What do you think?
Rate this book
Runewitch Saga #1
The Death-Made Prince
A runewitch on the run has only one option left: join forces with the sarcastic, unpleasantly gorgeous necromancer she loathes
The man Thraga loved is dead, and her future is in shambles. When she's sentenced to the gallows for killing her lover's murderers, it's a relief more than anything… until, the night before her execution, a necromancer is thrown into her cell.
Escaping with him is her only chance to bring Lark back to life - and also the start of all her troubles.
Because her new almost-ally is not just any man returned from death. Fire mage, rogue prince, and son of the man who killed her mother, sharp-tongued Durlain Averre is everything Thraga hates. Worse, he won't revive her lover unless she joins him on a mission of his own first, using her forbidden rune magic to free his sister from the dungeons of an enemy king.
But their quest turns into a deadly chase when Thraga's violent past catches up with her. And as the net of court intrigue and old fears closes around them, she begins to find out Lark was not at all the man she thought he was…
And neither is Durlain.
The Death-Made Prince is the first book of the Runewitch Saga, an epic enemies to lovers fantasy romance featuring two morally grey leads, OCD rep, and a Norse mythology-inspired world. While it is a slow burn romance, the first book does contain spicy content intended for 18+ readers.
The man Thraga loved is dead, and her future is in shambles. When she's sentenced to the gallows for killing her lover's murderers, it's a relief more than anything… until, the night before her execution, a necromancer is thrown into her cell.
Escaping with him is her only chance to bring Lark back to life - and also the start of all her troubles.
Because her new almost-ally is not just any man returned from death. Fire mage, rogue prince, and son of the man who killed her mother, sharp-tongued Durlain Averre is everything Thraga hates. Worse, he won't revive her lover unless she joins him on a mission of his own first, using her forbidden rune magic to free his sister from the dungeons of an enemy king.
But their quest turns into a deadly chase when Thraga's violent past catches up with her. And as the net of court intrigue and old fears closes around them, she begins to find out Lark was not at all the man she thought he was…
And neither is Durlain.
The Death-Made Prince is the first book of the Runewitch Saga, an epic enemies to lovers fantasy romance featuring two morally grey leads, OCD rep, and a Norse mythology-inspired world. While it is a slow burn romance, the first book does contain spicy content intended for 18+ readers.
547 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2025
About the author
Lisette Marshall
28 books1,941 followersLisette Marshall is a fantasy romance author, language nerd and cartography enthusiast. Having grown up on a steady diet of epic fantasy, regency romance and cosy mysteries, she now writes steamy, swoony stories with a generous sprinkle of murder.
Lisette lives in the Netherlands (yes, below sea level) with her boyfriend and the few house plants that miraculously survive her highly irregular watering regime. When she’s not reading or writing, she can usually be found drawing fantasy maps, baking and eating too many chocolate cookies, or geeking out over Ancient Greek.
To get in touch, visit www.lisettemarshall.com, or follow @authorlisettemarshall on Instagram, where she spends way too much time looking at pretty book pictures.
Lisette lives in the Netherlands (yes, below sea level) with her boyfriend and the few house plants that miraculously survive her highly irregular watering regime. When she’s not reading or writing, she can usually be found drawing fantasy maps, baking and eating too many chocolate cookies, or geeking out over Ancient Greek.
To get in touch, visit www.lisettemarshall.com, or follow @authorlisettemarshall on Instagram, where she spends way too much time looking at pretty book pictures.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,754 reviews
March 28, 2026
3.5 stars ✨
‘Feel equally free to tell me to go to hell. But if you insist on the truth – I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.’
This was an interesting read. Not too bad, but didn't captivate me enough. I don't think it's the book, it's just me. It didn't click with me fully especially the fantasy elements and there were reasons for it. But it made for a decent enough read.
Firstly, it's quite decently paced and I enjoyed that it wasn't rushing, it wasn't fast. And it worked out in that sense. I like the overall plot and the two main character's motives. But what I didn't like was the world building and magic system. It didn't captivate me enough to feel invested. And I think that's why the story despite how engaging it seemed, never made me feel immersed.
Another thing that sort of bugged me was the number of characters and names in the book. I'm ngl except for the main characters, I didn't remember the others. They all sounded same to me and there was surely a purpose for the names of the knives, but it was too much to keep track of. It had me confused.
🗡 Thraga was someone I adored. She grows on you slowly but I absolutely loved her fierce spirit. The OCD rep is so well depicted, it made my heart ache in some places. And then the whole being manipulated and controlled thing made me soften up towards her more. But that's not all, she's powerful. She's good a wicked sense of humor and when she lets go? I absolutely love this girl.
🔥 Durlain.. Oh Durlain, I swear when I see that man. Idk whether to punch him or absolutely climb on him 😭😭 He's cold, broody, and yet so empowering?? I'll have more of him. But I'm gonna need that man to be on his knees and grovel first.
The romance is more of a budding one rather a fully developed one. And I love that. The slow burn angst always hits much better. I think my favorite part of their chemistry is how quiet, subtle and safe it is. The way Thraga starts to trust Durlain, to grow fond of each other. To not always check on her triggers. It wasn't being highlighted loudly by the author but it was left for the reader to notice. And tbh? I absolutely adored that. It made me more engaged in their chemistry and to root for them 🥺❤
The ending? Criminal. I need it to be fixed in the next book. I understood the foreshadowing. I saw it coming miles ago. I was braced for it. And yet, it left me shook. I sat there trying to process it and being an emotional mess. I understand the need for it plot wise, but doesn't mean I'm not gonna be emotional about it 😩😭
Definitely gonna read the next book.
~•~•~
I'm so intimidated by this cause almost all of my friends here have given this five stars. But I'm intrigued and I do need a slow burn witchy romance.
‘Feel equally free to tell me to go to hell. But if you insist on the truth – I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.’
This was an interesting read. Not too bad, but didn't captivate me enough. I don't think it's the book, it's just me. It didn't click with me fully especially the fantasy elements and there were reasons for it. But it made for a decent enough read.
Firstly, it's quite decently paced and I enjoyed that it wasn't rushing, it wasn't fast. And it worked out in that sense. I like the overall plot and the two main character's motives. But what I didn't like was the world building and magic system. It didn't captivate me enough to feel invested. And I think that's why the story despite how engaging it seemed, never made me feel immersed.
Another thing that sort of bugged me was the number of characters and names in the book. I'm ngl except for the main characters, I didn't remember the others. They all sounded same to me and there was surely a purpose for the names of the knives, but it was too much to keep track of. It had me confused.
🗡 Thraga was someone I adored. She grows on you slowly but I absolutely loved her fierce spirit. The OCD rep is so well depicted, it made my heart ache in some places. And then the whole being manipulated and controlled thing made me soften up towards her more. But that's not all, she's powerful. She's good a wicked sense of humor and when she lets go? I absolutely love this girl.
🔥 Durlain.. Oh Durlain, I swear when I see that man. Idk whether to punch him or absolutely climb on him 😭😭 He's cold, broody, and yet so empowering?? I'll have more of him. But I'm gonna need that man to be on his knees and grovel first.
The romance is more of a budding one rather a fully developed one. And I love that. The slow burn angst always hits much better. I think my favorite part of their chemistry is how quiet, subtle and safe it is. The way Thraga starts to trust Durlain, to grow fond of each other. To not always check on her triggers. It wasn't being highlighted loudly by the author but it was left for the reader to notice. And tbh? I absolutely adored that. It made me more engaged in their chemistry and to root for them 🥺❤
The ending? Criminal. I need it to be fixed in the next book. I understood the foreshadowing. I saw it coming miles ago. I was braced for it. And yet, it left me shook. I sat there trying to process it and being an emotional mess. I understand the need for it plot wise, but doesn't mean I'm not gonna be emotional about it 😩😭
Definitely gonna read the next book.
~•~•~
I'm so intimidated by this cause almost all of my friends here have given this five stars. But I'm intrigued and I do need a slow burn witchy romance.
June 16, 2026
ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ✦ . ⁺ . 4.5 - 4.7 ☆ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ There is truly no better feeling than stumbling across a hidden gem. I absolutely love that moment when you discover a new author to obsess over, and congratulations to Lisette Marshall because she has officially managed to do exactly that to me with this absolute masterpiece.
ㅤ I genuinely wanted to crack this book open and throw myself directly into its world just so I could experience it more fully. Sure, there is a very high chance I would die within the first two hours of being there, but at least they would be the most entertaining two hours of my entire life. And yes, please do take this review with a grain of salt because I might be a little bit biased at times, especially in the presence of a hot, horned man.
ㅤ ㅤ “What I understand is what utter shits men can be, Thraga.”
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I’ll start with the aspect I both loved and struggled with at the same time: the world-building. I was genuinely captivated by how fresh and unique everything felt, which is honestly not that easy to achieve with someone who reads fantasy as much as I do. I adored the magic system, the history of the world, and the imagery woven throughout the book.
ㅤ However, I really think a magic system this complex desperately needed a glossary. I constantly wanted a few pages I could flip back to just to keep track of all the information and terminology. I also wish we had gotten a bit more depth regarding how everything actually functions, so I’m really hoping the second book expands more on that.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I loved this story so damn much. I was genuinely sooooo addicted to this book and its plot. Everything that was happening kept me constantly on edge, always wanting more, always looking forward to what would happen next. And yes, the pacing does slow down at times, but honestly, I felt like it needed to. The slower moments were necessary for the characters to actually develop and breathe instead of just being thrown from one dramatic event to another every five pages.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I need the author to stay away from the words "caustic"/"causticity". I've seen them way too many times in this book and we need to let them die.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The romance....OH MY GOD!!!!!!! I was eating this up; I was devouring it with such hunger and I might have genuinely just found a new favourite MMC. I just loved the progression of the relationship between these two. The way they moved from reluctant allies, to something closer to friends, and then into that tension so thick you could practically cut it with a knife before it exploded into something so majestic.
ㅤ What I found most beautiful is that it wasn’t just some purely lust-driven romance. It was quieter than that, built in small gestures, in patience, in the slow act of teaching each other how to heal. Both characters carry a lot of complexity and pain, and it was genuinely moving to see how they gradually helped each other work through it; how they made each other better and stronger. Also? He opens doors for her. PLEASE.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ CAN I PLEASE HAVE MY OWN PERSONAL DURLAIN AVERRE TOO??? WITH HORNS AND ALL PLEASE
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ That ending. That. Damn. Ending. Now, why did you have to do that to me, Lisette? 🥲🥲🥲 What wrong did I do to you for you to punish me like this? How will I be able to live my life until the second book drops?
ㅤ The ending was everything it needed to be. It was incredibly satisfying, maybe a little expected, but it still hit so well regardless. I just know the second book is going to have an absolutely insane starting point, and I’m already counting down the days until I can get my hands on it.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ ⊹ Thraga — I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character this much. This felt like such a strong portrayal of OCD, and it was woven into scenes that were both emblematic and incredibly impactful within the story. I genuinely felt emotional reading those moments. And beyond that, I just loved her as a character overall. She’s strong even in her weakest moments, funny, intelligent, and it was so satisfying to watch her slowly break free from all the manipulation she endured. With Durlain’s constant, almost relentless sass as a kind of support, she gradually learns how to stand on her own, and that progression was genuinely beautiful to see. I just know I am about to witness such an insanely good character in the next book.
ㅤ ⊹ Durlain — MY HUSBAND. I genuinely love everything about this man. I was skeptical at first, wondering if there was actually anything underneath all that sass, but oh my god… I was not prepared for the absolute treasure of a tortured soul hiding behind that stony expression. He has been through so much that I genuinely found myself just hoping he’d get a break for once. And his loyalty to the people he loves? Oh my god 🫠 oh, the way we’re in for some absolutely insane grovelling in the next book; i just know it.
ㅤ ⊹ Cimmura — darling, please.....DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID BECAUSE ISTG!!!!!!
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ Yes. You should definitely read this.
ㅤ I’m not sure everyone would enjoy it as much as I did, mainly because I personally found a lot to relate to in these characters, which automatically made me feel much closer to them. But the book itself is genuinely good and fun, with a very interesting magical system, a compelling plot and you will absolutely find yourself giggling, swooning and biting your lip more than once at the interactions between these characters. What more could you possibly want??? READ IT!!
ㅤ I, sure as Hell know I won't be able to fully rest until I have the second book in my hands....
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍendㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆13-May-2026┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ i am in the mood for some witchy stuff; also this has a horned man??? i am SOLD 🙌🏻 he'd better be hot because imagine holding onto those horns whileᅳ
ㅤ ㅤ ˋ°•*⁀➷ㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ There is truly no better feeling than stumbling across a hidden gem. I absolutely love that moment when you discover a new author to obsess over, and congratulations to Lisette Marshall because she has officially managed to do exactly that to me with this absolute masterpiece.
ㅤ I genuinely wanted to crack this book open and throw myself directly into its world just so I could experience it more fully. Sure, there is a very high chance I would die within the first two hours of being there, but at least they would be the most entertaining two hours of my entire life. And yes, please do take this review with a grain of salt because I might be a little bit biased at times, especially in the presence of a hot, horned man.
ㅤ ㅤ “What I understand is what utter shits men can be, Thraga.”
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ honest thoughts
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I’ll start with the aspect I both loved and struggled with at the same time: the world-building. I was genuinely captivated by how fresh and unique everything felt, which is honestly not that easy to achieve with someone who reads fantasy as much as I do. I adored the magic system, the history of the world, and the imagery woven throughout the book.
ㅤ However, I really think a magic system this complex desperately needed a glossary. I constantly wanted a few pages I could flip back to just to keep track of all the information and terminology. I also wish we had gotten a bit more depth regarding how everything actually functions, so I’m really hoping the second book expands more on that.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I loved this story so damn much. I was genuinely sooooo addicted to this book and its plot. Everything that was happening kept me constantly on edge, always wanting more, always looking forward to what would happen next. And yes, the pacing does slow down at times, but honestly, I felt like it needed to. The slower moments were necessary for the characters to actually develop and breathe instead of just being thrown from one dramatic event to another every five pages.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ I need the author to stay away from the words "caustic"/"causticity". I've seen them way too many times in this book and we need to let them die.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ The romance....OH MY GOD!!!!!!! I was eating this up; I was devouring it with such hunger and I might have genuinely just found a new favourite MMC. I just loved the progression of the relationship between these two. The way they moved from reluctant allies, to something closer to friends, and then into that tension so thick you could practically cut it with a knife before it exploded into something so majestic.
ㅤ What I found most beautiful is that it wasn’t just some purely lust-driven romance. It was quieter than that, built in small gestures, in patience, in the slow act of teaching each other how to heal. Both characters carry a lot of complexity and pain, and it was genuinely moving to see how they gradually helped each other work through it; how they made each other better and stronger. Also? He opens doors for her. PLEASE.
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ CAN I PLEASE HAVE MY OWN PERSONAL DURLAIN AVERRE TOO??? WITH HORNS AND ALL PLEASE
ㅤ ⋅ ☾ That ending. That. Damn. Ending. Now, why did you have to do that to me, Lisette? 🥲🥲🥲 What wrong did I do to you for you to punish me like this? How will I be able to live my life until the second book drops?
ㅤ The ending was everything it needed to be. It was incredibly satisfying, maybe a little expected, but it still hit so well regardless. I just know the second book is going to have an absolutely insane starting point, and I’m already counting down the days until I can get my hands on it.
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ characters
ㅤ ⊹ Thraga — I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character this much. This felt like such a strong portrayal of OCD, and it was woven into scenes that were both emblematic and incredibly impactful within the story. I genuinely felt emotional reading those moments. And beyond that, I just loved her as a character overall. She’s strong even in her weakest moments, funny, intelligent, and it was so satisfying to watch her slowly break free from all the manipulation she endured. With Durlain’s constant, almost relentless sass as a kind of support, she gradually learns how to stand on her own, and that progression was genuinely beautiful to see. I just know I am about to witness such an insanely good character in the next book.
ㅤ ⊹ Durlain — MY HUSBAND. I genuinely love everything about this man. I was skeptical at first, wondering if there was actually anything underneath all that sass, but oh my god… I was not prepared for the absolute treasure of a tortured soul hiding behind that stony expression. He has been through so much that I genuinely found myself just hoping he’d get a break for once. And his loyalty to the people he loves? Oh my god 🫠 oh, the way we’re in for some absolutely insane grovelling in the next book; i just know it.
ㅤ ⊹ Cimmura — darling, please.....DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID BECAUSE ISTG!!!!!!
ㅤ ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹ should you read this?
ㅤ Yes. You should definitely read this.
ㅤ I’m not sure everyone would enjoy it as much as I did, mainly because I personally found a lot to relate to in these characters, which automatically made me feel much closer to them. But the book itself is genuinely good and fun, with a very interesting magical system, a compelling plot and you will absolutely find yourself giggling, swooning and biting your lip more than once at the interactions between these characters. What more could you possibly want??? READ IT!!
ㅤ I, sure as Hell know I won't be able to fully rest until I have the second book in my hands....
⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍendㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ started ┆13-May-2026┆
ㅤ ㅤ ⤿ i am in the mood for some witchy stuff; also this has a horned man??? i am SOLD 🙌🏻 he'd better be hot because imagine holding onto those horns whileᅳ
March 21, 2026
4.5 ★— A runewitch and a necromancer meet in a cell.
This isn’t the start of a joke, it’s how this story begins and how the two main characters first cross paths. And damn, was it good!
I am always on the lookout for a true slow burn, something that proves more and more difficult to find as the fantasy romance genre tends to favor quicker-paced romances that turn spicy fast.
Here, though, I got so much of what I usually crave: a main character with depth and trauma that slowly unravels for the reader in the best way. A male love interest who’s snarky, charismatic, and stands out among the flood of possessive, broody alpha males. And a narrative that truly takes its time in letting Thraga and Durlain get to know each other as they work together to further their own goals.
The book does something very interesting with Thraga and her trauma related to a former lover, Lark, whom she’s made it her mission to bring back to life through Durlain. We get to see her grief and guilt throughout, and I truly appreciated how ever-present he felt and how strongly her motivation to bring him back was established as a defining trait.
I also liked how Durlain and Thraga's slowly forming bond was portrayed. These two go through a lot together, and I never felt like their camaraderie or gradual opening up to each other was rushed or unearned.
Thraga is a character who is explicitly shown to have OCD, and I never felt like the author suddenly made her condition vanish when convenient. It remained a consistent part of her character, which I truly appreciated! I don’t have OCD, so I can’t speak on the accuracy of the depiction, but its constant presence in the back of her mind, and the way stress and negative emotions exacerbated it, fit very well into the narrative and felt very organically integrated. Also, as someone who’s never read a fantasy story featuring OCD representation, I just thought it was really nice to see it explored in a main character in a way that actively impacts the plot!
Essentially, this book is one long road trip, following Thraga and Durlain as they travel, stop at inns and various establishments, and make their way through different terrain and I never once felt bored while following them! The worldbuilding and the lore surrounding the kingdoms and politics tied to the plot were well explained, and I didn’t feel like it ever became info-dumpy.
The story ends on a note that really urges you to continue, and it all felt very true to the characters.
The Death-Made Prince actually gives you morally grey characters, delivers a genuine slow burn, and builds a compelling rapport and chemistry between two people that makes you want to keep going. I’m so happy I found this, and now I can’t wait for the sequel!
This isn’t the start of a joke, it’s how this story begins and how the two main characters first cross paths. And damn, was it good!
I am always on the lookout for a true slow burn, something that proves more and more difficult to find as the fantasy romance genre tends to favor quicker-paced romances that turn spicy fast.
Here, though, I got so much of what I usually crave: a main character with depth and trauma that slowly unravels for the reader in the best way. A male love interest who’s snarky, charismatic, and stands out among the flood of possessive, broody alpha males. And a narrative that truly takes its time in letting Thraga and Durlain get to know each other as they work together to further their own goals.
The book does something very interesting with Thraga and her trauma related to a former lover, Lark, whom she’s made it her mission to bring back to life through Durlain. We get to see her grief and guilt throughout, and I truly appreciated how ever-present he felt and how strongly her motivation to bring him back was established as a defining trait.
I also liked how Durlain and Thraga's slowly forming bond was portrayed. These two go through a lot together, and I never felt like their camaraderie or gradual opening up to each other was rushed or unearned.
Thraga is a character who is explicitly shown to have OCD, and I never felt like the author suddenly made her condition vanish when convenient. It remained a consistent part of her character, which I truly appreciated! I don’t have OCD, so I can’t speak on the accuracy of the depiction, but its constant presence in the back of her mind, and the way stress and negative emotions exacerbated it, fit very well into the narrative and felt very organically integrated. Also, as someone who’s never read a fantasy story featuring OCD representation, I just thought it was really nice to see it explored in a main character in a way that actively impacts the plot!
Essentially, this book is one long road trip, following Thraga and Durlain as they travel, stop at inns and various establishments, and make their way through different terrain and I never once felt bored while following them! The worldbuilding and the lore surrounding the kingdoms and politics tied to the plot were well explained, and I didn’t feel like it ever became info-dumpy.
The story ends on a note that really urges you to continue, and it all felt very true to the characters.
The Death-Made Prince actually gives you morally grey characters, delivers a genuine slow burn, and builds a compelling rapport and chemistry between two people that makes you want to keep going. I’m so happy I found this, and now I can’t wait for the sequel!
October 28, 2025
Because that’s the thing, isn’t it? As long as you’re happy to stay inside, a cage just feels like a home. It’s only when you want to step out that you start to see the bars for what they are
I knew without a doubt I could trust Lisette Marshall to write a great book and the beginning to what promises to be an amazing new series; having read and loved to pieces the Fea Isles series, my expectations were high, and this book delivered.
Plotwise this is very introductory, it does the groundwork for a compelling series, presenting an interesting story, characters and political messes, there’s some really good action too, but like I said, it prepares the ground a lot.
What shines the most is what I think is LM best: the characters. We are presented with two strongly developed mc, both complex and so interesting, layered, and there’s still so much to discover (and I can’t wait for that).
‘I’ve spent all my adult life doing the bidding of terrible men, you know. I’ve been told to be quiet and to swallow my fear and to play along with games I could only ever lose, and I didn’t even remember I could do better until you made me hold that bloody door. I attacked Belloc yesterday. It was stupid, but I chose to attack Belloc. You gave me that, do you understand? The point I’m trying to make is you’ve already fulfilled your side of the bargain, you fool. You’ve given me so much more than I ever imagined I could bargain for. And yet you’re still trying to help me, the way you’re trying to protect everyone and everything around you all the time, and it’s … I’m so very sorry, Dur. I wish someone had helped you when it counted – that someone could have saved you from becoming what you didn’t want to be.’
Thraga is tough, capable, sassy, wild, but for a long time she didn’t believe these things about herself, only now she’s starting to own them, to be herself, she’s discovering who she is, her strength, her voice, along with us, because for the first time in a long time, she’s free, not just free from a prison, but also free from a partner that closed her in a little box where she had to act how he told her to. I really felt for her and loved watching her find her freedom and she won’t be boxed in again. I can’t wait to see her rage fase; she’s much more dangerous than anyone realizes.
If the world had to be terrible, I could be so, so much worse.
Durlain is very fascinating, and we discover him little by little. Cunning, dangerous, calculating, manipulative, snarky, he shows the world only what he wants them to see, yet as time passes, Thraga starts to see past his shields, past the cutting cruel remarks he uses to keep his distance. The prince of many faces carries a lot of trauma and anger and burdens, he’s morally grey for sure, a man with a conscience, but who still would commit murders, betrayals and such if necessary, mostly for those he loves, and he loves his sister (and now Thraga).
‘Of course the sorry bastard should have wanted you because you’re a foul-mouthed little fighter with an unnervingly wicked sense of humour and an absolutely riveting obsession with runes. If he’d had any sense, that would have been all he cared about.’
Another thing LM does amazingly is showing how trauma impacts people and how issues aren’t fixed in a moment (like I said great character work). Thraga OCD is portrayed respectfully and realistically, as is so real the representation of how a toxic relationship shapes the way a person sees themselves, the way they act; I loved all about how LM does that and how Durlain helps Thraga to recognize and pick apart the bullshit her dead lover (patronizing, condescending, controlling, belittling, abusing asshole) convinced her of, and how much he understands and helps with her OCD.
I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.
Another thing done wonderfully is the romance. This is a real slow burn, a reluctant allies who hate and insult each other to lovers where the progression of the relationship is handled so well, and the more the book goes on the more they start to see and understand and admire and respect each other. They share meaningful moments and a real connection forms between them. Durlain tries so hard to fight his feelings and retreat behind his uncaring bastard façade, it’s a constant struggle between them, but Thraga sees him and when push comes to shove, he can’t help but care. He sees how wonderful she is sooner than she sees it herself and helps her see it too, he admires her, respects her, how tough and capable she is, he listens, challenges her, pushes her to be herself. And by the end there’s no doubt whatsoever about how damn much these two have fallen in love. The chemistry between them is great, with really charged scenes (the hottest handholding ever 🥵) and a couple of hot spicy scenes. And the nicknames, my murderous little miracle, brilliant, glorious fool, Thorn of mine!! ❤️
‘Hell have mercy on me, Thraga – do you want the truth? Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.’
I predicted the Durlain deal reveal at 2/3ish of the book, but it landed all the same, it’s heartbreaking. I feel for Durlain and understand he didn’t want that to happen at that point, but my heart brakes for Thraga. The man will have to GROVEL (I can already tell he will, so so much, for her) and I want to see her kick his ass first, make him work for it, and then they have to get together and be a power couple forever ok?
It was not remotely close to all, because the prince of broken hearts had killed for his sister and stolen hellhounds for his sister and betrayed his life’s work for his sister, and yet he would not sacrifice me for her.
P.S. 1-for the next book, could use a map of the world.
2-Honestly what pisses me off the most is what Cimmura does at the end, what she says is right, but she’s doing the worst possible thing.
3-Hope that the Durlain pov in the second to last chapter means we might have some dual pov in the next book.
4-the last sentence, that was a twist!
5-The next book cannot come fast enough and October 2026 is too far away.
The place stank and I thought I heard the scurrying footsteps of rats or mice somewhere far too close. But Durlain Averre looked at me as if I was the answer to every question he’d ever asked, and in the glory of the moment, I couldn’t think of a better place in the world to be.
I knew without a doubt I could trust Lisette Marshall to write a great book and the beginning to what promises to be an amazing new series; having read and loved to pieces the Fea Isles series, my expectations were high, and this book delivered.
Plotwise this is very introductory, it does the groundwork for a compelling series, presenting an interesting story, characters and political messes, there’s some really good action too, but like I said, it prepares the ground a lot.
What shines the most is what I think is LM best: the characters. We are presented with two strongly developed mc, both complex and so interesting, layered, and there’s still so much to discover (and I can’t wait for that).
‘I’ve spent all my adult life doing the bidding of terrible men, you know. I’ve been told to be quiet and to swallow my fear and to play along with games I could only ever lose, and I didn’t even remember I could do better until you made me hold that bloody door. I attacked Belloc yesterday. It was stupid, but I chose to attack Belloc. You gave me that, do you understand? The point I’m trying to make is you’ve already fulfilled your side of the bargain, you fool. You’ve given me so much more than I ever imagined I could bargain for. And yet you’re still trying to help me, the way you’re trying to protect everyone and everything around you all the time, and it’s … I’m so very sorry, Dur. I wish someone had helped you when it counted – that someone could have saved you from becoming what you didn’t want to be.’
Thraga is tough, capable, sassy, wild, but for a long time she didn’t believe these things about herself, only now she’s starting to own them, to be herself, she’s discovering who she is, her strength, her voice, along with us, because for the first time in a long time, she’s free, not just free from a prison, but also free from a partner that closed her in a little box where she had to act how he told her to. I really felt for her and loved watching her find her freedom and she won’t be boxed in again. I can’t wait to see her rage fase; she’s much more dangerous than anyone realizes.
If the world had to be terrible, I could be so, so much worse.
Durlain is very fascinating, and we discover him little by little. Cunning, dangerous, calculating, manipulative, snarky, he shows the world only what he wants them to see, yet as time passes, Thraga starts to see past his shields, past the cutting cruel remarks he uses to keep his distance. The prince of many faces carries a lot of trauma and anger and burdens, he’s morally grey for sure, a man with a conscience, but who still would commit murders, betrayals and such if necessary, mostly for those he loves, and he loves his sister (and now Thraga).
‘Of course the sorry bastard should have wanted you because you’re a foul-mouthed little fighter with an unnervingly wicked sense of humour and an absolutely riveting obsession with runes. If he’d had any sense, that would have been all he cared about.’
Another thing LM does amazingly is showing how trauma impacts people and how issues aren’t fixed in a moment (like I said great character work). Thraga OCD is portrayed respectfully and realistically, as is so real the representation of how a toxic relationship shapes the way a person sees themselves, the way they act; I loved all about how LM does that and how Durlain helps Thraga to recognize and pick apart the bullshit her dead lover (patronizing, condescending, controlling, belittling, abusing asshole) convinced her of, and how much he understands and helps with her OCD.
I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.
Another thing done wonderfully is the romance. This is a real slow burn, a reluctant allies who hate and insult each other to lovers where the progression of the relationship is handled so well, and the more the book goes on the more they start to see and understand and admire and respect each other. They share meaningful moments and a real connection forms between them. Durlain tries so hard to fight his feelings and retreat behind his uncaring bastard façade, it’s a constant struggle between them, but Thraga sees him and when push comes to shove, he can’t help but care. He sees how wonderful she is sooner than she sees it herself and helps her see it too, he admires her, respects her, how tough and capable she is, he listens, challenges her, pushes her to be herself. And by the end there’s no doubt whatsoever about how damn much these two have fallen in love. The chemistry between them is great, with really charged scenes (the hottest handholding ever 🥵) and a couple of hot spicy scenes. And the nicknames, my murderous little miracle, brilliant, glorious fool, Thorn of mine!! ❤️
‘Hell have mercy on me, Thraga – do you want the truth? Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.’
I predicted the Durlain deal reveal at 2/3ish of the book, but it landed all the same, it’s heartbreaking. I feel for Durlain and understand he didn’t want that to happen at that point, but my heart brakes for Thraga. The man will have to GROVEL (I can already tell he will, so so much, for her) and I want to see her kick his ass first, make him work for it, and then they have to get together and be a power couple forever ok?
It was not remotely close to all, because the prince of broken hearts had killed for his sister and stolen hellhounds for his sister and betrayed his life’s work for his sister, and yet he would not sacrifice me for her.
P.S. 1-for the next book, could use a map of the world.
2-Honestly what pisses me off the most is what Cimmura does at the end, what she says is right, but she’s doing the worst possible thing.
3-Hope that the Durlain pov in the second to last chapter means we might have some dual pov in the next book.
4-the last sentence, that was a twist!
5-The next book cannot come fast enough and October 2026 is too far away.
The place stank and I thought I heard the scurrying footsteps of rats or mice somewhere far too close. But Durlain Averre looked at me as if I was the answer to every question he’d ever asked, and in the glory of the moment, I couldn’t think of a better place in the world to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2025
consider me textbook agog, bc WTF!!!!!!
this ending was completely insane, plot twist after plot twist. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK
the fmc is so me, dealing with ocd and the comfort of her own mental cage. however, she’s also a huge bad ass and i loved her.
the mmc is SO BROODY AND MEAN AND I LOVE HIM!!!! he’s sarcastic, and also can’t help but tell the truth. he also calls her “thorn of mine”, that’s now my fav pet name in a book ever.
the world was awesome, the plot was so good and i’m obsessed. so. TAKE ALL MY STARS!!!! 5 million!! ✨
this ending was completely insane, plot twist after plot twist. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK
the fmc is so me, dealing with ocd and the comfort of her own mental cage. however, she’s also a huge bad ass and i loved her.
the mmc is SO BROODY AND MEAN AND I LOVE HIM!!!! he’s sarcastic, and also can’t help but tell the truth. he also calls her “thorn of mine”, that’s now my fav pet name in a book ever.
the world was awesome, the plot was so good and i’m obsessed. so. TAKE ALL MY STARS!!!! 5 million!! ✨
December 31, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ — Thank you Lisette Marshall for making me one of your ARC readers 🖤🔥 ; provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.
I am speechless & empty.
This wasn’t just a simple cliffhanger. It was a “let me slowly peel the layers of your lungs out of your chest while you watch paralyzed” type of cliffhanger 😭 I feel like the fall as much as the shock is everlasting. You’re warned…
(You can find a quick rating overview & list of tropes at the very bottom if you don’t feel like reading a full review.)
This book is such a refreshing take on the genre! It was my first dip into necromancy & only my second into rune witches 🖤
I found the magic system absolutely brilliant, the world building intriguing, and the visuals truly breathtaking!
From the vicious displays of powers, to the eerie & otherworldly environments and finally the surprising & infuriating interactions, everything was so well thought out and beautifully detailed that it felt like you were right there walking along the characters through it all ✨
Durlain’s story is so horrifically gruesome & tragic, and so of course he is an insufferable *string of ridiculously creative and nasty expletives I will let you discover in the book because they were just so much fun*.
And while his appearance is very far from your typical gorgeous broody magical being, he is and sounds scary hot 🫣🤭 I didn’t expect an eyepatched, horned & scarred necromancer would be my type but guess there’s always room for more firsts 👹
The juxtaposition of his fire wielding powers with the glacial death elements was such a beautiful contradiction.
Thraga is an OCD & anxiety rep, and as someone who has dealt with both of those, I felt that so fucking deep in my bones I wanted to cry.
Seeing her come to the realizations she did throughout the book, both on her own and with Durlain’s help was both frustrating & exhilarating 🔥 I love a good female rage awakening story and this one was truly delightful!
That newfound freedom showed up in just about every aspect of her self, and witnessing her break the bars of the cage she’d been unknowingly holding onto for so long had my heart squeezing impossibly tight 🥹
This book is the TRUE definition of a SLOW BURN. Both in terms of the MC’s relationship, as well as the storyline.
This story will have you in a constant state of almost anxious, almost scared. Anticipation crawling through you like thick sludge at every turn of the page. Before it will ultimately WRECK YOU.
The plot is steady with some intense moments of chaos sprinkled here and there for a good 60ish percent of the book, but once it picks up… you’ll have to put your kindle down at every chapter.
Because when shit hits the proverbial fan (MULTIPLE TIMES), let me tell you I was stunned. Which is a feat in and of itself as I can smell a freaking plot-twist ages before it happens.
You will get hammered & beaten down every time you come up for air. And you will end this read speechless & stripped of your ability to feel anything other than quiet numbed despair 💔
As for the dynamics : this is how you write a REAL ENEMIES TO LOVERS story 👹
If it were not for absolute necessity, these two would have taken the first chance they could get to off the other. No second thoughts. No remorse. And probably with a big fat vicious smile plastered across their face.
And even through their unfortunately shared endeavour, they did not mince words, did not do or say things to placate or soothe each other. They spit their venom, pushed & prodded, and only intervened in the most dire of circumstances. Only when it served their own personal needs. Until well, the tides ultimately shifted…
The SLOW BURN was so slow it felt like moving sands. And just as I thought I would drown in them, a gentle hand held my own, slowly pulling me into a daze of want & need making me think we were finally there 😌
ONLY TO PLUNGE ME RIGHT BACK INTO AN ICY BATH OF NOTHING (and dirty dirty thoughts)!!!!
And then it would happen, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN 😭
But once those two finally let go of their silly little convictions and whatever other bland excuses they tried to hold on to, MY OH MY was that some scrumptiously written spice 🥵 worth every goddamn minute of agony & taunting!
But more than that it was the hard conversations between them that both broke & remade my heart & soul 😭
The amount of highlighting I did in this book is INSANE. I’m not talking phrases or paragraphs but FULL ON PAGES.
The quiet but mounting defiance clashing with the loud unforgiving realizations that nothing is as it seems, and maybe it’s actually a good thing despite the agony of it.
This book held some of my favorite tough but equally gentle conversations EVER, and also had such incredible venom spewing & banter, that everyone else just NEEDS to experience!!!
The writing is both exquisite and so so witty!!
The construction of it and the choice of vocabulary was different & fresh and made the read so much more enjoyable and impactful than your regular run of the mill romantasy, while still being super easy to read and follow!
I also ADORED the choices the author made in terms of names, not your usual lilt-y delicate obviously magically charged names, but otherworldly, a little rough around the edges & quietly powerful instead!
And of course I couldn’t finish this reviews without mentioning her choice of words and expressions for both insults & terms of endearment, because they were bloody brilliant! Hilarious, biting and crude 👹 someone after my own heart!!
I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED about the rest of the series because I KNOW this is about to be one of my all time favourites.
•••
OVERVIEW :
Rating ⭐ 4.5/5
Tension 🔥 4/5
Spice 🌶️ 2/5
Emotional Damage 💀 5/5
🖤 REAL enemies to lovers
🔥 Rune Witch x Necromancer
🖤 Forced proximity
🔥 Female Rage Awakening
🖤 OCD & anxiety rep
🔥 Deadly quest meets Court intrigue
🖤 Jarring juxtapositions
🔥 SLOWEST FREAKING BURN EVER (but worth every agonizing second)
🖤 Reluctant allies on the run
🔥 Touch her and die (eventually)
🖤 Scary hot insufferable cold hearted & murderous MMC
🔥 Unassumingly deadly but equally terrified & sharp tongued FMC
🖤 Slow start > Epic end
🔥 Just so so so much pain everywhere
🖤 Fresh take on the genre
🔥 Fascinating magic system & world building
🖤 Betrayal galore
🔥 Equal parts venom & banter
🖤 Exquisite tension
🔥 Cliffhanger that will leave you speechless & empty
I am speechless & empty.
This wasn’t just a simple cliffhanger. It was a “let me slowly peel the layers of your lungs out of your chest while you watch paralyzed” type of cliffhanger 😭 I feel like the fall as much as the shock is everlasting. You’re warned…
(You can find a quick rating overview & list of tropes at the very bottom if you don’t feel like reading a full review.)
This book is such a refreshing take on the genre! It was my first dip into necromancy & only my second into rune witches 🖤
I found the magic system absolutely brilliant, the world building intriguing, and the visuals truly breathtaking!
From the vicious displays of powers, to the eerie & otherworldly environments and finally the surprising & infuriating interactions, everything was so well thought out and beautifully detailed that it felt like you were right there walking along the characters through it all ✨
Durlain’s story is so horrifically gruesome & tragic, and so of course he is an insufferable *string of ridiculously creative and nasty expletives I will let you discover in the book because they were just so much fun*.
And while his appearance is very far from your typical gorgeous broody magical being, he is and sounds scary hot 🫣🤭 I didn’t expect an eyepatched, horned & scarred necromancer would be my type but guess there’s always room for more firsts 👹
The juxtaposition of his fire wielding powers with the glacial death elements was such a beautiful contradiction.
Thraga is an OCD & anxiety rep, and as someone who has dealt with both of those, I felt that so fucking deep in my bones I wanted to cry.
Seeing her come to the realizations she did throughout the book, both on her own and with Durlain’s help was both frustrating & exhilarating 🔥 I love a good female rage awakening story and this one was truly delightful!
That newfound freedom showed up in just about every aspect of her self, and witnessing her break the bars of the cage she’d been unknowingly holding onto for so long had my heart squeezing impossibly tight 🥹
This book is the TRUE definition of a SLOW BURN. Both in terms of the MC’s relationship, as well as the storyline.
This story will have you in a constant state of almost anxious, almost scared. Anticipation crawling through you like thick sludge at every turn of the page. Before it will ultimately WRECK YOU.
The plot is steady with some intense moments of chaos sprinkled here and there for a good 60ish percent of the book, but once it picks up… you’ll have to put your kindle down at every chapter.
Because when shit hits the proverbial fan (MULTIPLE TIMES), let me tell you I was stunned. Which is a feat in and of itself as I can smell a freaking plot-twist ages before it happens.
You will get hammered & beaten down every time you come up for air. And you will end this read speechless & stripped of your ability to feel anything other than quiet numbed despair 💔
As for the dynamics : this is how you write a REAL ENEMIES TO LOVERS story 👹
If it were not for absolute necessity, these two would have taken the first chance they could get to off the other. No second thoughts. No remorse. And probably with a big fat vicious smile plastered across their face.
And even through their unfortunately shared endeavour, they did not mince words, did not do or say things to placate or soothe each other. They spit their venom, pushed & prodded, and only intervened in the most dire of circumstances. Only when it served their own personal needs. Until well, the tides ultimately shifted…
The SLOW BURN was so slow it felt like moving sands. And just as I thought I would drown in them, a gentle hand held my own, slowly pulling me into a daze of want & need making me think we were finally there 😌
ONLY TO PLUNGE ME RIGHT BACK INTO AN ICY BATH OF NOTHING (and dirty dirty thoughts)!!!!
And then it would happen, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN 😭
But once those two finally let go of their silly little convictions and whatever other bland excuses they tried to hold on to, MY OH MY was that some scrumptiously written spice 🥵 worth every goddamn minute of agony & taunting!
But more than that it was the hard conversations between them that both broke & remade my heart & soul 😭
The amount of highlighting I did in this book is INSANE. I’m not talking phrases or paragraphs but FULL ON PAGES.
The quiet but mounting defiance clashing with the loud unforgiving realizations that nothing is as it seems, and maybe it’s actually a good thing despite the agony of it.
This book held some of my favorite tough but equally gentle conversations EVER, and also had such incredible venom spewing & banter, that everyone else just NEEDS to experience!!!
The writing is both exquisite and so so witty!!
The construction of it and the choice of vocabulary was different & fresh and made the read so much more enjoyable and impactful than your regular run of the mill romantasy, while still being super easy to read and follow!
I also ADORED the choices the author made in terms of names, not your usual lilt-y delicate obviously magically charged names, but otherworldly, a little rough around the edges & quietly powerful instead!
And of course I couldn’t finish this reviews without mentioning her choice of words and expressions for both insults & terms of endearment, because they were bloody brilliant! Hilarious, biting and crude 👹 someone after my own heart!!
I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED about the rest of the series because I KNOW this is about to be one of my all time favourites.
•••
OVERVIEW :
Rating ⭐ 4.5/5
Tension 🔥 4/5
Spice 🌶️ 2/5
Emotional Damage 💀 5/5
🖤 REAL enemies to lovers
🔥 Rune Witch x Necromancer
🖤 Forced proximity
🔥 Female Rage Awakening
🖤 OCD & anxiety rep
🔥 Deadly quest meets Court intrigue
🖤 Jarring juxtapositions
🔥 SLOWEST FREAKING BURN EVER (but worth every agonizing second)
🖤 Reluctant allies on the run
🔥 Touch her and die (eventually)
🖤 Scary hot insufferable cold hearted & murderous MMC
🔥 Unassumingly deadly but equally terrified & sharp tongued FMC
🖤 Slow start > Epic end
🔥 Just so so so much pain everywhere
🖤 Fresh take on the genre
🔥 Fascinating magic system & world building
🖤 Betrayal galore
🔥 Equal parts venom & banter
🖤 Exquisite tension
🔥 Cliffhanger that will leave you speechless & empty
April 8, 2026
4.75☆ 💜 🗡️ ⋆˙⟡♡𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅♡⟡˙⋆
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱-𝓜𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 (ʀᴜɴᴇᴡɪᴛᴄʜ sᴀɢᴀ #𝟷)
⋘ 𝙰𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎, 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚙 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 ⋙
𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 off the OCD rep in this 👏🏻👏🏻
𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 witch x necromancer absolutely 🙂↕️
𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 the BANTER *𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘧’𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴*
i really enjoyed the magic system in this book especially the runes ᛏ ᛗ ᛈ
the plot now!! it was cooking. some of the reveals we get… that ending… jaw on the floor
i loved our main characters from the start to finish. their dynamic, the slow burn oh my god!!! 😩🧎🏻♀️
𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣 the 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓈. our tortured soul. we get crumbs of his past throughout this book and well pain!! i love that he is constantly challenging 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙖 and pushing her to believe in herself and what she is capable of. he might have an unorthodox way of doing it hehe but it works 😆 also his soft spot for 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙖 >>>
જ⁀➴ 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 ꫂ ၴႅၴ⟡˙⋆
watching 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙖 discover herself on this journey was everything 🫶🏻 going from this insecure girl afraid of the world to a confident queen YES GIRL YES!
➵ “ℬ𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝑒’𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈, 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓃’𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊? ℰ𝓍𝒸𝑒𝓅𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓃𝑜 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝓇𝑒𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒, 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓈𝑜” ➴
one of my fav parts of this book was when he does her hair and AHHHH my heart!!! top tier trope
also fuck lark!! all my homies hate lark!
all and all loved this one, a great start to a series. will be counting down the days until book 2!!!!
⋅•⋅ 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝘈 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙚 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳-𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝒶𝓌 𝓂𝑒, 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓯𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓱 ⋅•⋅
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱-𝓜𝓪𝓭𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓮 (ʀᴜɴᴇᴡɪᴛᴄʜ sᴀɢᴀ #𝟷)
⋘ 𝙰𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎, 𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎. 𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚙 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 ⋙
𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 off the OCD rep in this 👏🏻👏🏻
𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 witch x necromancer absolutely 🙂↕️
𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 the BANTER *𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘧’𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴*
i really enjoyed the magic system in this book especially the runes ᛏ ᛗ ᛈ
the plot now!! it was cooking. some of the reveals we get… that ending… jaw on the floor
i loved our main characters from the start to finish. their dynamic, the slow burn oh my god!!! 😩🧎🏻♀️
𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣 the 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝒻𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓈. our tortured soul. we get crumbs of his past throughout this book and well pain!! i love that he is constantly challenging 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙖 and pushing her to believe in herself and what she is capable of. he might have an unorthodox way of doing it hehe but it works 😆 also his soft spot for 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙖 >>>
જ⁀➴ 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 ꫂ ၴႅၴ⟡˙⋆
watching 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙖 discover herself on this journey was everything 🫶🏻 going from this insecure girl afraid of the world to a confident queen YES GIRL YES!
➵ “ℬ𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓋𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝒾𝑒𝓋𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝑒’𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈, 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓃’𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊? ℰ𝓍𝒸𝑒𝓅𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓃𝑜 𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝓇𝑒𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒, 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝒹𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂 𝓈𝑜” ➴
one of my fav parts of this book was when he does her hair and AHHHH my heart!!! top tier trope
also fuck lark!! all my homies hate lark!
all and all loved this one, a great start to a series. will be counting down the days until book 2!!!!
⋅•⋅ 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵, 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝘈 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙚 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳-𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝑜𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓉 𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝒶𝓌 𝓂𝑒, 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓯𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓬𝓱 ⋅•⋅
June 16, 2026
╭─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─╮
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇-𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄
– Lisette Marshall
★★★★★
╰─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─╯
🎵 “Cosmic Love” – Florence + The Machine
✧ 𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 ✧ 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 ✧ 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒌𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒆 ✧ 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 & 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 ✧ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 ✧
𓍢ִ໋🌙 𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𓍢ִ໋🌙
I am so utterly gagged by the end of this book that grammar and spelling officially left my body. (iykyk)
Lisette Marshall writes dialogue that is so sharp, so addictive, that I physically could not put this book down until I finished it. I fully devoured it in one sitting.
Was the magic system slightly confusing? Did I confidently know what half the worldbuilding terms meant? Absolutely not. Honestly, who cares. I understood maybe 12% of it on a good day and survived purely on vibes, tension, and the horned man. No regrets whatsoever.
This book dragged me straight out of a reading slump and had me kicking my feet. It’s such an underrated gem. By the end, I was fully convinced Lisette Marshall is going straight onto my favourite authors list. I was locked in from start to finish.
★ “Because that’s the thing, isn’t it? As long as you’re happy to stay inside, a cage just feels like a home. It’s only when you want to step out that you start to see the bars for what they are.” ★
✦ 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐀 ⋆˚🕊️
I LOVE HER. The OCD representation was handled so beautifully woven naturally into her character and story without ever feeling exaggerated or performative. It genuinely hit me hard in the best way.
Thraga is intelligent, resilient even at her lowest, and genuinely hilarious in a way that kept her POV completely engaging. Watching her slowly unlearn the emotional manipulation from her ex and reclaim her sense of self was incredibly satisfying.
★ “If you fight, they will hurt you worse.” ★ -> ex.
★ “If you fight back, they’re dead.” ★ -> Derlain 😻
✦ 𝐃U𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 ⋆˚🌑
Durlain is my newest book boyfriend and I am not accepting applications for competition. A tall, one-eyed, horned necromancer with an eyepatch who casually calls her “good girl”? I didn’t know whether to punch him or fall to my knees, but let’s be honest, I chose chaos.
I was sceptical of his sarcasm at first, but underneath it is the most devastatingly layered, tortured soul. He does terrible things for good reasons and pretends he’s emotionally unavailable until the cracks start to show. The way he respects her autonomy and lets her grow into her own strength? Unreal.
★ “You’re a rune witch. You’ve got enough blades on you to arm an orphanage. Go hold the fucking door.” ★
I was actually screaming laughing. He is completely unhinged, but his loyalty is next level. And the banter? Insane.
★ “His glare was so withering, even his eyepatch seemed to participate in it.” ★
✦ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 ⋆˚🖤
Calling this just “romance” feels way too soft for them. The romance alone deserves five stars. The slow progression from reluctant allies bound by a bargain to something so much deeper was handled perfectly.
It’s a patient, quiet slow burn built on small moments, emotional honesty, and learning how to heal each other without forcing it.
The yearning is INSANE. He remembers everything she says. He calls her “thorn of mine” without ever making it feel repetitive or performative. And then he casually drops lines like this
★ “Do you really need me to spell it out? Yes, I’m lusting after you like a hell-cursed fool. Because if you insist, the rather humbling truth is I haven’t been able to think straight about you since.” ★
I need a Durlain in real life immediately. Horns optional. (Actually… not optional.)
✦ 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓 & 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 ⋆˚📜
The plot is very character-driven with just the right amount of political intrigue woven in. The worldbuilding and rune magic are rich, but at times a bit overwhelming, especially since Thraga doesn’t fully engage with it until later on.
If you’re here for character depth and heavy romance over complex political systems, this is perfection.
And that ending? That twist? Absolutely criminal. I am still not okay.
✦ 𝐂𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 ⋆˚🫶
Girl. I am watching you VERY closely in the next book. Do not play with me.
✦ 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 ⋆˚⭐
★★★★★
This book delivered on every single level, banter, tension, emotional depth, and absolute chaos in the final stretch.
The ending was satisfying, but that cliffhanger left me in a state of emergency. I genuinely need the next book NOWW. I already know we are about to witness some unhinged grovelling and I am seated 😌
★ “If you ever allow anyone to put you in a cell again, you magnificent creature, there will be words.” ★
✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇-𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄
– Lisette Marshall
★★★★★
╰─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─╯
🎵 “Cosmic Love” – Florence + The Machine
✧ 𝒓𝒖𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 ✧ 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 ✧ 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒄𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒌𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒆 ✧ 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 & 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆 ✧ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 ✧
𓍢ִ໋🌙 𝐌𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𓍢ִ໋🌙
I am so utterly gagged by the end of this book that grammar and spelling officially left my body. (iykyk)
Lisette Marshall writes dialogue that is so sharp, so addictive, that I physically could not put this book down until I finished it. I fully devoured it in one sitting.
Was the magic system slightly confusing? Did I confidently know what half the worldbuilding terms meant? Absolutely not. Honestly, who cares. I understood maybe 12% of it on a good day and survived purely on vibes, tension, and the horned man. No regrets whatsoever.
This book dragged me straight out of a reading slump and had me kicking my feet. It’s such an underrated gem. By the end, I was fully convinced Lisette Marshall is going straight onto my favourite authors list. I was locked in from start to finish.
★ “Because that’s the thing, isn’t it? As long as you’re happy to stay inside, a cage just feels like a home. It’s only when you want to step out that you start to see the bars for what they are.” ★
✦ 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐀 ⋆˚🕊️
I LOVE HER. The OCD representation was handled so beautifully woven naturally into her character and story without ever feeling exaggerated or performative. It genuinely hit me hard in the best way.
Thraga is intelligent, resilient even at her lowest, and genuinely hilarious in a way that kept her POV completely engaging. Watching her slowly unlearn the emotional manipulation from her ex and reclaim her sense of self was incredibly satisfying.
★ “If you fight, they will hurt you worse.” ★ -> ex.
★ “If you fight back, they’re dead.” ★ -> Derlain 😻
✦ 𝐃U𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍 ⋆˚🌑
Durlain is my newest book boyfriend and I am not accepting applications for competition. A tall, one-eyed, horned necromancer with an eyepatch who casually calls her “good girl”? I didn’t know whether to punch him or fall to my knees, but let’s be honest, I chose chaos.
I was sceptical of his sarcasm at first, but underneath it is the most devastatingly layered, tortured soul. He does terrible things for good reasons and pretends he’s emotionally unavailable until the cracks start to show. The way he respects her autonomy and lets her grow into her own strength? Unreal.
★ “You’re a rune witch. You’ve got enough blades on you to arm an orphanage. Go hold the fucking door.” ★
I was actually screaming laughing. He is completely unhinged, but his loyalty is next level. And the banter? Insane.
★ “His glare was so withering, even his eyepatch seemed to participate in it.” ★
✦ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 ⋆˚🖤
Calling this just “romance” feels way too soft for them. The romance alone deserves five stars. The slow progression from reluctant allies bound by a bargain to something so much deeper was handled perfectly.
It’s a patient, quiet slow burn built on small moments, emotional honesty, and learning how to heal each other without forcing it.
The yearning is INSANE. He remembers everything she says. He calls her “thorn of mine” without ever making it feel repetitive or performative. And then he casually drops lines like this
★ “Do you really need me to spell it out? Yes, I’m lusting after you like a hell-cursed fool. Because if you insist, the rather humbling truth is I haven’t been able to think straight about you since.” ★
I need a Durlain in real life immediately. Horns optional. (Actually… not optional.)
✦ 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓 & 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 ⋆˚📜
The plot is very character-driven with just the right amount of political intrigue woven in. The worldbuilding and rune magic are rich, but at times a bit overwhelming, especially since Thraga doesn’t fully engage with it until later on.
If you’re here for character depth and heavy romance over complex political systems, this is perfection.
And that ending? That twist? Absolutely criminal. I am still not okay.
✦ 𝐂𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 ⋆˚🫶
Girl. I am watching you VERY closely in the next book. Do not play with me.
✦ 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 ⋆˚⭐
★★★★★
This book delivered on every single level, banter, tension, emotional depth, and absolute chaos in the final stretch.
The ending was satisfying, but that cliffhanger left me in a state of emergency. I genuinely need the next book NOWW. I already know we are about to witness some unhinged grovelling and I am seated 😌
★ “If you ever allow anyone to put you in a cell again, you magnificent creature, there will be words.” ★
✩‧₊˚౨ৎ˚₊✩‧₊
June 8, 2026
‘because that’s the thing, isn’t it? as long as you’re happy to stay inside, a cage just feels like a home. it’s only when you want to step out that you start to see the bars for what they are.’
lisette marshall is one of my favourite authors. she wrote the series that reintroduced me to the joys of reading, with most of my appreciation influenced by her undeniable talent in weaving together an intricate narrative. her writing isn’t convoluted; it’s lush with rich detail, charming characters and entertaining dialogue that amounts to something engaging and riveting. nothing then would’ve hindered me from devouring the death-made prince. lisette marshall selected well-loved romantasy tropes with careful deliberation—ones that complement each other well—and she utilised them with utmost finesse. she’s delivered a romantasy new and refreshing, accompanied by various magic systems based around nordic runes; the classic element of fire, wielded by fireborn nobles; and the cold mists derived from hell itself, an indicator of necromantic power.
a brilliant and exciting introduction to lisette marshall’s newest series, the runewitch saga, the death-made prince creates a compelling foundation for the overarching journey our leading characters embark on. granting us with riveting adventures and untamed environments, the death-made prince is character driven with abundant allure and structure that doesn’t detract from detailed world-building and immersive settings. this book is, without doubt, artfully balanced. thraga and durlain’s travels across the various kingdoms unveils the wider world, but also reveals more of themselves in greater detail as they traverse foreign terrain, and escape nefarious, twisted enemies manoeuvring a political battlefield with cunning tactics as careful allies.
it was equal parts thrilling and unnerving, to observe myself turning into this person i didn’t know in the slightest - some reckless creature flirting with darkness for nothing but the fun of it.
♡ thraga gunnsdottir
thraga’s an interesting character; a multi-faceted woman built on intricacies, morally complex decisions and tangible grief. the death-made prince follows an overarching long-plot, but there’s an undeniable quiet focus on thraga’s journey of growth, of her learning to overcome unfathomable self-doubt—the foundations of it constructed through subtle biting remarks from her dead lover—and shattering the figurative bars of her cage. her strengthening resolve is an excellent characterisation of her combined formidable and fragile nature, and watching her embrace herself, all flaws and feminine rage, was such a warming experience.
the prince of many faces, they called him at the estiën court. the prince of broken hearts.
♡ durlain averre
cold and aloof, oftentimes hiding behind withering comments but underneath his casual, blistering attitude is someone who’s warm and caring. that is durlain averre, a noble fireborn who has suffered from severe trauma and bitter torture at the hands of his own brothers he transformed into someone who’s death-made, a necromancer who utilises the mists of the underworld itself. the man’s blunt and sarcastic with a scathing tone; cunning and dangerous with shrewd tactics and cutting, sometimes harsh comments, but during his travels with thraga, we discover there’s more to this man’s character. he shows subtle affections and charming kindness in his interactions with thraga. durlain learned hair-braiding for his sister—if that isn’t the sweetest ever—and made a concerted effort to braid thraga’s hair. i love male characters who use actions to show affection and durlain reinforces that statement.
‘feel equally free to tell me to go to hell,’ he said, voice just a little rough. ‘but if you insist on the truth - i could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.’
♡ durlain averre + thraga gunnsdottir
i love a true slow burn romance that does burn slow as it unravels. i’m a firm believer that a real slow burn allows us time to appreciate the growing affections between the characters, especially when they don’t like each other much, allowing us opportunities to cherish the budding romance more. we were afforded that. that slow crawl from casual wariness, to hesitant allies, to awe and adoration was worth all of the moments that reached the inevitable. the mutual disdain and unease shared between thraga and durlain, who formed a reluctant alliance to achieve their certain goals, was made better from the incessant bickering and taunting they traded. durlain challenged albeit encouraged thraga to view herself with self-acceptance; thraga somehow managed to soften durlain’s hardened exterior to allow himself an opportunity to be vulnerable, even for just a moment. the innocent handholding shouldn’t have contained as much heat and tension as it did, but somehow lisette marshall made something so innocuous feel thoroughly sinful.
something that made this book different is the tactful approach lisette marshall took to portraying thraga’s obsessive compulsive disorder (ocd). it’s handled with realism and through thraga’s experiences with a condescending and deceased lover, we traverse the effects of trauma and the sheer power it has at influencing our personal opinions of ourselves. it laid down thraga’s character arc and was a focal detail for illustrating her behaviours, internal thoughts and feelings. i love (and appreciate) how lisette marshall allowed durlain to coax thraga into recognising her trauma and, in subtle ways, encouraged thraga to overcome her self-doubts. forget, “she’s mine” and instead embrace durlain’s, “she’s entirely her own.” thraga’s newfound freedom will be something so exciting and exhilarating to witness in the next books.
the elements of the death-made prince created a seamless blend of action, adventure and romance—an ideal combination that i love more than all else in my fantasies—where combat scenes and devious tactics to infiltrate certain kingdoms, combined with adventurous moments, are detailed and riveting; where romance burns and the tension between thraga and durlain is able to be felt in their exchanges. i know i mention i’m excited for series’ continuations more often than not, but the next book in the runewitch saga, the thorn-marked witch, is one that i’m going to be ravenous to devour!
────────────────────
˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
if there’s an author i’m able to trust to bring me back into reading, it’s lisette marshall. she was, after all, the author who wrote the fae isles series and that made me love romantasy and reading again.
a massive thank you to lisette marshall and behind the pages pa for the gifted e-arc.
follow me on: instagram
May 18, 2026
*4.5 - THIS IS HOW YOU SLOW BURNNNN 👏❤️🔥 An impeccable enemies to lovers, so slow I almost DNF’d and wasn’t entirely convinced they would actually get there.… but once I hit 30%, holy moly I was obsessed.
Thraga's foul mouth and hilarious one liners had me cacklinggg 👏 go off queen.
Durlain?! This man puts the horns in horny 😈 but the way he spoke to Thraga had me feral.
Some of my fav quotes from him:
- ‘Oh, don’t you dare beg, thorn of mine’
- ‘I care about you, you impossible creature’
- 'I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you’
- 'My perfect, precious thorn’
- ‘My murderous little miracle’
Don't get me started on the plot twist… just gimme book 2 RIGHT NOW.
Thraga's foul mouth and hilarious one liners had me cacklinggg 👏 go off queen.
Durlain?! This man puts the horns in horny 😈 but the way he spoke to Thraga had me feral.
Some of my fav quotes from him:
- ‘Oh, don’t you dare beg, thorn of mine’
- ‘I care about you, you impossible creature’
- 'I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you’
- 'My perfect, precious thorn’
- ‘My murderous little miracle’
Don't get me started on the plot twist… just gimme book 2 RIGHT NOW.
December 29, 2025
This is so under hyped it actually hurts! 🔥Definitely one of the top, if not the best Romantasy i’ve read this year and I’ve read over 125 books so far!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌶️
Lisette Marshall where have you been hiding because WOW that was some incredible writing! I will definitely be reading your back log awaiting this continuation!
This book had everything I look for in a Fantasy Romance! Great world building without being overwhelming. Fabulous detailed writing! Amazing characters with substantial depth. Emotional trauma that strangles the heart. Beautiful character development. A unique awesome magic system. A Heart wrenching slow burn the builds flawlessly.♥️ Pacing that left me eager for more and a love story to root for……but an ending that might break your heart! 😩
I was entertained all the way though. The way these two characters complement each other was beautifully done! This had so much action and adventure throughout, but also had the perfect amount of detail and depth to keep you turning the page. If you’re looking for your new romantasy obsession, this might just be it! The witty banter between these two, chefs kiss! 💋
I cannot wait to see where this goes in book two! That cliffhanger was rough. And that plot twist at the end??? 😮💨😫😉
Quote: “Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.”
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌶️
Lisette Marshall where have you been hiding because WOW that was some incredible writing! I will definitely be reading your back log awaiting this continuation!
This book had everything I look for in a Fantasy Romance! Great world building without being overwhelming. Fabulous detailed writing! Amazing characters with substantial depth. Emotional trauma that strangles the heart. Beautiful character development. A unique awesome magic system. A Heart wrenching slow burn the builds flawlessly.♥️ Pacing that left me eager for more and a love story to root for……but an ending that might break your heart! 😩
I was entertained all the way though. The way these two characters complement each other was beautifully done! This had so much action and adventure throughout, but also had the perfect amount of detail and depth to keep you turning the page. If you’re looking for your new romantasy obsession, this might just be it! The witty banter between these two, chefs kiss! 💋
I cannot wait to see where this goes in book two! That cliffhanger was rough. And that plot twist at the end??? 😮💨😫😉
Quote: “Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.”
June 19, 2026
4.25⭐️This definitely met all of my expectations!!
Our FMC, Thraga, struggles with anxiety and OCD as a result of enduring years of a psychologically manipulative and emotionally abusive bastard. The mental health representation was incredibly authentic and well-executed. You can practically feel her anxieties, insecurities, and self-doubts.
The slow-burn romance between Thraga and Durlain was UTTER PERFECTION. While I wasn't initially sold on Durian, by the 30% mark I was completely obsessed. His patience, understanding, and unwavering support as Thraga navigated her compulsions and began rebuilding her confidence made their relationship so rewarding to watch unfold.
This isn't just a Romantasy novel. It’s an emotional journey about a woman reclaiming her identity after psychological abuse and slowly breaking free from the control and lies that have been ingrained in her for so long. This book proves that you don't need intricate world-building or nonstop action to create a compelling (and super addictive) story.
And although I predicted the ending, it still felt like a punch to the gut. The next book cannot come fast enough!!
Our FMC, Thraga, struggles with anxiety and OCD as a result of enduring years of a psychologically manipulative and emotionally abusive bastard. The mental health representation was incredibly authentic and well-executed. You can practically feel her anxieties, insecurities, and self-doubts.
The slow-burn romance between Thraga and Durlain was UTTER PERFECTION. While I wasn't initially sold on Durian, by the 30% mark I was completely obsessed. His patience, understanding, and unwavering support as Thraga navigated her compulsions and began rebuilding her confidence made their relationship so rewarding to watch unfold.
This isn't just a Romantasy novel. It’s an emotional journey about a woman reclaiming her identity after psychological abuse and slowly breaking free from the control and lies that have been ingrained in her for so long. This book proves that you don't need intricate world-building or nonstop action to create a compelling (and super addictive) story.
And although I predicted the ending, it still felt like a punch to the gut. The next book cannot come fast enough!!
June 6, 2026
This is how villains are MADE. Holy moly... no notes.
December 8, 2025
you’d think a man with horns and an eyepatch would struggle having so many fake identities
June 22, 2026
DNF at 17%. The OCD representation was annoying (no offense to those with OCD but I don’t want to read about her repetitively checking for knives).
December 7, 2025
The Death-Made Prince is one of the few books that I refused to put down until I finished, and even then, it was hard to let go. I found the dynamic between Thraga and Durlain addicting, and I was wholeheartedly invested in their relationship. If anything is better than a complex and struggling character, it’s two. And seeing them as reluctant allies forged by a bargain was utterly riveting. They had no business making me laugh and kick my feet all giddy over every interaction. For that reason, I didn’t mind that the plot and world building felt slightly lacking in some areas.
The romance alone was five out of five stars, although the term romance feels too frolicsome to define Thraga and Durlain's relationship. Thraga’s past shapes her disposition, and although I don’t gravitate toward main characters with exes, it’s a huge focal point in her character arc and was necessary for the story to play out the way it did. It was a fantastic usage of exemplifying the depth of Thraga’s behaviors and internal thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women can relate to her in that capacity of being silenced or made to feel powerless or caged without realizing it.
Enter Durlain, who threatens those beliefs by giving her room to show her capabilities and strengths, treating her more than. Forget “she’s mine” and listen to Durlain when he says, “she’s entirely her own.”
As for Durlain’s own struggles, I will always love the characters who do bad things for good reasons, especially characters who perfected the craft of convincing the world they don’t have feelings or care about anyone until they meet their love interest and that mask starts slipping. But this trait is not without reason, and Durlain has enough trauma that explains why he built barriers around himself.
The plot is constructed around these characters' wants, as they strike a bargain to help each other achieve their goals. With a majority of the story taking place on the road, some parts felt repetitive, but there was enough action to keep me engaged. And I definitely didn’t mind spending a lot of time watching Thraga and Durlain slowly let their defenses down for each other and challenge one another.
The magic was fun but nothing remarkable. Thraga’s a witch, but because of circumstances, she refrains from using it often until toward the end. Her OCD representation was handled very well. There’s political intrigue, but I would recommend this to readers who want to see more romance than the goings-on inside of kingdoms. After the cliffhanger, I’m desperate to see what’s next for these characters. I know there’s so much more in store for them.
The romance alone was five out of five stars, although the term romance feels too frolicsome to define Thraga and Durlain's relationship. Thraga’s past shapes her disposition, and although I don’t gravitate toward main characters with exes, it’s a huge focal point in her character arc and was necessary for the story to play out the way it did. It was a fantastic usage of exemplifying the depth of Thraga’s behaviors and internal thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women can relate to her in that capacity of being silenced or made to feel powerless or caged without realizing it.
Enter Durlain, who threatens those beliefs by giving her room to show her capabilities and strengths, treating her more than. Forget “she’s mine” and listen to Durlain when he says, “she’s entirely her own.”
As for Durlain’s own struggles, I will always love the characters who do bad things for good reasons, especially characters who perfected the craft of convincing the world they don’t have feelings or care about anyone until they meet their love interest and that mask starts slipping. But this trait is not without reason, and Durlain has enough trauma that explains why he built barriers around himself.
The plot is constructed around these characters' wants, as they strike a bargain to help each other achieve their goals. With a majority of the story taking place on the road, some parts felt repetitive, but there was enough action to keep me engaged. And I definitely didn’t mind spending a lot of time watching Thraga and Durlain slowly let their defenses down for each other and challenge one another.
The magic was fun but nothing remarkable. Thraga’s a witch, but because of circumstances, she refrains from using it often until toward the end. Her OCD representation was handled very well. There’s political intrigue, but I would recommend this to readers who want to see more romance than the goings-on inside of kingdoms. After the cliffhanger, I’m desperate to see what’s next for these characters. I know there’s so much more in store for them.
November 29, 2025
I have so many good books sitting on my kindle begging for my attention and I keep picking dnf-worthy romantasy. why am I like this.
Between this and Phantasma, I just don’t think putting literal OCD thought patterns on the page makes for a good book, at least outside of something like litfic. I am intimately familiar with the reality of how debilitating OCD rumination and compulsions can be in real life. I understand what these authors are going for. I still don’t agree that it makes for a good reading experience to have plot progression interrupted every chapter with a page-long spiraling repetitive inner monologue.
The opening chapters of them escaping the prison seemed to promise an interesting plot and decent world building, only for it to turn out to be a snooze fest. Even as a fan of character driven stories and unlikable protagonists, this was a slog. It’s really rough to be in Thraga’s head, and perhaps that’s the point, but we have to listen to her go on and on (and on and on) about her dead gaslighting ex, and being stuck in her POV is exhausting. I spent most of the book wishing Durlain were paired with someone who matched his chessmaster “prince of many faces” energy.
This book is too long, too slow, and too repetitive for me to find the fun in what is basically just bog-standard indie romantasy with a little first book betrayal for flavor. Maybe if Marshall had done some brutal self-editing and trimmed like two hundred pages I would feel more charitably.
Between this and Phantasma, I just don’t think putting literal OCD thought patterns on the page makes for a good book, at least outside of something like litfic. I am intimately familiar with the reality of how debilitating OCD rumination and compulsions can be in real life. I understand what these authors are going for. I still don’t agree that it makes for a good reading experience to have plot progression interrupted every chapter with a page-long spiraling repetitive inner monologue.
The opening chapters of them escaping the prison seemed to promise an interesting plot and decent world building, only for it to turn out to be a snooze fest. Even as a fan of character driven stories and unlikable protagonists, this was a slog. It’s really rough to be in Thraga’s head, and perhaps that’s the point, but we have to listen to her go on and on (and on and on) about her dead gaslighting ex, and being stuck in her POV is exhausting. I spent most of the book wishing Durlain were paired with someone who matched his chessmaster “prince of many faces” energy.
This book is too long, too slow, and too repetitive for me to find the fun in what is basically just bog-standard indie romantasy with a little first book betrayal for flavor. Maybe if Marshall had done some brutal self-editing and trimmed like two hundred pages I would feel more charitably.
December 23, 2025
I AM SO UTTERLY GAGGED! THE PLOT TWISTS AT THE END??? oh my god.
—
this book delivered in so many ways! such a delicious slow burn that had me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure. the banter? everything. a sexy one eyed necromancer with horns? smash.
i need the next book ASAP! i’m spiraling over that ending send help.
‘oh, don’t you dare beg, thorn of mine.’
—
this book delivered in so many ways! such a delicious slow burn that had me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure. the banter? everything. a sexy one eyed necromancer with horns? smash.
i need the next book ASAP! i’m spiraling over that ending send help.
‘oh, don’t you dare beg, thorn of mine.’
Read
February 11, 2026DNF at 40%
I was so excited to try out a new fantasy romance author, and the beginning of this was so intriguing and action-packed. The heroine is a rune witch and was in captivity when a Necromancer prince is in prison with her. She tells him she's actually a witch and convinces him to take her with him when he escapes, and they end up escaping together. After that point, though, we just follow them traveling and talking and traveling and talking. And the was really it. This took me so long just to get to 40% and even then I just wasn't excited to pick this one back up, so I'm deciding to call it quits.
I was so excited to try out a new fantasy romance author, and the beginning of this was so intriguing and action-packed. The heroine is a rune witch and was in captivity when a Necromancer prince is in prison with her. She tells him she's actually a witch and convinces him to take her with him when he escapes, and they end up escaping together. After that point, though, we just follow them traveling and talking and traveling and talking. And the was really it. This took me so long just to get to 40% and even then I just wasn't excited to pick this one back up, so I'm deciding to call it quits.
October 6, 2025
Words. Grammar. (If you know, you know)
Neither of those two things are at the forefront of my mind as I process what I just read. Following a grieving rune witch and a mysterious necromancer allied by a bargain built upon the feeble foundation of mutual interest, The Death-Made Prince was unlike anything I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I was entirely hooked from start to finish. I could not begin to draw a comparison to another book to tempt you with, but I would absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend it— it delivers on everything promised in the blurb and so much more. Already, I’m itching to reread it.
Character driven with enough intrigue carried over from the looming plot to hold interest, The Death-Made Prince was expertly paced and balanced. I never imagined myself as one to be particularly enticed by a “journey” book, but with just enough world-building to make the setting feel lived-in and immersive— without falling back on mind-muddling info-dumping or relying on reader omnipotence and the stretch of imagination to fill in the gaps— I enormously enjoyed following along with these two characters as they traversed both foreign and familiar terrain, and I loved the coziness of the inns. Thraga and Durlain’s trek across kingdoms not only uncovered the world to us, but our main characters themselves as they adapted to their surroundings. Durlain, especially, was fascinating to behold through Thraga’s eyes, as he shifted masks and stolen identities as one changes clothes, leaving the reader and our MC ever-curious as to how much of the real him was retained behind closed doors. The Prince of Many Faces was a welcome and enthralling deviation from the typical burly and brooding romantasy love interest, with his elegant grace and biting wit, equal parts closed-off and cutthroat as he was unexpectedly earnest, and I would love to explore his perspective in upcoming books.
However, it was our leading lady who stole my heart. It’s rare that I feel so viscerally protective and proud of a main character as I did with Thraga. I saw so much of myself— and people I love— in her and her experiences. Her hurt was personal, and her strength was inspiring, and Lisette Marshall interweaves the two seamlessly to create a character who is wholly and utterly human. My heart ached for her, and her POV was a delight to read from. I would be remiss if I did not also make note of Marshall’s depiction of OCD through Thraga, a part of myself which I have never seen represented in such a way, least of all in a fantasy. At no point was Thraga’s OCD a disposable base for drama, nor something to be fixed by herself or the love interest, and it was present throughout the entirety of the book, not simply forgotten until convenient. She was seen, and accommodated, and it meant the world to have a character hold that part of me.
Thraga, Durlain, and their story were so brilliantly crafted, and I absolutely cannot wait to see it continue in the next three instalments of The Runewitch Saga. The wait will be nothing short of torture— but hey, a day without torture is a day wasted.
Thank you endlessly to Lisette Marshall and her PA, Sarah, for providing me with a copy to read and review ahead of release. The Death-Made Prince is certainly a new favourite of mine, and you won’t want to miss it.
Neither of those two things are at the forefront of my mind as I process what I just read. Following a grieving rune witch and a mysterious necromancer allied by a bargain built upon the feeble foundation of mutual interest, The Death-Made Prince was unlike anything I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I was entirely hooked from start to finish. I could not begin to draw a comparison to another book to tempt you with, but I would absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend it— it delivers on everything promised in the blurb and so much more. Already, I’m itching to reread it.
Character driven with enough intrigue carried over from the looming plot to hold interest, The Death-Made Prince was expertly paced and balanced. I never imagined myself as one to be particularly enticed by a “journey” book, but with just enough world-building to make the setting feel lived-in and immersive— without falling back on mind-muddling info-dumping or relying on reader omnipotence and the stretch of imagination to fill in the gaps— I enormously enjoyed following along with these two characters as they traversed both foreign and familiar terrain, and I loved the coziness of the inns. Thraga and Durlain’s trek across kingdoms not only uncovered the world to us, but our main characters themselves as they adapted to their surroundings. Durlain, especially, was fascinating to behold through Thraga’s eyes, as he shifted masks and stolen identities as one changes clothes, leaving the reader and our MC ever-curious as to how much of the real him was retained behind closed doors. The Prince of Many Faces was a welcome and enthralling deviation from the typical burly and brooding romantasy love interest, with his elegant grace and biting wit, equal parts closed-off and cutthroat as he was unexpectedly earnest, and I would love to explore his perspective in upcoming books.
However, it was our leading lady who stole my heart. It’s rare that I feel so viscerally protective and proud of a main character as I did with Thraga. I saw so much of myself— and people I love— in her and her experiences. Her hurt was personal, and her strength was inspiring, and Lisette Marshall interweaves the two seamlessly to create a character who is wholly and utterly human. My heart ached for her, and her POV was a delight to read from. I would be remiss if I did not also make note of Marshall’s depiction of OCD through Thraga, a part of myself which I have never seen represented in such a way, least of all in a fantasy. At no point was Thraga’s OCD a disposable base for drama, nor something to be fixed by herself or the love interest, and it was present throughout the entirety of the book, not simply forgotten until convenient. She was seen, and accommodated, and it meant the world to have a character hold that part of me.
Thraga, Durlain, and their story were so brilliantly crafted, and I absolutely cannot wait to see it continue in the next three instalments of The Runewitch Saga. The wait will be nothing short of torture— but hey, a day without torture is a day wasted.
Thank you endlessly to Lisette Marshall and her PA, Sarah, for providing me with a copy to read and review ahead of release. The Death-Made Prince is certainly a new favourite of mine, and you won’t want to miss it.
October 8, 2025
It took me a long time to get into this book. I’m not sure if it was my mood or the pacing, but for the first half, I was either bored or annoyed—sometimes both at once.
Thraga, the FMC, has OCD, and I really appreciated that representation, but at the beginning, it was just too much. Every single chapter had a breakdown or spiral, and while I understood what she was going through, it started pulling me out of the story. Just as I got invested, there’d be another page-long spiral that threw me off.
The story itself has great potential, and I really liked Drulain (also, the eyepatch? Loved that detail). But Thraga’s behavior sometimes drove me crazy. She’s supposed to be 24, but she often acted like child. I get her trauma, but most of her issues came from a short, toxic relationship, and it just didn’t feel strong enough to explain how fragile she was. Drulain had to constantly reassure her that she could do things—it got repetitive after a while.
That said, around the 50–60% mark, the book shifted gears completely. The pacing picked up, the romance deepened, and I found myself actually hooked. The banter between Thraga and Drulain was a huge highlight—it was sharp, funny, and heartfelt—but sometimes the language felt too modern for the world. It’s got this medieval-style setting, but the dialogue would suddenly be more like the way we talk now, that contrast didn’t really work.
Still, once the plot picked up, I truly started to enjoy it. The ending surprised me, and now I’m curious to see where the story goes next. I’ll definitely read book two—it just took me way too long to get invested in this one.
ARC provided by the author – thank you so much for the opportunity!💜💜
Thraga, the FMC, has OCD, and I really appreciated that representation, but at the beginning, it was just too much. Every single chapter had a breakdown or spiral, and while I understood what she was going through, it started pulling me out of the story. Just as I got invested, there’d be another page-long spiral that threw me off.
The story itself has great potential, and I really liked Drulain (also, the eyepatch? Loved that detail). But Thraga’s behavior sometimes drove me crazy. She’s supposed to be 24, but she often acted like child. I get her trauma, but most of her issues came from a short, toxic relationship, and it just didn’t feel strong enough to explain how fragile she was. Drulain had to constantly reassure her that she could do things—it got repetitive after a while.
That said, around the 50–60% mark, the book shifted gears completely. The pacing picked up, the romance deepened, and I found myself actually hooked. The banter between Thraga and Drulain was a huge highlight—it was sharp, funny, and heartfelt—but sometimes the language felt too modern for the world. It’s got this medieval-style setting, but the dialogue would suddenly be more like the way we talk now, that contrast didn’t really work.
Still, once the plot picked up, I truly started to enjoy it. The ending surprised me, and now I’m curious to see where the story goes next. I’ll definitely read book two—it just took me way too long to get invested in this one.
ARC provided by the author – thank you so much for the opportunity!💜💜
May 2, 2026
Це дуже слоу бьорн від ворогів до коханців із цікавезним світоустрієм. Герої весь час кудись прямують, майже не розмовляють, небезпека чекає на кожному кроці і ти переживаєш разом з ними.
Але мені так тяжко йшла ця книга🙈 або в настрій не потрапила, або хз.
Героїня спочатку підбішувала😬 вона розумна, смілива, але через декого затюкана, заабʼюзена по повній. Не люблю таке читати🥺 І тут наш рогатий герой, дякуємо йому за це, виступає в ролі злого психотерапевта, який дуже жорстко, але дієво, вставляє мізки їй на місце. Хоча по ньому теж десь плаче терапевт в куточку. Дуже сподобалась їх взаємодія🤌🏻
Та я якось не прониклась особо їх шляхом від ворогів до коханців. От друзями вони були б класними.
Єдина сцена потрахух… ну, я б не засмутилась особо, якби вона була коротша😬
А фінальний твіст не здивував чомусь, навпаки все стало на свої місця і поведінка Дуралєя стала логічною. От трошки зря гг в такому ахуї😬
Сестра в кінці😐 ой боооо🤦🏻♀️ ну нашо? Так і знала, що те гівно ще десь випливе.
Загалом хороше враження від історії❤️
Але мені так тяжко йшла ця книга🙈 або в настрій не потрапила, або хз.
Героїня спочатку підбішувала😬 вона розумна, смілива, але через декого затюкана, заабʼюзена по повній. Не люблю таке читати🥺 І тут наш рогатий герой, дякуємо йому за це, виступає в ролі злого психотерапевта, який дуже жорстко, але дієво, вставляє мізки їй на місце. Хоча по ньому теж десь плаче терапевт в куточку. Дуже сподобалась їх взаємодія🤌🏻
Та я якось не прониклась особо їх шляхом від ворогів до коханців. От друзями вони були б класними.
Єдина сцена потрахух… ну, я б не засмутилась особо, якби вона була коротша😬
А фінальний твіст не здивував чомусь, навпаки все стало на свої місця і поведінка Дуралєя стала логічною. От трошки зря гг в такому ахуї😬
Сестра в кінці😐 ой боооо🤦🏻♀️ ну нашо? Так і знала, що те гівно ще десь випливе.
Загалом хороше враження від історії❤️
October 19, 2025
4.5 🌟
"He was dangerous. Spine- chillingly, mind- numbingly dangerous, and I desperately needed some danger on my side." (Ch 9)
I think the sheer number of pages and super long chapters tripped me up, which made it seem like it took longer for me to get into it and find the hook. Once I stopped grappling with these preferential inconveniences and the hook found me — or I found it — I was locked in. And really, it wasn't as long as it seemed until I was hooked.
The style of writing is immersive, which really gives you a sense of the atmophere and world. The characters have depth. Especially Thraga's neurodivergence and compulsory traits — great representation and expression.
" ‘And you called me rational,’ he said slowly.
‘Then prove me wrong.’ Recklessness had never felt so much like power. ‘Then be irrational.’
For one frozen moment, I thought I’d pushed too far.
Then he moved." (Ch 30)
There was a lot of intrigue and danger — fleeing, "many faces", runes, traveling, and gathering intel. High-stakes journey and thrill. And all the levels of tension and Hell between Thraga and Durlain on that journey! Omgee, they either needed to end each other or reel it in and get it on. Either method would have been spectacular at any given point. They were well matched.
Then the shoe dropped. Cliffhanger.
"Prince of many faces. Prince of broken hearts." (Ch 16)
eARC courtesy of Behind the Pages LLC
"He was dangerous. Spine- chillingly, mind- numbingly dangerous, and I desperately needed some danger on my side." (Ch 9)
I think the sheer number of pages and super long chapters tripped me up, which made it seem like it took longer for me to get into it and find the hook. Once I stopped grappling with these preferential inconveniences and the hook found me — or I found it — I was locked in. And really, it wasn't as long as it seemed until I was hooked.
The style of writing is immersive, which really gives you a sense of the atmophere and world. The characters have depth. Especially Thraga's neurodivergence and compulsory traits — great representation and expression.
" ‘And you called me rational,’ he said slowly.
‘Then prove me wrong.’ Recklessness had never felt so much like power. ‘Then be irrational.’
For one frozen moment, I thought I’d pushed too far.
Then he moved." (Ch 30)
There was a lot of intrigue and danger — fleeing, "many faces", runes, traveling, and gathering intel. High-stakes journey and thrill. And all the levels of tension and Hell between Thraga and Durlain on that journey! Omgee, they either needed to end each other or reel it in and get it on. Either method would have been spectacular at any given point. They were well matched.
Then the shoe dropped. Cliffhanger.
"Prince of many faces. Prince of broken hearts." (Ch 16)
eARC courtesy of Behind the Pages LLC
April 1, 2026
4.5⭐️ BUT ROUNDING UP
NO BECAUSE WHAT WAS THAT ENDING I AM SO GAGGED RN
Freaking loved these characters so much. NOTHING about this felt formulaic - they both felt so original and different than a lot of other romantasy characters. It was wayyyy more character driven and not as plot forward, but I still absolutely loved it
NO BECAUSE WHAT WAS THAT ENDING I AM SO GAGGED RN
Freaking loved these characters so much. NOTHING about this felt formulaic - they both felt so original and different than a lot of other romantasy characters. It was wayyyy more character driven and not as plot forward, but I still absolutely loved it
April 21, 2026
3.5 stars
Ah, this was a meandering fantasy. That’s not a bad thing, but for this particular story it wasn’t my fave. I think I am a rare breed because I don’t really care for slow burn. I love LOVE!!! While I do enjoy characters having to work toward it and it not being insta-love, The Death-Made Prince was too slow for my butterfly fluttering heart.
Slow burn aside, I am a sucker for witches in general and I loved Thraga. It was interesting to see an FMC with OCD in the fantasy world, and I think the author did a great job portraying it to the extent that she did. I loved Durlain from the start because I love a good grump! And for once our MMC wasn’t an 8 foot tall, yolked out, tattoo having fae 😆
Downsides? A lot of the character names were impossible for me to pronounce. I read fast but those names kept tripping me up!! The world building was sort of lackluster, as well, and I’ll be interested to read the second book to see if it’s drawn out more. I would like to see more magic and of course …. More smooching 😋
Ah, this was a meandering fantasy. That’s not a bad thing, but for this particular story it wasn’t my fave. I think I am a rare breed because I don’t really care for slow burn. I love LOVE!!! While I do enjoy characters having to work toward it and it not being insta-love, The Death-Made Prince was too slow for my butterfly fluttering heart.
Slow burn aside, I am a sucker for witches in general and I loved Thraga. It was interesting to see an FMC with OCD in the fantasy world, and I think the author did a great job portraying it to the extent that she did. I loved Durlain from the start because I love a good grump! And for once our MMC wasn’t an 8 foot tall, yolked out, tattoo having fae 😆
Downsides? A lot of the character names were impossible for me to pronounce. I read fast but those names kept tripping me up!! The world building was sort of lackluster, as well, and I’ll be interested to read the second book to see if it’s drawn out more. I would like to see more magic and of course …. More smooching 😋
July 15, 2026
Nu hate hate pabaiga, miegot jis nulėkė😆😆 žiauriai sunkiai skaitėsi, vietom vis atrodo įsivažiuoji, bet tada vėl iš naujo. Kaip ir unikali magijos sistema, bet visiškai nesužavėjo bendrai.
Did Not Finish
March 18, 2026DNF Review – 25% Read
Unfortunately, I decided to put this book down after reaching the 25% mark. The "reluctant allies to lovers" trope just isn't my cup of tea, and I struggled to feel any real tension or chemistry between the main characters. It honestly felt like I had jumped into book two of a series — like I was missing key emotional buildup or context. While the premise had potential, it just didn’t click for me 🤷🏼♀️
Unfortunately, I decided to put this book down after reaching the 25% mark. The "reluctant allies to lovers" trope just isn't my cup of tea, and I struggled to feel any real tension or chemistry between the main characters. It honestly felt like I had jumped into book two of a series — like I was missing key emotional buildup or context. While the premise had potential, it just didn’t click for me 🤷🏼♀️
January 4, 2026
4.25⭐️ not me thinking I guessed the plot twist.. yeah I did not see that coming at all!!
This book was so much fun!! A runewitch and a necromancer who meet in a prison cell and become reluctant allies. Great banter, forced proximity, yearning, ocd rep, he braids her hair?!
My favorite part was all the names our fmc called the mmc my personal favorite: shit stained rat face fucker.
- book 1 in incomplete duology
- dark fantasy romance
- forced proximity (like they are together the entire book)
- slow burn
This book was so much fun!! A runewitch and a necromancer who meet in a prison cell and become reluctant allies. Great banter, forced proximity, yearning, ocd rep, he braids her hair?!
My favorite part was all the names our fmc called the mmc my personal favorite: shit stained rat face fucker.
- book 1 in incomplete duology
- dark fantasy romance
- forced proximity (like they are together the entire book)
- slow burn
Currently Reading
June 27, 2026🗡️⋆˙⟡ pre-read ⋮ date started: 2026, June 17th
⤿ the death-made prince · lisette marshall ⟢
✎ᝰ This better be the delicious slow-burn I was searching for all along. Normal romance hasn't worked for me so far; it flopped harder than a freshly canceled influencer, in fact. So either I somehow salvage my dnf-streak with an emotional-support fantasy book, or I'll turn into dust and perish (fall into a reading slump, and sadly binge watch k՟dramas on the couch instead. At least for a whole week.). I'm putting all of my trust in goodreads girlies, please, don't disappoint me.
⤿ the death-made prince · lisette marshall ⟢
✎ᝰ This better be the delicious slow-burn I was searching for all along. Normal romance hasn't worked for me so far; it flopped harder than a freshly canceled influencer, in fact. So either I somehow salvage my dnf-streak with an emotional-support fantasy book, or I'll turn into dust and perish (
October 27, 2025
Enemies to lovers? ✅
Slow burn? ✅
Reluctant allies? ✅
Morally grey MMC? ✅
Mental health rep? ✅
This was the kind of those books that you read and didn’t know you needed.
In a world where runewitches are hunted and killed for a war that happened years ago, Thraga is in the gallows, awaiting her execution. Mere hours before her impeding d*ath, a new prisoner is thrown into her cell, and no ordinary prisoner at that. Not only is Durlain a fireborn noble, but also a dead/revived prince of a kingdom that hunts Thraga’s kind and killed her closed ones. They reluctantly form an alliance that mutually benefits them and are set in a journey to free Durlain’s sister, Cimmura who is held captive by king Lesceron Garnot….
I had such a great time reading this book! I really love the OCD representation, I believe it was the first time I have seen it in a book and watching Thraga grow as a character was the highlight of the story.
Durlain too, the prince of many faces and of broken hearts who learned to let Thraga in as the pages went and though both the main characters were flawed, they learned so much from each other and the banter was so good! Oh, and have I mentioned that he braids her hair? 😍
Thank you so much Lisette Marshall and NetGalley for this ARC!
Slow burn? ✅
Reluctant allies? ✅
Morally grey MMC? ✅
Mental health rep? ✅
This was the kind of those books that you read and didn’t know you needed.
In a world where runewitches are hunted and killed for a war that happened years ago, Thraga is in the gallows, awaiting her execution. Mere hours before her impeding d*ath, a new prisoner is thrown into her cell, and no ordinary prisoner at that. Not only is Durlain a fireborn noble, but also a dead/revived prince of a kingdom that hunts Thraga’s kind and killed her closed ones. They reluctantly form an alliance that mutually benefits them and are set in a journey to free Durlain’s sister, Cimmura who is held captive by king Lesceron Garnot….
I had such a great time reading this book! I really love the OCD representation, I believe it was the first time I have seen it in a book and watching Thraga grow as a character was the highlight of the story.
Durlain too, the prince of many faces and of broken hearts who learned to let Thraga in as the pages went and though both the main characters were flawed, they learned so much from each other and the banter was so good! Oh, and have I mentioned that he braids her hair? 😍
Thank you so much Lisette Marshall and NetGalley for this ARC!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,754 reviews