deeper into the realms, the new terms and structures felt confusing at best and cringe at worst something that reminded me of J.D. Robb’s In Death series, but without the same polish.
My biggest issue was the central couple. While I wanted to root for them, I found them more irritating than swoon-worthy, which made it hard to stay invested in their romance.
That said, I’m glad I didn’t DNF, and I’ll still give the next book a try.
🎶Forever by Noah Kahan
🎶King by Florence + the Machine
🎶Bloodline by Ariana Grande
I have such mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I can never fully quit this author her blend of romance and fantasy is what hooked me years ago, and I still adore her older series (Fantasyland will forever be chef’s kiss among many others). On the other hand, I’ve been struggling with her newer works, and unfortunately, this one fell into that category.
The premise is intriguing: a True Heir, a costume designer heroine, royal politics, and a looming threat to peace. It should have been everything I love. But the execution didn’t land for me. The worldbuilding felt unnecessarily complicated, with too many elements jammed in without much payoff. Instead of pulling me deeper into the realms, the new terms and structures felt confusing at best and cringe at worst something that reminded me of J.D. Robb’s In Death series, but without the same polish.
My biggest issue was the central couple. While I wanted to root for them, I found them more irritating than swoon-worthy, which made it hard to stay invested in their romance.
That said, I’m glad I didn’t DNF, and I’ll still give the next book a try.
🎶Forever by Noah Kahan
🎶King by Florence + the Machine
🎶Bloodline by Ariana Grande
August 7, 2025
In this futuristic sci-fi romance we get dragons, shapeshifters, demons, trolls…OH MY. As the story begins, we meet Alexsei and Laura who are fated mates and learn to navigate into each other lives as Alexsei is the True Heir and Laura is a commoner. Enter politics, family drama on both sides and a villain who will stop at nothing to do what the villain is wanting to do(still don’t know the why).
There are many characters that come into play with Alexsei and Laura. Some of them are the best and a few are the worst. We get to see two couples that could be in the main characters in the upcoming books.
Night’s Fall had it’s moments that I really enjoyed but at times the story dragged. It’s a good start so I’ll be most definitely be reading the rest of the series.
There are many characters that come into play with Alexsei and Laura. Some of them are the best and a few are the worst. We get to see two couples that could be in the main characters in the upcoming books.
Night’s Fall had it’s moments that I really enjoyed but at times the story dragged. It’s a good start so I’ll be most definitely be reading the rest of the series.
August 31, 2025
this is the KA I have always loved. I felt like I was back reading her for the first time. I’m swooning and oh so in love with everyone in this book (minus the baddies, of course). I seriously cannot wait to see where this series heads next—fingers crossed we won’t have to wait too long!
August 9, 2025
Very KA dragon shifter with somewhat clunky futuristic world building but a fun read. Would’ve been better with more editing. Will read the next installment.
August 8, 2025
"I was his. He was mine. And we were in this."
I received an advanced copy. All opinions are my own and given freely.
Night's fall is the first book in an all new series and tells the story of Prince Aleksei and costume designer Laura. She's always had a crush on the prince, but she isn't prepared when he summons her in the VIP lounge of a club while out with her friends. From there it turns into courting, whirlwind press attention, family dysfunction, and danger. Because there's something happening in the realms that is not only threating the peace they've become accustomed to, but also their lives.
No one is sadder than I, when I say this one didn't quite jive for me like I hoped. Whether it was the sci-fi element, the over description, or the romance feeling like it took a backseat-I just never felt captivated by this story. It all felt a little chaotically told if I'm being honest.
That's not to say there weren't great moments too. Because there were! Both swoony and spicy. And there are such great characters, you can't help but want more from. Providing a great set up for other books in this series. Including an arranged marriage storyline that I think will bring the heat!! As well as a rejected mate storyline that I think will bring the feels!!
While this one wasn't love for me, it might be for you! And this is my favorite author, so perhaps a reread in a different time or mood will make all the difference. Regardless, I am very much looking forward to reading more in this series.
I received an advanced copy. All opinions are my own and given freely.
Night's fall is the first book in an all new series and tells the story of Prince Aleksei and costume designer Laura. She's always had a crush on the prince, but she isn't prepared when he summons her in the VIP lounge of a club while out with her friends. From there it turns into courting, whirlwind press attention, family dysfunction, and danger. Because there's something happening in the realms that is not only threating the peace they've become accustomed to, but also their lives.
No one is sadder than I, when I say this one didn't quite jive for me like I hoped. Whether it was the sci-fi element, the over description, or the romance feeling like it took a backseat-I just never felt captivated by this story. It all felt a little chaotically told if I'm being honest.
That's not to say there weren't great moments too. Because there were! Both swoony and spicy. And there are such great characters, you can't help but want more from. Providing a great set up for other books in this series. Including an arranged marriage storyline that I think will bring the heat!! As well as a rejected mate storyline that I think will bring the feels!!
While this one wasn't love for me, it might be for you! And this is my favorite author, so perhaps a reread in a different time or mood will make all the difference. Regardless, I am very much looking forward to reading more in this series.
August 4, 2025
I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS STORY. OBSESSED.
It reminds me of old KA's books. I missed her writing style so much. ♥
It reminds me of old KA's books. I missed her writing style so much. ♥
October 28, 2025
3.0 What has happened to Kristen Ashley's Romantasy Writing Stars
Kristen Ashely was one of my go to authors for fun and sexy fantasy writing, see helped pioneer true Romantasy writing. I loved her Fantasyland series so much when originally read it over ten years ago. Sure it is a bit dated when you read it today as the men are very Alpha and the women are fierce in their own ways. I was really excited to read this new romantasy book in set in a new world with Dragon Shifters. Alas for me Night's Fall just missed the mark and could have used a bit of editing to cut out some of the unnessary moments and streamline the book a bit.
The Cool Stuff
1 - DRAGONS!!! No matter what Dragons are always cool. There are a few fights where we get to read about the shifters and a few other moments where the Dragon form is present. Those were some of my favorite moments of the story.
2 - Fated Mates. I still usually like Mate tropes, where two beings that probably wouldn't have gotten together for various reasons end up being perfect for each other. It excuses a lot of the insta love/lust stuff happening here.
3 - A future world with cool tech. Masks that put your makeup on for you and do your hair. Yes, Please! Someone head off and invent that now! I didn't know how much I needed it until I read about it in this book.
4 - Cool Troll war history and lore of the formation of the realms and the political rulers in each.
5 - Nice plot / bad guy(s) twist
And you are probably asking Well if there were all those good things why is this a 3-star read for you Robin?
Things that bothered me
1 - Too much Sex - I can't even believe that I'm saying this, but there was so much sex in the book that I was completely board with it. I like a few hot a heavy sex scenes for sure but everytime the characters were on page together they couldn't keep their hands of one another and ended up in bed having sex.
2 - Over descriptions of Hair, Make-up, clothing, rooms etc. I'm not new to KA books and this is something she is pretty known for. That said it seemed so extreme in this book. Not sure if that was due to the tech that KA added to the story but I was so tired of everyday descriptions of everyone's attire.
3 - Character Depth. The characters were so cookie cutter. Both Aleksei and Laura didn't have a lot of nuance to them. Aleksei is prefect in the beginning and all their relationship drama is predictable. I didn't ever feel like they were real 3D characters. Laura had the childhood trauma in her background that was supposed to give her some depth so she was better developed than Aleksei but he is pretty flat.
4 - The I only reacted this way because of Biology defense. I'm so tire of that. I get it he is has a Dragon / Beast of any kind that is a part of him. So under moments of stress or danger the character acts like aasshat jerk. Then they never have to appologize and the chic is like oh...I will know how to react next time. But they don't have to control anything!!! Grrrr.
5 - He's Perfect/Sweet/Wonderful - I felt like Laura thought about how perfect Aleskei was almost every page. And she thought it loudly at me the reader. I was tired of hearing her thoughts on how wonderful he was all the time. It added nothing to the story other than showing Laura was so desperate for love that she had to remind herself all the time how great he was, even after he was a jerk she would think about how sweet he really was seconds after they made up.
I have read over 50 books by KA and enjoyed most of them. However, this felt like a slog after awhile and while I was interested in how the overall plot was going to unfold I found myself fast-forwarding through the sex scenes. I also really didn't care that Aleskei got along with the cats. Yes, I know for some imagining Aleskei holding Laura's cat is going to fulfill some desire for you. For me I didn't care so I felt weird about all the cat daddy references. Also KA loves to make up nicknames and words in some of her books. Sometimes they really work for me and sometimes they don't. For instance I loved the term "snooks" in one of her other books and call the hubs that sometimes (i love it, he hates it :P). But, the slang in this didn't work for me as well and Mega just never sat quite right.
If you have read a lot of KA's other works like I have you may have some issues with this work. Or if you are really into Cats, fashion and telling more than showing this might work well for you. For me it wasn't as good as I was hoping for.
That said I will give the next book in the series a try to see if KA can real in some of her over descriptions and streamline her book a little in the future stories.
Kristen Ashely was one of my go to authors for fun and sexy fantasy writing, see helped pioneer true Romantasy writing. I loved her Fantasyland series so much when originally read it over ten years ago. Sure it is a bit dated when you read it today as the men are very Alpha and the women are fierce in their own ways. I was really excited to read this new romantasy book in set in a new world with Dragon Shifters. Alas for me Night's Fall just missed the mark and could have used a bit of editing to cut out some of the unnessary moments and streamline the book a bit.
The Cool Stuff
1 - DRAGONS!!! No matter what Dragons are always cool. There are a few fights where we get to read about the shifters and a few other moments where the Dragon form is present. Those were some of my favorite moments of the story.
2 - Fated Mates. I still usually like Mate tropes, where two beings that probably wouldn't have gotten together for various reasons end up being perfect for each other. It excuses a lot of the insta love/lust stuff happening here.
3 - A future world with cool tech. Masks that put your makeup on for you and do your hair. Yes, Please! Someone head off and invent that now! I didn't know how much I needed it until I read about it in this book.
4 - Cool Troll war history and lore of the formation of the realms and the political rulers in each.
5 - Nice plot / bad guy(s) twist
And you are probably asking Well if there were all those good things why is this a 3-star read for you Robin?
Things that bothered me
1 - Too much Sex - I can't even believe that I'm saying this, but there was so much sex in the book that I was completely board with it. I like a few hot a heavy sex scenes for sure but everytime the characters were on page together they couldn't keep their hands of one another and ended up in bed having sex.
2 - Over descriptions of Hair, Make-up, clothing, rooms etc. I'm not new to KA books and this is something she is pretty known for. That said it seemed so extreme in this book. Not sure if that was due to the tech that KA added to the story but I was so tired of everyday descriptions of everyone's attire.
3 - Character Depth. The characters were so cookie cutter. Both Aleksei and Laura didn't have a lot of nuance to them. Aleksei is prefect in the beginning and all their relationship drama is predictable. I didn't ever feel like they were real 3D characters. Laura had the childhood trauma in her background that was supposed to give her some depth so she was better developed than Aleksei but he is pretty flat.
4 - The I only reacted this way because of Biology defense. I'm so tire of that. I get it he is has a Dragon / Beast of any kind that is a part of him. So under moments of stress or danger the character acts like a
5 - He's Perfect/Sweet/Wonderful - I felt like Laura thought about how perfect Aleskei was almost every page. And she thought it loudly at me the reader. I was tired of hearing her thoughts on how wonderful he was all the time. It added nothing to the story other than showing Laura was so desperate for love that she had to remind herself all the time how great he was, even after he was a jerk she would think about how sweet he really was seconds after they made up.
I have read over 50 books by KA and enjoyed most of them. However, this felt like a slog after awhile and while I was interested in how the overall plot was going to unfold I found myself fast-forwarding through the sex scenes. I also really didn't care that Aleskei got along with the cats. Yes, I know for some imagining Aleskei holding Laura's cat is going to fulfill some desire for you. For me I didn't care so I felt weird about all the cat daddy references. Also KA loves to make up nicknames and words in some of her books. Sometimes they really work for me and sometimes they don't. For instance I loved the term "snooks" in one of her other books and call the hubs that sometimes (i love it, he hates it :P). But, the slang in this didn't work for me as well and Mega just never sat quite right.
If you have read a lot of KA's other works like I have you may have some issues with this work. Or if you are really into Cats, fashion and telling more than showing this might work well for you. For me it wasn't as good as I was hoping for.
That said I will give the next book in the series a try to see if KA can real in some of her over descriptions and streamline her book a little in the future stories.
August 5, 2025
I enjoyed this.
Interesting world building, politics, history and culture.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
The Hero was engaged 6 months ago, the Hero does explain that history but he's all about the heroine as soon as they meet. Mate connection.
Messy family backgrounds so drama and angst around that. KA does have a habit of trying to redeem some characters that should just be left as they are, some things can't be forgiven.
Girl posse, side characters from different cultures so a possibility of exploring more of the realms if they get a book.
I do feel the author doesn't always explain something or what she says I have to read twice because I didn't get it also we gets loads of description so we know the heroine's knickers match her handbag but when her creature is revealed ( shifter book) it takes a while before someone actually says she's a dragon.
Apparently there are pictures in her social media posts of her creature but otherwise its surprising there isn't much detail esp when this one actually matters.
I did feel at a crucial point after he treats her really badly, he'd been amazing up to this point other than the initial meeting, he doesn't really apologise. She sort of takes on the blame. Grrr. This is esp bad as he knows all the buttons to press to really hurt her, knowing her past etc.
Yes they both have parts to play when there are issues but he was rudely unapproachable and knowing her past treatment should be handling her with more care. Her father gave physical abuse and this borders on emotional, mental abuse. He's supposed to be able to read her but he still is cold and cruel.
HEA.
Interesting world building, politics, history and culture.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.
The Hero was engaged 6 months ago, the Hero does explain that history but he's all about the heroine as soon as they meet. Mate connection.
Messy family backgrounds so drama and angst around that. KA does have a habit of trying to redeem some characters that should just be left as they are, some things can't be forgiven.
Girl posse, side characters from different cultures so a possibility of exploring more of the realms if they get a book.
I do feel the author doesn't always explain something or what she says I have to read twice because I didn't get it also we gets loads of description so we know the heroine's knickers match her handbag but when her creature is revealed ( shifter book) it takes a while before someone actually says she's a dragon.
Apparently there are pictures in her social media posts of her creature but otherwise its surprising there isn't much detail esp when this one actually matters.
I did feel at a crucial point after he treats her really badly, he'd been amazing up to this point other than the initial meeting, he doesn't really apologise. She sort of takes on the blame. Grrr. This is esp bad as he knows all the buttons to press to really hurt her, knowing her past etc.
Yes they both have parts to play when there are issues but he was rudely unapproachable and knowing her past treatment should be handling her with more care. Her father gave physical abuse and this borders on emotional, mental abuse. He's supposed to be able to read her but he still is cold and cruel.
HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
did-not-finish
August 25, 2025I just couldn't finish this because I was so bored by the 43% mark. I went into this very hopeful, because it was a KA book, and she used to write some of my favorite books ever. SO disappointing😢
August 23, 2025
Probably more like 3.5 stars. This one I think for me suffered because it was first person told through just Laura's POV and I think it would have been a lot better if it was duel with Aleksei because you don’t really feel like you get to know him or why or what he’s feeling the whole book. Sometimes for KA, First POV only can totally work and I’ve enjoyed past books but this one had so much going on, and they got to together so fast that I think readers would have benefited from getting Aleksei’s side of the story too. Also I think maybe the mash up of fantasy and future sci-fi wasn’t really my favourite. Lots of info thrown at you all at once when you are learning about different paranormal species and new world future science stuff. Overall it was just an ok read for me, enjoyed it but didn’t love it. The supporting characters interest me enough that I’ll read the next in the series when it comes out.
August 2, 2025
3.5* I liked it, I really did, A LOT, I was actually gonna rate it with 5 stars, but then Aleksei had his tantrum and didn't apologize to Laura, not really. I know, his reasons were dire, but she was blameless and still he took it out on her. So that knocked out one and 1/2 * for me.
Still, I cannot fucking wait for the next installments! Because I don't care what it says of me, of her, or her fandom, KA has the uncanny ability to make me lose myself with almost (yes, almost) every single one of her books.
Still, I cannot fucking wait for the next installments! Because I don't care what it says of me, of her, or her fandom, KA has the uncanny ability to make me lose myself with almost (yes, almost) every single one of her books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 9, 2025
I enjoyed this! Rtc!!
August 8, 2025
4.5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 💫
“I am gladly the Beast to your Beauty. We are a fairytale after all.
Night’s Fall is the first instalment in the adult futuristic fantasy romance series, the Four Realms. Each novel is a standalone but they will all exist in the same world with characters that overlap. Written in dual first person POV we follow Laura and Aleksei, two shifters who find their fates brought together while the world appears to want to tear them apart.
After a savage attack kills the beast within her, Laura is trying to find some semblance of normality with her friends and jobs. What she doesn’t expect is to draw the interest of the crown prince and true heir of the realm Night’s Fall. Not understanding the connection between them but unable to stay away it becomes clear that she and Aleksei are bonded by fate…and someone has placed a target on their backs as a result. Brewing political tensions, assassins, and betrayal dog their footsteps as they try to unravel the truth and they must be quick because whatever is after them will stop at nothing to destroy them and all they love…
If you enjoyed Kristen’s fantasy and paranormal romances this book is exactly what you need.
Laura is a shifter who loves deeply and can be naive at times. I enjoyed seeing her question the world while also trying to unravel the secrets as best as she can. I truly felt for her loss of a piece of her and I loved seeing her flourish under the love she gained. She has spent her life wanting a family and a connection and when she finds it she fights tooth and nail to keep it. There are times where she is unsure but she refuses to do nothing and that tenacity is what keeps her moving despite all the things being thrown at her.
Aleksei is a typically alpha male that we love to see in Kristen. He loves fiercely and he really works to support and build something with Laura. He has a lot of burden on himself as the true heir and I liked him embracing that more. When stress gets high he can sometimes struggle to communicate in fear of hurting Laura which led to him being a bit of an arse at one point but he does redeem himself. If you love powerful mate bonds with fierce males driven by it - Aleksei is your male!
“You’ve given me a sense of belonging. You’ve given me a home…You gave me all of that, Aleksei.”
In terms of spice I would place the spicy level at 4 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are about 9+ spicy scenes across this book with the first spice seen around the 34% mark. Spice ranges from being explicit and detailed to being more of a quick reference. I loved the ferality and passion of the spice fit Laura and Aleksei as dragon shifters. They are mates and there is an animalistic undertone to them that makes spice extra spicy at times. They also are willing to be a bit risky and dominant in their spice.
The story itself follows our main characters trying to figure out why there is a target on their backs while also navigating courtship and a new bond. There is also friend drama, family drama, and learning the ropes of royalty. The world itself is a fantasy futuristic world with self-driving vehicles, devices that do hair and magic, and more. This is also lower grade fantasy as the author uses terms that appear in contemporary worlds. There isn’t a lot of lore discussed on the greater realms but we do get to dive into Night’s Falls and the history of their true heir and mate. The book has a balance of slices of life with Laura’s job and banding with friends but we also have high intensity scenes with attacks and battles. There are quite a few twists and turns as they try to unravel why people are after Laura and for what purpose. The side characters are fascinating with very clear flaws but also chances to redeem for some. I would say check triggers as some of these side characters characters have done bad things . This is all off page. The ending is a happy ever for now as we still have threads to unravel for side characters that I anticipate we will explore in further books.
Overall, I really enjoy Kristen’s fantasy worlds and this is exactly what I expect and like to see from her. Night’s Fall is a great romantasy read for those who love powerful mating bonds, an investigation story, and strong friendships. I definitely recommend diving in!
This was arc read.
“I am gladly the Beast to your Beauty. We are a fairytale after all.
Night’s Fall is the first instalment in the adult futuristic fantasy romance series, the Four Realms. Each novel is a standalone but they will all exist in the same world with characters that overlap. Written in dual first person POV we follow Laura and Aleksei, two shifters who find their fates brought together while the world appears to want to tear them apart.
After a savage attack kills the beast within her, Laura is trying to find some semblance of normality with her friends and jobs. What she doesn’t expect is to draw the interest of the crown prince and true heir of the realm Night’s Fall. Not understanding the connection between them but unable to stay away it becomes clear that she and Aleksei are bonded by fate…and someone has placed a target on their backs as a result. Brewing political tensions, assassins, and betrayal dog their footsteps as they try to unravel the truth and they must be quick because whatever is after them will stop at nothing to destroy them and all they love…
If you enjoyed Kristen’s fantasy and paranormal romances this book is exactly what you need.
Laura is a shifter who loves deeply and can be naive at times. I enjoyed seeing her question the world while also trying to unravel the secrets as best as she can. I truly felt for her loss of a piece of her and I loved seeing her flourish under the love she gained. She has spent her life wanting a family and a connection and when she finds it she fights tooth and nail to keep it. There are times where she is unsure but she refuses to do nothing and that tenacity is what keeps her moving despite all the things being thrown at her.
Aleksei is a typically alpha male that we love to see in Kristen. He loves fiercely and he really works to support and build something with Laura. He has a lot of burden on himself as the true heir and I liked him embracing that more. When stress gets high he can sometimes struggle to communicate in fear of hurting Laura which led to him being a bit of an arse at one point but he does redeem himself. If you love powerful mate bonds with fierce males driven by it - Aleksei is your male!
“You’ve given me a sense of belonging. You’ve given me a home…You gave me all of that, Aleksei.”
In terms of spice I would place the spicy level at 4 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are about 9+ spicy scenes across this book with the first spice seen around the 34% mark. Spice ranges from being explicit and detailed to being more of a quick reference. I loved the ferality and passion of the spice fit Laura and Aleksei as dragon shifters. They are mates and there is an animalistic undertone to them that makes spice extra spicy at times. They also are willing to be a bit risky and dominant in their spice.
The story itself follows our main characters trying to figure out why there is a target on their backs while also navigating courtship and a new bond. There is also friend drama, family drama, and learning the ropes of royalty. The world itself is a fantasy futuristic world with self-driving vehicles, devices that do hair and magic, and more. This is also lower grade fantasy as the author uses terms that appear in contemporary worlds. There isn’t a lot of lore discussed on the greater realms but we do get to dive into Night’s Falls and the history of their true heir and mate. The book has a balance of slices of life with Laura’s job and banding with friends but we also have high intensity scenes with attacks and battles. There are quite a few twists and turns as they try to unravel why people are after Laura and for what purpose. The side characters are fascinating with very clear flaws but also chances to redeem for some. I would say check triggers as some of these side characters characters have done bad things . This is all off page. The ending is a happy ever for now as we still have threads to unravel for side characters that I anticipate we will explore in further books.
Overall, I really enjoy Kristen’s fantasy worlds and this is exactly what I expect and like to see from her. Night’s Fall is a great romantasy read for those who love powerful mating bonds, an investigation story, and strong friendships. I definitely recommend diving in!
This was arc read.
August 17, 2025
When the acknowledgements of a book thank another author for a particular series (which you know and love) and the inspiration it brought to the author making the acknowledgement, you know you are in for the ride of your life.
Therefore the opening scenes of Kristen Ashley's newest, surprise publication, Night's Fall, the first book in the new Four Realms series, sets a futuristic picture of 'beings' living in various stages of acceptance and harmony within the Four Realms she has created.
Night's Fall, the first of the realms to be visited, brings us the story of the True Heir of Night’s Fall, Prince Aleksei and Laura Makepeace a successful costume designer...and his mate!
This is not just a run of the mill romance. There's skullduggery and mystery and intrigue...and dragons!!
The love story is epic, but the mystery and intrigue run neck and neck balancing this tale beautifully.
You will cry and laugh and wish you lived in this futuristic time with the True Heir Aleksei and his equally alpha friends and, of course, not forgetting Laura and her posse of gal pals.
I'm already foaming at the mouth for the next story from the realm...but which realm, which couple, and when will we see the next novel in this amazing new series? Soon, I hope!
***Edited to add***
I have now also listened to the audio...same fabulous book that Savannah Peahwood brings to life superbly!
Therefore the opening scenes of Kristen Ashley's newest, surprise publication, Night's Fall, the first book in the new Four Realms series, sets a futuristic picture of 'beings' living in various stages of acceptance and harmony within the Four Realms she has created.
Night's Fall, the first of the realms to be visited, brings us the story of the True Heir of Night’s Fall, Prince Aleksei and Laura Makepeace a successful costume designer...and his mate!
This is not just a run of the mill romance. There's skullduggery and mystery and intrigue...and dragons!!
The love story is epic, but the mystery and intrigue run neck and neck balancing this tale beautifully.
You will cry and laugh and wish you lived in this futuristic time with the True Heir Aleksei and his equally alpha friends and, of course, not forgetting Laura and her posse of gal pals.
I'm already foaming at the mouth for the next story from the realm...but which realm, which couple, and when will we see the next novel in this amazing new series? Soon, I hope!
***Edited to add***
I have now also listened to the audio...same fabulous book that Savannah Peahwood brings to life superbly!
August 5, 2025
Nights Fall (Four Realms 1) by Kristen Ashley
Paranormal/Fantasy/SciFi. The romance stands alone, but the series and story continues with another couple.
I recieved an early copy for review. This does not affect my rating. This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
“We were four, and two, and only one. Forever intertwined. Forever the others.”
When the surprise ARC of Nights Fall by Kristen Ashley hit my Kindle, I dropped everything to read it. The only thing that slowed me down was 20 hours of driving where I couldn’t read, and it about killed me, because I was obsessed from the very first page. Night’s Fall is pure Kristen Ashley magic, but in a completely fresh fantasy/paranormal/futuristic world that I couldn’t get enough of.
Kristen mentioned that another book series inspired her, but since I haven’t read it, this world felt totally unique to me. This new series, The Four Realms, appears to be highly interconnected, with standalone romances in each installment. In Nights Fall, we’re introduced to the continent known as The Four Realms. Most of this book takes place in Night’s Fall, a realm populated mostly by shifters. Dawn’s Break is home to witches, Land’s End is primarily fae, and Sky’s Edge is filled with demons. It looks like each future book will explore a different realm.
Night’s Fall begins with our heroine, costume designer Laura Makepeace, after a tragic mugging destroyed her beast. She’s a shifter without her beast to shift into—it’s like losing half of yourself. When her girlfriend group (as always, Kristen has a fabulous friend group) finally gets her out of the house to a club, Prince Aleksei, the True Heir, is there and the connection, even across the room, is immediate. The true heir has found his true mate, and the chemistry is on fire.
I like how in Fantasy books the men can act like assholes and get away with it easier because it’s their protective animal instincts, and we don’t feel like terrible feminists for enjoying it. I absolutely loved Laura (what an interesting old-fashioned name choice for a future book, I wonder if it's a tribute) and Aleksei together. I adored how she didn’t jump to conclusions and made sure she talked everything out. Despite a hiccup here or there, they had amazing communication. I appreciated how she didn’t fight the connection or how her life would change—she knew the significance of finding your true mate.
“I am gladly the Beast to your Beauty. We are a fairytale after all.”
Beyond their romance, it’s clear Laura’s mugging was tied to something much bigger. Danger, political intrigue, traitors, and battles bring tension and excitement to the story, all balanced perfectly with the romance.
Kristen’s signature descriptive style worked beautifully for this world. Her vivid writing helped me visualize everything, and she eased readers into this new setting naturally without heavy info-dumps. The futuristic elements were fun, with some cool tech and transportation, but it did feel like a “retro future,” as though imagined decades ago with very little AI mentioned.
I wish I thought to look for the glossary in the back that Kristen has been doing for her recent books. It lists the characters and the dynasties they come from, explains the realms a little, and helps keep the characters straight. I did find myself using the magnifying glass several times to go back to the introduction of the character to remember who they were. There are a LOT to keep track of. Had I known it was there from the start I probably would have made this 5 Stars.
Nights Fall is a long book, but not once did it drag (except when you have just read for an hour and it goes from 61% to 62% and you feel like the slowest reader on Earth.) Honestly, I didn’t want it to end. Thankfully, it doesn’t end on a brutal cliffhanger. The next book will feature another couple, and since Laura has three girlfriends and there are three princes from the other realms, I have a good idea of where we’re headed—and I’m here for it.
“He was not a satellite in her life, he was the center star, as she was to him. But she had a universe to illuminate, and she did that.”
Likes:
•Fully Kristen Ashley with the addition of dragon shifters, fae, vampires, demons and more.
•The unique futuristic fantasy world.
•Characters I genuinely loved (except for the ones you’re meant to hate).
•It’s a little more mature than many fantasy books out there.
•Laura’s strong friend group and found family vibe.
•I love the security of a fated mates story.
•The gradual, seamless world-building.
•A fun battle scene that added excitement.
•Three adorable cats with distinct personalities.
•The glossary in the back.
Dislikes:
•It felt like a future world that someone would have dreamed up in the 1980s. Fun silly gadgets, but no real AI. It would have been cool if there was a mention that AI is banned or something.
•Too many characters at times without small reminders to jog your memory if they hadn’t appeared for a while.
The Down & Dirty:
I absolutely loved Night's Fall. Kristen Ashley delivered a fresh and fascinating fantasy romance filled with passion, friendship, and danger, all wrapped in her signature storytelling style. This is a long book, but it never dragged, and I didn’t want it to end. Starting The Four Realms series early feels like getting in on something truly special. Laura and Aleksei’s fated-mates romance hooked me completely, and I can’t wait for the next book. Night's Fall is Kristen Ashley at her best—sweeping, addictive, and impossible to put down. If I’d known about the glossary from the start, it would easily have been 5 stars for me, so I’m giving you a heads up now in case you ever lose your way.
I can’t wait to re-read to this Night’s Fall via audio (18 hours of goodness) before the next one comes out.
Rating: 4.75 Stars, 3 Heat
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August 2, 2025
I really liked this book. Reminds me a lot of the old KA. Actually this books seems to be a kind of a blend of Knight and Wildest Dreams. Gave me strong throwback moments of both.
August 5, 2025
Review: 4.75 stars
Give it to Kristen Ashley to stump us with a SURPRISE RELEASE.. I was lucky enough to be part of her street team, and I got my hands on this arc 5 days before it was set to release!
I was so excited that this is a romance fantasy, given that I adore her Fantasyland series and have been an avid reader of Kristen Ashley’s books for years. She acknowledged that this book is an homage to JD Robb’s In Death series (MY FAV SERIES EVER), which makes it a 1000x must-read. This book is an urban fantasy romance with hints of paranormal and sci-fi elements.
Laura is recovering from a traumatic experience of losing her other beastly half when she unexpectedly meets her mate, Prince Aleksei, the true heir of Night’s Fall. She accepts his courtship hesitantly, expecting the relationship not to last as she never perceived him as her mate (this reason of her not knowing will later be explained in her upbringing), which makes the situation sweeter and humorous when she finds out.
Aleksei is the typical KA alpha male - he is sweet, caring, emotionally infuriating at times and the man every woman wants. Laura is sweet, shy, awkward, and determined. Their relationship started hesitantly and hit a satisfying note when they got together. Their chemistry is fantastic, and the emotional notes give me the feels. While romance is the book's core focus, there is an overarching plot of someone on the hunt to kill Laura in the hopes of destroying Aleksei, giving some thrill and fantasy elements to this book.
It was amazing to see Laura grow into her role as the True Bride of Night’s Fall and manage the family dysfunction and press with grace. The book also introduces the found family trope with Laura’s friendship with Catla, Monica, Gay, and their respective families. I just love their genuine friendship. I would not be surprised if this would become a series, as I would love to see her friends find their HEA! Hehehee….
It’s great to see Kristen return to fantasy with the classic KA vibes I love. This one is a keeper, and I can't wait to see what she brings us next.
Thank you, Kristen Ashley and Tanaka for the surprise eARC!
Give it to Kristen Ashley to stump us with a SURPRISE RELEASE.. I was lucky enough to be part of her street team, and I got my hands on this arc 5 days before it was set to release!
I was so excited that this is a romance fantasy, given that I adore her Fantasyland series and have been an avid reader of Kristen Ashley’s books for years. She acknowledged that this book is an homage to JD Robb’s In Death series (MY FAV SERIES EVER), which makes it a 1000x must-read. This book is an urban fantasy romance with hints of paranormal and sci-fi elements.
Laura is recovering from a traumatic experience of losing her other beastly half when she unexpectedly meets her mate, Prince Aleksei, the true heir of Night’s Fall. She accepts his courtship hesitantly, expecting the relationship not to last as she never perceived him as her mate (this reason of her not knowing will later be explained in her upbringing), which makes the situation sweeter and humorous when she finds out.
Aleksei is the typical KA alpha male - he is sweet, caring, emotionally infuriating at times and the man every woman wants. Laura is sweet, shy, awkward, and determined. Their relationship started hesitantly and hit a satisfying note when they got together. Their chemistry is fantastic, and the emotional notes give me the feels. While romance is the book's core focus, there is an overarching plot of someone on the hunt to kill Laura in the hopes of destroying Aleksei, giving some thrill and fantasy elements to this book.
It was amazing to see Laura grow into her role as the True Bride of Night’s Fall and manage the family dysfunction and press with grace. The book also introduces the found family trope with Laura’s friendship with Catla, Monica, Gay, and their respective families. I just love their genuine friendship. I would not be surprised if this would become a series, as I would love to see her friends find their HEA! Hehehee….
It’s great to see Kristen return to fantasy with the classic KA vibes I love. This one is a keeper, and I can't wait to see what she brings us next.
Thank you, Kristen Ashley and Tanaka for the surprise eARC!
August 11, 2025
Night’s Fall was absolutely epic! Kristen Ashley crafts a story like no other! I loved the intriguing characters, I loved the romance and the swoon, I loved the drama and the tension, I loved the fantasy world filled with dragon shifters, fae, demons, and more. I loved the different realms and politics, the rich history and details, and the incredible world-building and character growth. This was an addictive and compelling romantic fantasy that captivated me. It is an all-consuming must-read!
I adored these fated mates. There’s an instant connection between Aleksei and Laura, and I loved the pull and chemistry between them. I hurt for Laura and what she was going through, I could feel all her emotions and pain. Aleksei was charming and completely swoon-worthy as well as determined, and I loved his pursuit of Laura. As they came together, it was intense, sweet, and smoking hot! Entwined with Aleksei and Laura's growing relationship, there are dangers lurking, and I loved how it was woven together, layers were peeled back, and connections were made. It was all very exciting! They faced ups and downs, tempers flared, dragons flew, and I loved every second of the wild ride as they worked through it all.
I was so excited about all the characters introduced throughout the story, they were detailed and well thought out. I loved Laura's girl group and the bonds they have, as well as their found family. I really liked meeting Aleksei's friends, some of whom happen to be princes, and seeing pairings for future stories. I cannot wait to find out who the next couple is! I loved his family as well, they have their own issues happening, but I loved their development and growth.
This was pure KA infused in an all-new fantasy world. I loved the amazing descriptors, the futuristic elements, and how the history of the world was learned throughout, keeping me hooked. There was an exceptional build and development. This book has some length to it, but not once did it feel long to me. It was just one thrilling thing after another with twists and turns that kept me turning the page and invested, and I was always looking forward to what was next. It was intense, drama-filled, emotional, heartwarming, and sweet. This was truly brilliant storytelling!
Complimentary copy received.
I adored these fated mates. There’s an instant connection between Aleksei and Laura, and I loved the pull and chemistry between them. I hurt for Laura and what she was going through, I could feel all her emotions and pain. Aleksei was charming and completely swoon-worthy as well as determined, and I loved his pursuit of Laura. As they came together, it was intense, sweet, and smoking hot! Entwined with Aleksei and Laura's growing relationship, there are dangers lurking, and I loved how it was woven together, layers were peeled back, and connections were made. It was all very exciting! They faced ups and downs, tempers flared, dragons flew, and I loved every second of the wild ride as they worked through it all.
I was so excited about all the characters introduced throughout the story, they were detailed and well thought out. I loved Laura's girl group and the bonds they have, as well as their found family. I really liked meeting Aleksei's friends, some of whom happen to be princes, and seeing pairings for future stories. I cannot wait to find out who the next couple is! I loved his family as well, they have their own issues happening, but I loved their development and growth.
This was pure KA infused in an all-new fantasy world. I loved the amazing descriptors, the futuristic elements, and how the history of the world was learned throughout, keeping me hooked. There was an exceptional build and development. This book has some length to it, but not once did it feel long to me. It was just one thrilling thing after another with twists and turns that kept me turning the page and invested, and I was always looking forward to what was next. It was intense, drama-filled, emotional, heartwarming, and sweet. This was truly brilliant storytelling!
Complimentary copy received.
August 7, 2025
4 stars. A big thank you to Kristen and her team for the ARC! I was so excited when I found out that Kristen was releasing a surprise book, and that it was going to be PNR. KA has some of my FAVORITE PNR, and its been a while since she's had a new release in this genre. And when I saw that her inspiration for this book/ series was the JD Robb In Death Books, I was even more excited. Those books aren't PNR, but they are futuristic, and Night's Fall definitely has that futuristic vibe, with lots of tech and gadgets. But the best part about being inspired by JD Robb is that Aleksei is 100% Roarke coded! Swoon!!! He's rich, he's alpha, and he's the baddest baddie in all of the land. In addition to JD Robb, Night's Fall also had Thea Harrison (Elder Races) and Suzanne Wright vibes. You get a lot of magical beings, including DRAGON SHIFTERS!!!! There's also a ton of found family vibes. And even a bad guy! All in all, I really enjoyed the start to this new series. I'm officially hooked and super excited for the next book!
August 6, 2025
Razvuceno. Nejasan worldbuilding i opisi pojmova. Totalni kaos pogubis se.
Kasnije postane zanimljivo i dosta akcije. I suza kada ubiju neke drage likove. Solidan pocetak fantasy avanture od autorice. Inace sam fan njezinih contemporary knjiga,.ali na ovoj bi se trebalo malo poraditi. I skratiti ju za trecinu.
Kasnije postane zanimljivo i dosta akcije. I suza kada ubiju neke drage likove. Solidan pocetak fantasy avanture od autorice. Inace sam fan njezinih contemporary knjiga,.ali na ovoj bi se trebalo malo poraditi. I skratiti ju za trecinu.
August 3, 2025
If your fantasy world continued to current day and then further into the future with advanced tech and planets. It was fun. Can’t wait for the other couples.
August 7, 2025
4.5 stars
I enjoyed very much, i really like the world building and I look forward to the other books in the series. It’s one of the best KA has released lately. She really is good when it comes to fantasy and politics.
I enjoyed very much, i really like the world building and I look forward to the other books in the series. It’s one of the best KA has released lately. She really is good when it comes to fantasy and politics.
August 2, 2025
Perfection!
The Queen is back! What a fantabulous read!! I am so ready for more! I absolutely loved this book and read it in one day.
The Queen is back! What a fantabulous read!! I am so ready for more! I absolutely loved this book and read it in one day.
August 3, 2025
Prince Aleksei Knightstar of Night's Fall was the True Heir the next king, the fiercest warrior, the mightiest beast in all the realm. Laura Makepeace is a costumed designer and commoner recovering from a mugging when she goes to a night club with her friends. Aleksei knows immediately she is his mate.
August 25, 2025
New series, new world!
Pure and utter deliciousness.
I'm addicted and so ready for more of The Realm...
This couple, this new world, this everything, is perfection as only Kristen Ashley can create.
Impatiently waiting for more.
Pure and utter deliciousness.
I'm addicted and so ready for more of The Realm...
This couple, this new world, this everything, is perfection as only Kristen Ashley can create.
Impatiently waiting for more.
October 24, 2025
3.5 stars
August 3, 2025
I had no clue about this book until an email popped up in my inbox with the surprise drop of it a day later. I found it interesting that the author said she got inspiration from the In Death series from JD Robb, it's a favorite of mine, so I was looking forward to it. I maybe should have read the blurb and other in depth things about the book in the email, but I like going into books blind. So I was a bit lost as it started, I expected a futuristic cop thriller, a la JD Robb, instead it's a PNR book set in the future. The futuristic part being the only thing they had in common. Once I could let go of that, I was able to get into the book more. It was a whole me problem, not the book.
It was a bit slow at the start, but there was a lot of world building being done, plus we had to get to know the characters and there were many beside the core ones. The Royal aspect was interesting, so many rules due to that, Laura being a new comer didn't have a clue and it was a rough learning curve for her. Besides all the royal stuff, there was all the mate stuff and normal family drama, that turned into political intrigue.
At first Aleksei and Laura's romance was smooth sailing, but they quickly hit bumps. Ones that their natures fought and it was only by talking and working things out that they realized that things needed to be done like that. Good, bad and ugly, they needed to talk about what was going on. It allowed the to have a united front to face all the crap that was swiftly coming at them.
Big drama at the end, lots of new things found out and a battle coming for the world. Lines are being drawn, good guys and bad guys picking sides. It will be interesting to see where things go from here for everyone.
It was a bit slow at the start, but there was a lot of world building being done, plus we had to get to know the characters and there were many beside the core ones. The Royal aspect was interesting, so many rules due to that, Laura being a new comer didn't have a clue and it was a rough learning curve for her. Besides all the royal stuff, there was all the mate stuff and normal family drama, that turned into political intrigue.
At first Aleksei and Laura's romance was smooth sailing, but they quickly hit bumps. Ones that their natures fought and it was only by talking and working things out that they realized that things needed to be done like that. Good, bad and ugly, they needed to talk about what was going on. It allowed the to have a united front to face all the crap that was swiftly coming at them.
Big drama at the end, lots of new things found out and a battle coming for the world. Lines are being drawn, good guys and bad guys picking sides. It will be interesting to see where things go from here for everyone.
September 9, 2025
3 Aleksei x Laura stars
After being teased forever with the release on insta, i could not wait to eat this up! It was really starting to annoy me with how freakin long it was taking ngl 😤
So much happening, new words thrown around, i didn't know which way was up. It was information overload i found it hard to picture their world. Some things were easy to imagine but i found myself re-reading the same page over and over again trying to make it, make sense 😅 However, i still loved this enough. The action was meh. The different breeds of "other" and the history were interesting tho. The insta love was popping off.
I really wanted into Aleksei's head - Thoughts, feelings.. any-freakin-thing 😩
I was sick of Laura's inner dialogue by the end. Too much damn thinking girl - Less unnecessary thoughts, more action 😬
Out of all names in the universe, the FMC's name really irked me, it was so simple and boring. Even her besties had kickass names 😭
Will absolutely read the next books to come, even if this one was so-so!
*I do find the FMC's & MMC's seem to all have the same running theme (martyr-like tendances in the FMCS, Asshole MMCs that speak before thinking,intentionally causing harm to the FMCs) in the KA universe, even if they're from different worlds/times, i will still find myself absolutely annihilating every single KA book (new & old)*
After being teased forever with the release on insta, i could not wait to eat this up! It was really starting to annoy me with how freakin long it was taking ngl 😤
So much happening, new words thrown around, i didn't know which way was up. It was information overload i found it hard to picture their world. Some things were easy to imagine but i found myself re-reading the same page over and over again trying to make it, make sense 😅 However, i still loved this enough. The action was meh. The different breeds of "other" and the history were interesting tho. The insta love was popping off.
I really wanted into Aleksei's head - Thoughts, feelings.. any-freakin-thing 😩
I was sick of Laura's inner dialogue by the end. Too much damn thinking girl - Less unnecessary thoughts, more action 😬
Out of all names in the universe, the FMC's name really irked me, it was so simple and boring. Even her besties had kickass names 😭
Will absolutely read the next books to come, even if this one was so-so!
*I do find the FMC's & MMC's seem to all have the same running theme (martyr-like tendances in the FMCS, Asshole MMCs that speak before thinking,intentionally causing harm to the FMCs) in the KA universe, even if they're from different worlds/times, i will still find myself absolutely annihilating every single KA book (new & old)*
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