A Promise of Blood & Thorns: A why choose romantasy

by A.K. Koonce, Kendra Moreno

One woman. Three predators. A kingdom built on blood.

Crymson never asked to be dragged to the Dark Lands. She never asked to be the Vampire King’s a play thing to be drained dry. But when the chains bite into her wrists, and three lethal vampires swear to guard her until the King claims his prize, escape becomes impossible.

Their duty is to protect her blood for the throne. Their obsession is to break every rule that keeps her from them. Her blood is forbidden. Touch will be punished. Desire is downright deadly.

And yet, temptation always tastes sweetest in the dark.

As the King’s hunger closes in, alliances fracture, passions ignite, and the secrets of the Fae Lands whisper of a destiny far greater than her cage. Surrounded by monsters who would kill for her-or consume her-she must decide if her heart is strong enough to belong to them all. . .

Or if she’ll be devoured before she ever reaches freedom.

A Kingdom of Blood & Promises is a darkly seductive WhyChoose Romantasy for fans of unhinged vampires, ruthless fae kings, and dangerously obsessive men who would burn kingdoms to the ground for the woman they crave.

*Book one was previously published in 2022 under the title, Blood Promises. The book has been re-written and now completed in this high fantasy, high spice duet!

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Romance

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2025

About the author

A.K. Koonce is a USA Today best selling author. She's a mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance author by night. She keeps the fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop, while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular but demanding fictional characters who always fill her thoughts

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dyslexic Reviewer - Spoil Free Reviews

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Author: @a.k.koonce & @kendramorenoauthor
POV: Multi POV 1st person
Gene: Vampire/Fae Romantasy
Triggers: Explicit open door, blood play, kidnapping, captive/captor, violence, threat of death, domestic violence
Read Time: 6 hours
Expected Publishing Date: Out Today!

What I loved about this book:
❤️ World Building - The world building is incredible! We went from the modern human world to the Vampire Kingdom. Both are gritty and real to the reader. I like details like how are the vampires supposed to feed their human in a world that doesn’t have food, besides the blood of others.

❤️ The Characters - Crymson is a believable and relatable MFC, she’s isn’t a badass, she isn’t a librarian, she’s just a woman who has had nothing but bad luck her whole life. And that bad luck continues when she meets Christian, the Blood Prince. She is drawn to him, which is how his trap springs on her. In The Dark Lands, we meet Rorrick and Seven, both who have tragic back stories but were saved and are fiercely loyal to Christian because of that. Both them have a total cinnamon roll vibe to them, but are also brutal (in all the right ways😉)

❤️ The Story - The story was just incredible! It really had me hooked from the very beginning. I was sad I had to go to bed last night and couldn’t finish it! It was moving and relatable in many ways for me. It speaks to an inner strength that no one, not even yourself, can see until you are truly tested. It’s about letting go to enjoy oneself before it all goes bad again.

❤️‍🔥Overall - I’m so glad I got the Kickstarter for this book and the second book. It was an amazing read and I will now have to go back and read all their other books!!! Please for the love of the gods, check it out!!!

I got this book free from @a.k.koonce & @kendramorenoauthor for my honest review.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC!

Unfortunately for me, this novel didn't quite work. It started off really promisingly, dropping you straight into the action with Christian, the vampire prince, stealing Crymson away and into the court of vampires, and introducing our other ML's, Rorrrick, son of the former king and bruiser shapeshifter with a heart of gold, and Seven, former slave, half-fae, and mysterious but sweet. I did really like all the ML's, it's a very good reverse harem (and adding in the Thorn King to the mix is intriguing) and the smut is hot. I also did like Crymson, even with her slightly cringe name, since she's a calculating survivor, which makes for an interesting MC.

Unfortunately, there's a lot of strange plot holes to the novel that make it somewhat nonsensical. None of the vampires understand how often humans have to eat--bizarre, given that they feed on humans, but alright. Crymson also doesn't bother telling them, and you could chalk that up to the fact that she thinks she's going to die anyway, but it's such a small thing to tell the ML's. Also, Seven and Rorrick feed and have sex with Crymson despite the fact that she's promised to the vampire king and that's a death sentence to feed or have sex with her. They don't try to get around that, they just shrug and are kind of like, well, may as well. Lastly, the vampire king himself; he seems pretty useless at this moment, so it's an open question about why no one has tried to murder him yet, especially Rorrick who absolutely loathes him, or Christian who also loathes him yet follows all his orders.

With all that said, I did keep reading, because the smut is very hot, and I love vampires, so if that's your thing and you don't mind plot holes, go ahead and check it out.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so freaking good!! I really enjoyed all the characters and the delicious angst between them all. There was lots of mystery and intrigue and it kept me absolutely enthralled. I was drawn in by the very first page and didn't want to put it down!

I liked that the guys all had unique personalities and they all were intriguing in their own way. I really liked all the guys equally and was drawn to them all. Rorrick was so cute and sweet. It was impossible not to fall for him. Same with Seven. His dark backstory just broke my heart and his nurturing nature captivated me. Christian is still a bit of a wild card. He's an enigma. He's alluring yet distant which makes him hard to trust. He is quite charming though.

I really liked Crymson. She had been beaten down by life and yet was still so tenacious with an incredible fighting spirit. She didn't back down and I admired her grit and determination.

This was a fun and exciting story and I'm really looking forward to what happens next! The writing was engaging and painted a clear picture of the characters and setting. It held my attention from start to finish and I became enamored by the characters. I would definitely recommend it!

[SunnieK · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This one took me a while to get through—and that’s unusual for me. I enjoyed the premise and the bones of the story, but something about it felt like it was missing a spark. I found myself putting it down more often than I expected.

This is a reverse harem, enemies-to-lovers, touch-her-and-die paranormal romance, and it definitely leans into those tropes. The beginning pulled me in: Crymson has no idea who she really is until the Vampire Prince discovers her and drags her straight to his father… only for her true identity as the daughter of the Fae King to come out. From there, we meet Christian’s group and the other MMCs—Rorrick and Seven—who round out the harem dynamic.

The spice is where the book truly shines. Crymson is the center of the heat, and if vampire 🌶️ is your thing, there are definitely scenes worth highlighting. Those parts worked well for me.

But overall, the story itself fizzled out after a strong start. I liked it—I didn’t love it. It didn’t captivate me the way I hoped, and that’s ultimately why it took so long to finish.

⭐ Rating: enjoyable elements, great spice, but a rough and dragging storyline for my personal taste.

[Jasmine Currier · Rating 3 out of 5]

🩸 A Promise of Blood and Thorns 🩸
The Dark Lands Duet #1
By A.K. Koonce & Kendra Moreno

• dark romantasy
• why choose
• vampire x fae
• multiple pov

✨ For starters, thank you to the authors for the early copy of this book!
🩸 I was pretty hooked from the very beginning when we’re thrust right into the story. I did end up a little less invested as time went on and not much plot was happening. Towards the end we get a little more plot and are left with a cliffhanger.
I honestly feel like the cliffhanger was a little unnecessary and this could be one (longer) book instead of a duet. Plus fleshing out the backstories and characters would have added a little more oomph. We do get some of that here but our FMC has a pretty traumatic past and parts of this didn’t feel very true to that. Same goes for the men, I just needed to learn more about them, the world as a whole and honestly, what the heck they all seem to “need” her for.
🩸 Overall, I was decently entertained, it was a quick read and it had some 🌶️ - plus I love a vampire story.

✨ Would I recommend? Probably

⁉️ QOTD ⁉️
Do you also like a good bitey bad boy?

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️: Yes

[Kelly K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not wait for this book to drop and it did not disappoint! This is a dark why choose romantasy with vampires, fae, humans, kings, princes, and promises aka female blood bags/concubines. Christian is our dark broody shadow daddy, Seven is our strong silent type with a hot lil talent of his own, and Rorrick who is our sexy wall of muscle (when he isnt an overfed kitty). I love each of them but I am Team Seven so far! Maybe it's his past that connects him so strongly with our FMC Crymson, but his protective loyal side seems to be the most consistent and squarely on her til the bitter cliffhanger end.

I enjoyed the world building in book one, and the spice was soooo getting good even though I was left with lady blue balls on more than one occasion as the angst and tension is deliciously served up throughout the book from beginning to end. There are many questions left unanswered with the introduction of the Thorn King and his role in Crymson's life moving forward. Do we have another Shadow Daddy or just...Daddy?? I'm thinking Shadow Daddy, way too sexy for parental vibes but is he a sharer?? Loyalties will be tested, and this story is about to get even better....

[Jens_Book_Cubby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Promise of Blood and Thorns is book one in The Dark Lands Duet. It is a dark, why choose, romantasy with vampires and fae. The story is told in first person with multiple POV's.

Rorrick, the Blood Prince, and his two friends, Seven and Christian, are sent by the Rorrick's dad, the King, to retrieve Crymson, whom the King says he is owed. Crymson believes herself to be a simple human. None of them know what they are about to get themselves into.

This was such a terrific read! I loved the intrigue, the action, the chemistry and the angst between the characters, and the spice. I fell in love with the wonderful characters and was truly saddened by their backstories.

The writing, pace, and plot of the story were fabulous, as were the characters, character development, relationship development, storytelling, and storyline. The world building was also absolutely stunning.

If you are in the mood for an entertaining, paranormal, romantasy with forced proximity, insta-love, and touch her and d!e vibes, as well as awesome characters with tragic back-stories, then I'd absolutely recommend this book.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

You had me sold immediately at vampire why choose 😏 A Promise of Blood & Thorns is Book 1 in the Dark Lands duet.

If you like when Fantasy and Paranormal Romance collide with Vampires, Fae, Why Choose, Touch Her and 💀, Unhinged Men and so much more this one is for you!

We are immediately thrown into the action in this one where our Blood Prince, Christian is on a mission for his father to deliver him the Promised fae girl the Thorn King owes him but Christian plus his friends Rorrick and Seven in tow don’t realize what they signed up for.

Crymson is just a human girl, or so she thought and when this handsome stranger looks at her at the bar she can’t help but to be drawn to him but she doesn’t realize she is about to offered up as a blood bag to an awful vampire king.

Rorrick and Seven quickly realize there is more to Crymson then meets the eye (like the fact that she needs to eat food) and though they try, they cannot keep their hands off her and their chemistry is sizzling 😏 Christian on the other hand tries to be the broody one refusing to get close to her as much as he feels the pull to her too.

But when the fae Thorn King shows up and makes other demands Crymson is stuck in the middle, we are left with a cliffhanger. Overall, I am interested to see how the rest of their story unfolds.

Rating: 3.5 / 5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Tashie_LeeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spicy content 🌶🌶🌶🌶.5/5

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book, and I am so grateful I did! I really enjoyed every second of it. This story is written by Kendra (one of my all-time favorite authors) and a new-to-me author, A.K. Koonce, and honestly, I couldn’t tell who wrote what. Their writing blended so seamlessly that I now have another author to add to my favorites list.

This book moves quickly when it comes to the spice, but don’t let that fool you, there’s still so much depth and plot packed in. The world and the characters had me completely swept up from start to finish, and I found myself flying through the pages.

There’s a lot happening in this story, but it never feels overwhelming which I love, it just makes you want to know more. And now, I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. I already have a few theories brewing, but I’ll keep them to myself in case I’m right!

If you’re looking for a read that’s fast, exciting, and filled with both spice and plot, A Promise of Blood and Thorns is one you won’t want to miss.

[Samantha Steel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast paced duet circulating around Crymson- half fae/ half human who is kidnapped by 3 intriguing and alluring men- Christian, the broody and detached Vampire Prince, Gorrick- should be the Prince but his father was betrayed and he's a big brute of a man that has a cute kitty side and Seven who is a fae x vampire hybrid with some pretty cool magic and is a slave, he's rather sweet yet dominant and demanding.
There's so many secrets being uncovered, or erupting and yet not discovered, it's a dark and interesting read, there's some dark humour and a bit of banter- I always love this type of interactions with characters- makes it a bit of fun in the midst of all the dark times laying ahead.

This book is rather spicy, it starts slow and builds up to sharing in a why choose, and Seven has a special trick in the bedroom which would please everyone and anyone ;)

This is the first book in the duet and it's a bloody good start but left on a cliff hanger, ready for the next book!

[Morally_Gray_Nola · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘A Promise of Blood & Thorns’ is quite the adventurous love story—definitely a nail biter. Seven is so sweet he makes my teeth hurt. Rorrick is equal parts deep feelings and brawn. Christian is loyal to an absolute fault—detrimentally so. And Crymson? Well, it seems she doesn’t always make the most sound decisions. ‘APoB&T’ is a great read.

*** Recommended ***

MMC:
✨Christian
✨Seven
✨Rorrick
FMC:
✨Crymson
HEA/Cliffhanger:
✨Cliffhanger
Series:
✨Book 1 of The Dark Lands Duet
Tropes:
👉paranormal romance
👉touch her and XX
👉instalove
👉forced proximity
Triggers:
💥18+
💥sex
💥violence
💥r ape
💥murder
💥profanity
💥immuring
Burn Speed:
✨fast - ish
Spice Level:
✨🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 1/2
✨MF
✨MFM
✨MFM+M

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Savy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book in the beginning, but as it went on I kept getting lost when it came to the story. The POV bounced back and forth between so many people it was hard to keep up. There were so many plot holes, and so many times I had to ask myself how we got to a certain place.

The smut was good!

The plot however was just too all over the place for me. One minute she is promised to Boris and no one can touch her. The next minute she is banging Seven and Rorrick at the same time? I definitely want to give more books by these authors a shot, this one just fell kind of flat for me in a lot of different places. I do however recommend giving it a read, you may enjoy it way more than I did!

[Payton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be ready for a cliffy

I like this story in a way that has me intrigued and definitely planning on reading the next. I think there’s a lot of promise to the future of this story. That being said, I wish I learned more about the world it’s set in. I feel like we didn’t get enough of that. I have so many questions and I’m hoping we get to learn more about the world and its history in the next book. Especially with that cliffy we got left with. I feel like there’s a good opportunity to dive more in to that. Our fmc goes through quite the journey in this book. Her emotions are all over the place and I feel like she really hasn’t had a moment to actually process what has happened. I love Seven. I don’t always have a fave that quickly but he’s def claimed that spot.

[Liz Ranne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this! It's Crymson & her guys' story & it was a good one! She's been in really bad situations for a long time & is in one now. She meets them at the bar & is instantly attracted to them, but they have secrets of their own & she learns some things about herself that she didn't know. They take her to the Dark Lands where she finds out a lot of things. The guys are Vampires & are tasked with protecting her for a while, what they don't count on is the chemistry between them all. This was a really short & quick read; a lot of things happen & there are things that I didn't see coming. Highly recommend this novella & these authors!

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dark and seductive read. Crymson (FMC) goes from one abusive situation to one deadly one in this book. When on a night out (where she's avoiding her violent boyfriend) she ends up being chained to a bed (not in a kinky way) in a new world that she knows nothing about and being told she's going to be a Blood Promise to their King. A death sentence that also puts her right in the middle of a power struggle between Vampires & Fae. As well as a struggle between wanting and wanting in regards to Crymson, Christian, Rorrick & Seven. It definitely brought up plenty of sexual tension with all of them.

Great plot twists & turns, some steam and a brilliant cliffhanger ending. A cracking start.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fact that I genuinely couldn’t tell which author wrote which chapter just proves how seamlessly these two worked together because wow.

I was already so excited to dive into a why choose fantasy from Kendra, and this was my first time reading anything by A.K. Koonce which made me even more keen to pick this up.

And listen… did the character art give me that extra push to absolutely devour this book? Absolutely. Because holy hell. 🥵

We get multiple POVs, immediate tension, a plot that throws you straight into the action, and chemistry between the characters that practically crackles off the page. I honestly wasn’t expecting such a detailed world and storyline considering this is a smaller book, but it packed so much into it and kept me hooked the entire time.

Now I desperately need book two because I am not done with these men yet.

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun. That is my main vibe from it. The plot isn't groundbreaking, the tropes are numerous, and for the most part the characters have nothing really unique about them. But it was fun. If you like vampires, dark romance, very darkly morally grey characters, reverse harem, magical world, and lots of spice, you'll have fun. I would say my favorite part was Seven. If we could have a story all about him and his origins I would be all over it. But this is a good start. Cheers to all and read it!

[Dalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gloomy why select love with vampires, fae, humans, kings, princes, and promises (aka female blood bags/concubines). Seven is our solid silent kind, and our dark brooding Christian is our dark broody shadow dad. Our fascinating wall of muscle, Rorrick (when he's not an overfed cat). Crymson past might be a reason why he bonds with the FMC, his protective, faithful attitude seems to be the most consistent and all the way up to the devastating cliffhanger ending. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am excited to see where it is leading.

[Kim Kurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What great world building! This why choose/PNR book was a great read. Crimson has had a hard life and finds herself in a newer world with weird things happening all around her. She has an attraction for the 3 vampires who were chosen to seek her out in the human world. They also fall hard with the Prince fighting hard not to fall. The Princes father is a entitled whimp and I can't wait to see his downfall.
The story has suspense and mystery and steamy scenes and I look forward to find out the intriguing journey Crymson is going to encounter.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a start! I could not put this incredible read down it was that good! The world building is incredible and so descriptive, the storyline is dark and so so steamy and the mmc’s are hot and sexy. It’s a great start to this dark why choose romantasy and I literally devoured it in one sitting. Its dark, it’s dangerous, there’s secrets and there’s off the charts chemistry, you’ve got vampires and fae and a fmc who’s strong and goes on one hell of a journey and I am super exited for book two.

[meaghan]

rating: 4.5
spice: 3

omfg i need MOREEEEE. i love crymson and all the men. the thorn king?? 😮‍💨 i’m obsessed with literally everyone. except for christian’s dad lmao.

i need the second book like i need air. i would’ve read it in one sitting if i didn’t have work.

- why choose
- vampires
- fae
- kidnapped fmc

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It started out so well, however as the story continued it was skipped a lot of substance and build up of the characters. They went from not liking each other to magical feelings with no build up or character depth. There were a lot of plot holes which left the story confusing for me, parts of it didn't make any sense.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noooooo!!!!! I need the vampire Prince to go after her 😫 I really need to get my hands on book two asap because if Rorrick and Christian don't get their act together Seven is gonna be my favourite of the men. I loved this book, literally couldn't put it down. I'd highly recommend reading it.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read the old version and loved it. And now I read the new version and I still absolutely love it. I could not stop reading lol lost some sleep. It’s does end with a cliffhanger and hopefully the next book would be out.

[Lilylou426 · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was is so much more to the story than a simple synopsis can give you. Each of these characters have suffered in their pasts. Each in different ways. Now they need to use those pieces of pain to fuse themselves into one complete photograph....but watch out for the cliffhanger!

[Heather McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deff a slow burn but when the spice hit, IT HIT!!! Holy crap.

I need the next book now or yesterday. Christian needs to speak his whole heart 😭😍

[Jennifer Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witty, edgy, spicy, with ALL the dark romance feels! Multiple-POVs! A perfect, guilty read for spooky season (or when you need your Vamp/Fae fix)!

[booklover · Rating 2 out of 5]

disgusting how Christian treated a victim and the fact that he's still loyal to his rapist father, how pathetic

[Joni (livebythemoon7) · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc

[Ange Bennetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questions and theories are swirling through my brain after reading this deliciously dark and sexy book. Crymson is a human woman taken by vampires to another world. She is a street smart young woman who is definitely watching and waiting for her moment to escape. The men that are delivering her to their disgusting king are all rather bewitched by her, but the question is why? If she is a simple human, why would they be interested in her at all? I loved the relationships that developed through this book. The steam was steamy and sexy, all for her benefit - although there is a hold out of course. The brooding prince keeps everything deep down inside - im sure when he eventually explodes it will be delicious. And the many questions that arise when the Thorn King of the fae turns up. I really cant wait for the rest of this story.