A Kiss of Crimson Ash

Games of the Goddess #1

by Anuja Varghese

Inspired by medieval India’s most epic love stories, this debut Romantasy blends rich storytelling, lush worldbuilding, and spice of every variety. Perfect for fans of Nisha J. Tuli and Tasha Suri.

Nandapore is a city of secrets and spellcasters where seduction reigns and a power-hungry king is never satisfied, plotting to unleash a weapon that has only lived in myth… until now.

To stop him, an ancient goddess seeks out a newly crowned queen, a heartsick prince, a common thief, and a courtesan with magic in her blood. Together, they chart a course through brothels, temples, taverns, and palaces, setting a trap for the empire’s most powerful men.

Linked by desire, destiny, and a dangerous foe, they each must decide...

What will they risk for a weapon worth dying for, and a love worth staying alive?

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Queer, Adult, LGBT, Fantasy Romance

396 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 26, 2026

Reviews

[vaishnavi ☆ﾟ⁠.⁠*]

── .✦ pre-read 𖹭.ᐟ
#1: everybody and their moms saw that one art, right? RIGHT?? that and the fact that this is inspired by medieval India is ofc a direct add to tbr 🤭
#2: i've been informed not everyone has seen the art so i am attaching it below! enjoyyyy <3

[veerali · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you netgalley & orbit for the eARC—all thoughts are my own!
✦ publication date: may 26, 2026

i can’t stop thinking about it. it’s the first indian medieval fantasy i’ve ever read, and it didn’t let me down.

the story follows four main people who fit together like pieces of a puzzle.

tara – she is the princess of abhaya and the wife of garjan.
garjan – a prince from nandapore who becomes tara’s husband.
bhediya – a courtesan living in chandanee mukan.
roland – a clever thief.

each character is different, and each has their own problems and weaknesses. because they are so distinct, their lives feel fresh and interesting.

one thing i loved a lot was the world building. the author uses many hindi words and names, which makes the setting feel authentic and vivid. at first i felt a bit lost because there is a lot happening at once. many places, many events, many new names. after a few chapters, though, the pieces start to click and the story becomes easier to follow.

the friendships in the book are a real highlight. tara, garjan, bhediya, and roland all support each other. their bonds feel genuine and keep the story moving forward. and wow, there are some seriously spicy moments. the romance scenes are hot enough that i kept fanning myself while reading.

the ending does feel a little rushed. some plot threads could have used more space, and the final showdown happens quickly. still, the overall feeling is positive. even with a hurried finish, the book gave me plenty of excitement, great characters, and a world i wanted to stay in.

i’d recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy with a cultural twist and a dash of romance.

⤿ indian medieval inspired world
⤿ strong fmcs
⤿ political intrigue
⤿ sci-fi fantasy
⤿ angst and magic
⤿ queer

[Sophie ❦]

I really wanted to love this one, but I ended up DNF-ing at 31%. This story suffered from a lot of telling rather than showing, leaving the characters feeling flat and their motivations unclear. I also struggled with the pacing, and the multiple perspectives didn’t help.

Bhediya and Garjan start the book already obsessed with each other. Taara and Payal’s connection felt rushed, and much of their bond was told rather than shown. Roland and Yash did not grab my interest at all. I feel robbed of the yearning and the development that makes a romance satisfying, and I can’t push through without at least one character/couple to care about.

Overall, for a romantasy, it lacks the yearning and emotional depth I look for.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc.

[Mai H.]

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit

[AndaReadsTooMuch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m struggling on this one. The characters are feeling flat, there’s a lot of telling and not enough showing. We get sex scenes within the first 10% but I don’t know any of the characters enough to feel emotionally connected to them. The magic system feels vague and inexplicable. Y’all know me, I don’t read maps or casts of characters but I really do think this is a book that would benefit from the addition of them. I felt like I dropped into an existing world that I had no context on. I actually went and checked to make sure it wasn’t a series and I came in after book 1. (I didn’t.)

I wanted to fall into the world and be swept away. This had so much potential. I love the concept. I think with polish and time, Varghese will find her author voice. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a fit for me.

A Kiss of Crimson Ash hits shelves May 26.

Thank you to Orbit Books for the gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Aries Reads Too Much · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Orbit for the gifted advance copy.

Respectfully, can I send it back?

[Leanna Streeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Kiss of Crimson Ash is a lush, Indian-inspired romantasy filled with political intrigue, multiple POVs, complicated relationships, and a world rich with magic, secrets, and ambition.

What stood out most to me was the atmosphere and cultural inspiration. The setting felt vivid and immersive, and I loved seeing an Indian-inspired medieval fantasy world take center stage in romantasy. The story follows four very different characters whose lives slowly intertwine, and I really enjoyed how each perspective revealed another layer of the world and the larger conflict.

The friendships and character dynamics were some of my favorite parts of the book. There’s court politics, thieves, courtesans, dangerous power struggles, and plenty of tension woven throughout the story. I also appreciated that the romance leaned more slow burn while still giving us some genuinely spicy moments.

The beginning was a little overwhelming at first because there are a lot of names, places, and moving pieces introduced quickly, but once everything started clicking into place, I found myself much more invested in both the characters and the story unfolding around them.

If you enjoy fantasy romance with rich worldbuilding, political intrigue, multiple POVs, and unique cultural inspiration, this is definitely worth checking out.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A medieval Indian inspired romantasy? Sign me up!

This was so much fun. We are following several characters-who do eventually all come together(yay, because I love when this happens). I absolutely loved the representation in this book. It’s queer as hell! The world building in the beginning felt a bit confusing because there is quite literally so much happening right away, but it did for the most part start to come together. I am still a bit confused about the snakes-but I’m hoping in book 2 that I’m able to piece it together better.

This book is definitely heavier on the spice(just mentioning this for my bookies who I know don’t like to have a lot of that), but to me it was done so well. This is a romantasy so it fit the expectations I had.

I do think the ending was a bit too rushed, especially with all of this build up. I can see how it’s leading into the next book, but yeah I was a bit disappointed in how quickly things ended.


Overall, I had a fun time reading this!

Thank you Orbit books for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Emily | emilyisoverbooked]

Thanks to Orbit for the gifted copy!

I absolutely love reading fantasy from non-white authors and also love supporting a debut. However, this one was just absolutely not for me and really needed some trigger warnings at the beginning.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters (there are 3 main couples so 6 main characters), but they didn’t overlap much even halfway through the book. Their stories started falling a little flat as the chapters got longer and the overlapping plot just wasn’t happening. I know sometimes authors want to focus on spice over plot, which it seemed like might be the case here based off the author’s note, but even that fell flat and felt a little forced - as in, nonconsensual. There’s also some infanticide later in the book which REALLY should be mentioned as a trigger.

I cannot recommend this one based on those thoughts.

[Ai Jiang]

A big thank you to the editor and publisher for an ARC of the book!

A KISS OF CRIMSON ASH tells a tale of self-discovery, political intrigue, military maneuvers, and both strategic and unexpected alliances, set in a world filled with rich lore and magic, told in a voice that is equal parts enchanting and alluring, seductive and sweet. 

[Alexandria Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt like stepping into a world filled with silk, secrets, magic, desire, betrayal, gods, and people willing to risk absolutely EVERYTHING for love and power🔥

🖤 a newly crowned queen

🔥 a heartsick prince

🗡️ a thief

🌹 a courtesan with magic in her blood

At first it feels like separate storylines unfolding at once…and then slowly everything starts clicking together like pieces of a puzzle. Also can we TALK about the tension in this book because whew 👀. This is definitely fantasy romance where the relationships, longing, desire, and emotional connections are front and center. There’s spice, yearning, messy emotions, and characters making questionable choices because feelings are FEELING. I kinda loved that everyone felt flawed and real. Nobody in this book is perfect. Everyone is carrying secrets, grief, desires, ambition, or fear and it made the relationships feel messy in a way that kept me hooked.

The friendships and alliances were one of my favorite parts too. Watching these characters slowly trust each other while navigating dangerous politics and powerful enemies had me INVESTED. I will say the pacing took me a minute to settle into because there are a lot of moving parts, names, places, and POVs right away but once everything started connecting I was IN.

Vibes
✨ divine magic

✨ political intrigue

✨ morally gray choices

✨ multiple POVs

✨ lush worldbuilding

✨ queer rep

✨ forbidden desire

✨ powerful women

✨ gods interfering in mortal lives

✨ spice

If you love romantasy that feels rich, seductive, dangerous, and different from the usual fantasy worlds we see all the time, definitely add this one to your TBR .

[Rachel Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rich and lush world unfolds for readers in the first book of the Games of the Goddess trilogy. Told through four unique perspectives, this story brings Indian stories and culture to the forefront as these characters set to thwart a power-hungry king.

I genuinely loved the scenery and world-building. It was immersive and felt tangible. The characters are interesting, and each unveil a different part of the world. The friendships between many of the four main characters were the most interesting part of the story for me, particularly around The Thief and The Courtesan with other people in Nandapore. I wanted more from the romantic relationships in the story, and I think we just didn’t get to know the characters outside of the situations they found themselves in to be able to have deeper relationships. What we got was interesting and diverse, and I’m hopeful for even more as the trilogy continues.

Readers who love complex world building, slow burn stories, political intrigue, and diverse perspectives, this is a great story for you!


4/5 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[sydney | books + cats || thebookishcatmom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you much Orbit Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was giving "Five Broken Blades" by Mai Corland with a healthy dollop of spice, but the same amount of political intrigue and guessing.

The multi-POV kept me on the hook, but also the magic system and the "big bad" that we are going to get more of in the coming books is SO INTERESTING. There was romance, but I wouldn't call this a "romantasy", definitely more of fantasy with a healthy romance subplot that is absolutely necessary for the plot.

The dynamics between characters were built, brick by brick, without too much excess drama and straight to the point. The characters were mature for the most part, and made decisions that were for more than just themselves.

I really enjoyed this. I am not super familiar with the culture this book is based off of, but that didn't affect the story literally at all. It was so interesting to hear about gods and goddesses from different pantheons that maybe don't get as much exposure in society.

Cannot wait for book 2 to come around!

[Kallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you LOVE ✨️fantasy✨️, you NEED to read this book! The world building is incredible, the characters are such individuals and have so much thought behind them. The way everyone is intertwined somehow.. it's just woven perfectly.

At first, when each of the first 4 chapters started a new POV each. I was nervous that it would be an intimidating read or confusing.. but it wasn't at all. Instead it added so much to the discovery of the world and it's going-ons. The lives of the characters are so intertwined and Anuja was fantastic at telling the story in a clear and beautiful way. It's one of those worlds I wanted to jump into, not because it was safe 😬 but because it is so unique and there is so much to discover.

I had so much fun reading this book. Each characters pov was so interesting and it was great seeing everything come together.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the premise of it, the magic, and the Indian culture.

I would have rated the book higher if the writing had been more descriptive. I felt that it was pretty straightforward with minimal use of imagery. I wanted it to show me and not just tell me and the was disappointing

[Jade Kaawa · Rating 3 out of 5]

very mixed feelings

| fantasy | fantasy romance | Medieval Indian Fantasy | science fiction fantasy | diverse fantasy | romantasy LGBTQ represenation | numerous POV | quest | queer representation | paranormal | steamy | netgalley | arc | political intrigue | courtesian | retelling | arranged marriage | gods x mortals | magic | matriarchy | hidden power | chosen one | forced proximity |

I really appreciated the cultural roots and diversity of this story. As an avid fantasy reader, I love reading stories that come from diverse places that are unfamiliar to me and beyond my own experience. I have a real appreciation of stories that teach me and immerse me in something beyond familiarity, especially within a fantasy world. This story delivers on that front, offering magic, mystery, political intrigue, and a central quest.

The foundation of this story is inevitably the strongest aspect. There was a clear premise, strong cultural influence, and decisive representation and inclusion. For the first third of this book, I found myself thinking about it constantly. What really pulled me in was the fact that the relationship between the characters was utterly contradictory to what I expected and what I wanted. They did not align with what I anticipated, so I kept reading, hoping for a shift. This story does not conform to the expectations of a “romantasy”. Call me crazy, but I think that was refreshing, while also being incredibly infuriating.

Although the narrative didn’t turn out how I had hoped, that doesn't detract from or diminish the fact that it is interesting, unique, and refreshing in a space that is inundated with stories bearing the same bones. This story was carved from a body completely unfamiliar to me. Therefore, it was interesting and easily compelling.

That said, it isn’t without its flaws. Although the story is completely its own, an argument can reasonably be made that while the bones are good, the execution of characters, relationships, and the overall pace of the plot were not on par with the foundation of the story. For example, the FMC feels mostly unchanged from beginning to end. While she may have come away from the quest more experienced and worldly, her internal growth isn’t as evident or impactful as such a journey should have made her. It does, however, raise the question of whether or not that was intentional for her arc, at least in book 1 of the series.

The romantic relationships were a massive struggle for me. I did some research on the origins of the tale featured and referenced by this story, and the story seems to be a combination of more than just a singular tale. Despite drawing inspiration from established tales, the emotional development between characters felt rushed and underdeveloped. All of the romantic connections relied more on immediate infatuation than on meaningful buildup. There was very little context, with no fine detail or meaningful development featured in the height of the narrative. Character relationships and dynamics just were.

I deeply contemplated the relationship between Bhediya and Garjan, and it left me unsettled. Their shared history introduces a significant imbalance that isn’t fully explored or addressed. Viewed objectively, their relationship raises questions about power, agency, and emotional authenticity that the narrative doesn’t seem to examine at all.

She is a courtesan, trained in the arts of pleasure. It was very briefly mentioned that Ganjar was brought to the pleasure house by Roland at a young age and seduced by Bhediya, who took his virginity at 16. Since the inception of their relationship, things have been unbalanced and not completely wholesome when you take a step back. Bhediya had everything to gain from a relationship with the Prince, even if she was only ever a bedding companion. It looks like grooming when you take yourself out of the story and see it as just conveyed facts. Garjan is obsessed with her and feels love for her, but is that love genuine when he stands only to gain physical pleasure? Mind you, they love one another, and he is paying her handsomely even if they do not partake in the pleasures of the flesh. It seems like a one-dimensional relationship with the potential for nefarious intentions.

Of course, in my contemplations, I also begin to similarly wonder about Payal and Taara. Their connection and relationship felt abrupt and lacking in a critical foundation. Again, a woman who sells pleasure for coin, who essentially volunteers to be part of a harem of women meant to be pleasure servants for the King and Queen, is put into a position where the dialogue alludes to Taara not really knowing whether or not Payal's affections are of love or obligation. Their relationship is instantaneous without anything shared. This is especially odd considering Taara is a character who is effortlessly seen as prudish and naive to the pleasures of the flesh; it was unfounded that she would be so drawn to someone sexually almost instantly. She has dreams of this person; the gender of the voice is never revealed or described to the reader, and this is a female character who has spent her entire life strictly in the company of women. She has never had a sexual thought, feeling, or desire in her entire 19 years of life. The immediate emotional and physical attraction feels wholly unearned and completely out of place.

Within the relationships of characters, particularly concerning romance, there was just so much to be desired. Unfortunately, the complexity meant to sustain and support these connections never made it onto the page.

Overall, I really think the development of feelings, romantic relationships, and the buildup to these critical plot points were not as descriptive or as carefully built as the plot or the world. There is LGBTQ representation, but I questioned whether that was organic or implemented to find a space within stories that feature inclusivity and diversity.

In the end, I do think this book is worth reading for its originality and rich setting. However, I’m still undecided on whether I’ll continue with the series.

happy reading, friends xx

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very average book that I wish was better, because there's not a lot of Indian-inspired books in fantasy romance right now. This book has a plot that is mildly interesting, but it falls flat in many ways.

This book was relatively short, but still felt much longer than it needed to be. The author used way too many sentences describing mundane things about people, their actions, and backstory of random side characters. I would've rather had excessive purple prose than paragraphs describing the MCs doing one thing. The entire book is a textbook example of telling and not showing.

I appreciate that one character is unashamedly a courtesan, but I wished she had more personality than just pining for one of the MMCs.

The world and its relationship to magic doesn't make any sense. Only elves and women have had magic for centuries, and somehow this hasn't shaped their society in a single way? Literally centuries of only one gender having magic and this hasn't influenced behaviors, gender roles, anything?

The reader is introduced to some good ol' anti-magic sentiment that's been brewing in the city, but is left completely confused by it. There are no posters, town criers, or even spreading gossip that show what the reasons are for people starting to go against spellcasters. It's just "spellcasters must die". I found myself craving even just a random beggar saying something like " a spellcaster stole my lunch!" to show some reason behind why, after centuries, people are turning against them.

An early plot point is that the elven ambassador thinks he needs to break into an embassy to check whether the emperor is a guest or a prisoner. This literally makes no sense and the reasoning behind it is never discussed again.

The antagonist of this book is very 1 dimensional, which is unfortunate because the reader can see he is the villain from a mile away. The first 2/3 of the book try to have some kind of intrigue and political maneuvering, but it is incredibly obvious what is going on. It is understandable that the naive FMC doesn't see it coming, but the author could've been more clever about it so the reader's intelligence isn't insulted by the "secret" alliances and agendas. Right at the beginning we're told that the MMC's brother's name refers to the wind, and not even 50 pages pass before there's multiple warnings or fishy things happening for someone who could be referred to as "the wind".

Taara, the FMC who is also the queen from a matriarchal society, somehow lets any man in her presence trample over her every word and action. And just accepts it. Again, she's naive and sheltered, but she was sheltered in a palace of a matriarchal society! She should be naively insisting that the men in her presence do irrational things, not just letting the men make all of the decisions for her and take away her free will (and again, they do this in front of her, the QUEEN. While in the palace).

Taara and the person she falls for (avoiding spoilers) is a very weird relationship as well. I don't mind insta-lust, but this is so 'insta' that the reader is confused how it even starts. The only clue is that Taara has somehow been dreaming about her lover. And later, they act super devoted to Taara even though they've spent less than a week together, despite the lover supposedly being someone worldly.

Lastly, the MMC is gang raped on page and it is never mentioned again. Only used for shock value at that point in the book. He literally could've just been given a cursed magic item or poisoned and the 'result' of this assault would've been the same, but without the rape.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Unfortunately, I think it's pretty weak overall, despite having an appealing premise. This is NOT romantasy, despite the title format! It is a fantasy book WITH some romance in it, but pretty much all of the romance could be entirely removed from the plot without the overall story being affected. That said, there is a lot of sex in this book. A LOT. And most of it seems to be there just to reinforce the fact that this is an ADULT fantasy, not a YOUNG ADULT fantasy. Surely there are better ways to convey this? I am not at all averse to a spicy scene but there were often times here when I was like, "We're doing this now? Really?"

Anyway. The book is roughly split between four main characters. Taara should have been super interesting but was in fact a very milquetoast character despite harboring massive cosmic power. Despite being a literal queen, she knew nothing about ruling, and when she realized that, she exhibited no desire to learn and try to do better. The others weren't much better, having only very surface-level personalities to propel them through the story. There is a BIG info dump in Bhediya's part early on that seemed clumsy at best, and the actual climax of the story comes out of absolutely nowhere. I am not joking; everyone abruptly shows up at a location most of them had not been seen going to, and had in fact no reason to be going to, for a big fight which is over in literally one chapter. Then they all go see a play. I actually did like the play scene, though.

There is a bunch of other nonsense that happens; a side character randomly has a holy relic for no purpose but to hand it off to Garjan and then show up and fight with him, presumably to never be seen again (which is too bad because Takashi was one of the strongest side characters in the book). All of the harem girls are evil except for Taara's love interest, who randomly is not, and it is not explained EITHER WAY why the others are or why she is not. There is a temple society that could be super interesting but then doesn't ultimately get explored for more than a chapter and all of the characters within it are so minor as to remain completely nameless.

I DO give Varghese kudos for taking inspiration from Indian mythology but actually making her own pantheon and such instead of just plopping literal Hindu deities into her fantasy setting, like I have seen done with other fantasy works supposedly set in other worlds; that is lazy and Varghese didn't do it, so good job there.

If you want an Indian-inspired fantasy, I would STRONGLY recommend The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri and its sequels (also published by Orbit!). It has a level of depth and richness that this one lacks. For other stories that have the same FEEL but don't have the Indian-inspired setting, I would suggest The City of Brass and An Ember in the Ashes.

[Dotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Kiss of Crimson Ash is a Romantasy novel set in medieval India. We follow four characters as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens to shake the very foundations of their world.

Our story begins with Taara, a young queen whose mother has become inflicted with madness and who must enter an arranged marriage to solidify her kingdom. Her spouse, Garaj, is the beloved prince of their neighboring country, and his reluctance to leave his homeland is only heightened by his love for a courtesan. The courtesan, Bhediya, encounters danger because of her hidden magic. And Roland, a thief and friend of Garaj’s, takes a job that goes sour and embarks on his own adventure.

The character development and world building in this book is very good. I think our different characters are generally well developed, with different personalities, histories and motivations. The world has various levels of political machinations and power dynamics, which provided a lot of interest. There is a magic system that builds slowly over time as our characters learn more about the world around them.

The four different perspectives, amongst three disconnected storylines, really caused the pacing of this book to suffer. It was hard to get invested in any of the experiences of our characters because as soon as the story would develop, we would change perspectives and wouldn’t be back for another 50 pages. I was convinced I was still in the first third of the book and looked to realize the story was closer to the 70% mark. It meant that once the story finally hit the climax, it felt very rushed. I understand that the story wanted to focus on four perspectives, but I think choosing to focus on two of the stories instead of three would have made the story feel richer.

I also felt like the romance plotlines were unappealing. There are three romances: one between the prince and the courtesan, one between the queen and her attendant, and one between the thief and his traveling partner. We also have sexual relations between those characters and others, which felt off-putting. The only married couple is rooted in friendship and does not even attempt a romance plotline. The book neglects the power dynamics within these romances, most of which are questionable at best. There’s also a strong push against the idea of fidelity, which felt strange for a book that advertises itself partially as a romance. There are multiple explicit sexual encounters on page, both straight and queer, and the storylines highly emphasize both the casualness and the pleasure in these encounters.

Altogether, this was a good debut fantasy novel with a lot of promise that missed the execution. The worldbuilding and character development were good, but the pacing and romance in the story needed more work. I enjoyed the medieval Indian setting and the political intrigue, though I don’t think I will continue reading the series.

A big thank you to the team at Orbit for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anne (eggcatsreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A politically intense romantasy that I felt unfortunately fell short of the “romance” part of the genre.

I really wanted to like this book, and the worldbuilding and political turmoil present in this novel had me intrigued. However, much of the plot was told to us instead of shown, and some of the worldbuilding between what we were told and what we were shown didn’t quite make sense.

I think my biggest complaint is that we are told that the land our main character is now the queen of, Abhaya, is a matriarchy ruled by queens. And yet, our main character never once acts like a queen who expects to be followed, nor does the country act like one where their queens rule supreme. Her uncle rules in her mother’s stead, and once she is married (a decision she has almost no say in, despite supposedly being in charge) there is no political fight when her husband’s family moves to take control of her country instead. Not to mention that there doesn’t seem to be a flip in the typical gender roles or stereotypes in this country as opposed to the one ruled by kings with extremely sexist views of women. It just feels odd and out of place, and something that doesn’t have any affect on the plot.

Much of the worldbuilding is told to us rather than shown, as well as so much of the plot is simply happening in the background. There is a large (relatively boring) section where a few of our main characters are trapped in one location and nothing happens. And then this keeps happening.

Speaking of main characters, there are way too many POV characters in this book. I can think of at least 2 that could be removed without difficulty, and which would have made the plot flow faster and more consistently.

This was marketed as a romantasy, but I’ll be honest I don’t think I would classify it as such. There is almost no romance in this book at all. Two of the characters were already in a relationship prior to the book started, and the other two relationships that form are extremely quickly done and centered around sex. This isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, but then the plot requires these same relationships to have deep connections that just aren’t present in the narrative. There was one relationship where they slept together once and then they decide to leave the city together, having the one character simply…leave his home where he lives! This was so sudden it threw me for a loop and I had to reread the passage because it makes no sense.

Not to mention that every single relationship in this book has an uncomfortable power imbalance to them, to the point that this is even mentioned with the relationship Taara (the queen) has with her concubine, where she says she’s unsure if her affection is real or bought and that she wants to keep her so she can never leave. And the other relationship is between the king and a courtesan, and then a character who takes up with a much younger man. It just got uncomfortable after a while.

As well as the fact that this book seems to have an issue with monogamy, and not that I have any issues with sex workers - obviously - but I feel like this book takes the entirely wrong approach. In fact, there’s one scene where the group needs help leaving and the only person who can is a man who demands having sex with one of the women as payment - and the only reason this is okay is because he just so happens to choose the concubine among them who is, apparently, okay with this arrangement. And then this same character is chosen to have sex with someone else in order to be pregnant and carry on the line, and it then starts to feel like this book had her have this position only to make any kind of sexual coercion not a thing, because she’s a sex worker anyway and so she’s obviously okay with it.

There’s also an uncomfortable scene where the main male character is coerced into having sex with his concubines and it causes some kind of drug-induced possession, and then this is never really resolved nor does it seem to have much of a bigger point in the plot. And the little bit it does could have been done without the uncomfortable bordering-on-sexual-assault scene that precedes it.

All in all, I really wished I liked this book more and that it had a stronger grasp on both worldbuilding and romantic relationships, rather than using sex as an easy way to resolve any plot point or emotional connection.

Thank you to Orbit for providing me this review copy.

[Tails · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy of "A Kiss of Crimson Ash" by Anuja Varghese.

Rating: 4.5 /5

A Kiss of Crimson Ash is the beginning of a fantasy trilogy, full of divine magic, spellcasters, and political machinations. The book features a richly drawn world inspired by medieval India with a diverse cast of characters who will quickly steal your hearts.

I truly adore this book. Maybe I'm biased because Anuja Varghese is a local author for me, but I was hooked by both the story and characters very quickly! I absolutely devoured the first 40% in one sitting. This is one of the few multi-POV books where I loved reading every characters' POV. The book does have explicit sex scenes (not as explicit as erotica, in my opinion, but definitely open-door sex scenes) which I thought were very well done, particularly in terms of intimacy and tact. The first intimate scene was so tender and emotional, I felt it displayed a lot about the characters involved.

AKOCA is romantasy in the sense of fantasy romance, meaning the romance and the relationships between characters do take the forefront, on a background of politics and magic. I'm including this point not as a positive or a negative, but just so you know what to expect going into it. The politics are important to the story, but I wouldn't describe it as a politics-heavy book.

My only real complaint with the story is the relationship between Roland and Yash (one of two queer relationships in the book), mostly because I don't love an age-gap relationship (unless, of course, one character is an immortal being and somehow that makes it better), but I especially didn't love that it felt like the age difference was very emphasized, and with their relationship having the least amount of page-time it kind of felt like we went from this is just sex to relationship without much actual romantic tension or build-up—Yash was just sort of there. I'm hoping this is explored further in the next books. I'm also looking forward to seeing how the other relationships continue to develop and what those inter-relationship dynamics will become!

Overall, I really enjoyed A Kiss of Crimson Ash and I'm so excited to get my hands on the physical book. I will be waiting very impatiently for book two of the trilogy to come out!

If you like:

• medieval Indian fantasy
• sapphic AND achillean romances
• diverse characters
• the games of the gods played out among mortals
• fantasy romance with more than a bit of spice 🌶🌶🌶👀

... then you should definitely be reading A Kiss of Crimson Ash 🔥🪷

[Heather Pacella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Kiss of Crimson Ash is set in a lush world based on medieval India. The Samjayan empire, made up of seven city-states, has been relatively peaceful in the centuries since the Great Blast decimated the lands of humans, spellcasters, and elven-folk alike. However, all is not as seems in the empire. Taara, recently crowned the Queen of Abhaya after her mother suddenly went mad, finds herself forced into a marriage of alliance with Garjan, the Prince of Nandapore. They soon realize that there are more than favorable trade deals to explain this rushed marriage - both the emperor and Garjan's brother are suddenly aligned with a faction of the elven determined to restore the world to a time before magic was freely given to humans by any means necessary. As the executions of spellcasters intensify, Taara soon finds herself (and her goddess-blessed blood) a target. Forced to ally with Garjan, they soon find themselves being driven across the empire, where the goddess guides them to two others who must join them in their quest to save the world before it is too late: Bhediya, spellcaster courtesan (and Garjan's longtime love), and Roland, a common thief from a faraway land. As the four learn to summon the powers of a time long past, they suddenly find themselves locked in a battle for the fate of the world itself.

The world that Anuja Varghese has created here is fantastic! I was instantly intrigued by the lush landscapes throughout the Samjayan empire, and the magic system was both fascinating and refreshingly original. The rotating POVs between the four main characters (Taara, Garjan, Bhediya, and Roland) were also really enjoyable and helped to keep the story fast-paced and full of action. However, I do wish that these characters (and their relationships with each other) were a bit more fleshed out. Though this is being advertised as a romantasy, I don't really think that is an accurate label - there is very little romance in the book, and in fact most of the promised "spice" is just a bunch of transactional and manipulative sexual encounters between various characters that were abrupt and a bit cringe-inducing. In spite of that, there is plenty of political intrigue and high-stakes magical action to carry over into the next books, so I am hopeful that these shortcomings will be less prevalent in the story to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alison Gadsby · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There was something calming about talking like this, about sharing food, as if the world had not tipped sideways and everything was fine.”

There is so much to love in Anuja Varghese’s A KISS OF CRIMSON ASH, but I what I loved most was that the book, the world, the fantasy, understands that we live at a time where people are being cruelly oppressed because of their sexuality and gender – the gift of this book is that it offers a world were Varghese’s character are free to be, to choose, to love, who they want, and who they are.
In the first of Anuja Varghese’s Games of the Goddess Trilogy, we many amazing fantasy and D and D inspired characters but are told the story from four main perspectives. Taaratajini (Taara), a princess in Abhaya betrothed to Garjanathan (Garjan), the prince of neighbouring Nandapore. Once married they become the king and queen of Nandapore, mainly because Taara’s mother, Suvarnatara, is locked away suffering an inexplicable mental collapse. Bhediya is a courtesan and holds special magic in her blood, but is also madly in love with Garjan, who is also in love with her. We meet Roland, a thief who goes by many different aliases, which suits his personality and sexual appetites perfectly.
There are several other significant characters who each play a role both in the epic battle to take down an evil king, and within the fantasy world itself, as genre, All of them made reading. AKISS OF CRIMSON ASH a tension filled, sexually exciting literary journey.

This was my introduction to the romantasy genre, and I am hooked. Anuja Varghese mixes humour, desire, and honesty to offer readers some fantastic characters, mostly kick-ass women who hold the magic and the power to take down the evil king. The world she’s created is medieval India mixed with that Game of Thrones royalty-pleb collective where you’re not quite sure whose side you’re on because even the bad characters are so richly characterized that as reader, I don’t want them to die, if only I can see them be bad again in the next book!

I am so excited to start this epic journey with Taara, Payal, and Bhediya!

P.S. I may or may not be searching NoveList for comps when the book is published, so that my entire summer reading list is romantasy novels with the queerest, most gorgeous characters in the fantasy world!

[Keeley Ribchester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this one expecting sweeping romance and rich fantasy and A Kiss of Crimson Ash absolutely delivers on atmosphere but it also surprised me with how layered and daring it is beneath the surface.
This is my first time reading anything by Anuja Varghese and honestly for a debut, it’s incredibly ambitious.
Set in the intoxicating city of Nandapore the story pulls together a cast of characters who shouldn’t work on paper! a queen, a prince, a thief, and a courtesan but somehow their paths intertwine in a way that feels both fated and chaotic. The plot leans heavily into political intrigue, seduction, and power struggles, and while it can feel a little dense at times, it’s never dull. There’s always something simmering just under the surface.
The characters are where this really shines. They’re messy, driven, and often morally grey which I always appreciate. No one feels overly polished or predictable and their motivations keep shifting in ways that kept me hooked. The romance is woven through all of this rather than sitting front and centre, which actually made it feel more natural and when the emotional moments hit, they really land!
The world building is lush and immersive, clearly inspired by medieval India and it’s one of the strongest aspects of the book. You can almost feel the heat, the opulence, the danger. That said, there are moments where the detail slightly slows the pacing but if you enjoy sinking into a world rather than rushing through it this won’t bother you.
Overall i found A Kiss of Crimson Ash to be a bold immersive debut that doesn’t play it safe and I respect it for that. It may not be a flawless read, especially with pacing in places, but the storytelling, atmosphere, and character work more than make up for it. Definitely one to pick up if you like your fantasy a little darker, a little steamier, and full of intrigue.
If you loved the rich, war torn romance and political tension of The Hurricane Wars, the lush, culturally inspired world building or the dark, sensual edge and layered storytelling of The Bridge Kingdom, this will be right up your street. It also carries the same sweeping ambition and multi POV intensity as The Priory of the Orange Tree with a stronger focus on desire, power, and morally grey choices📚✨

[Kylee Doyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Orbit for the e-ARC and gifted physical copy.

I think this book had a lot of potential, but boy, was it a hot mess in terms of execution. First off, the book felt really rushed, especially in terms of the romantic relationships, but at the same time, it felt like nothing really happened in the book. The book description states that a goddess seeks four people, and together they "chart a course," "setting a trap for the empire's most powerful men." However, the four characters don't actually fully come together until the penultimate chapter, which is where most of the action in the book takes place.

As for the characters, they all fell incredibly flat for me. There are four MCs - Taara, Garjan, Bhediya, and Roland, along with an additional two characters who act as love interests for Taara and Roland. Bhediya felt like the only character who had any depth, but she also didn't seem to have as much page time as Taara and Garjan. Meanwhile, Taara and Garjan are both royals who come off as incredibly naive and lacking in common sense. Garjan has spent his life sneaking out of the palace and experiencing the "real world," so it seems like he would have developed some street smarts. Meanwhile, Taara has known her whole life she would become the next queen, but she seems to have absolutely no knowledge of anything outside her daily life of being pampered and praying to the goddess.

And don't get me started on the spice in this book. It's being touted as "erotic," but the spice was severely lacking. There were a number of open door scenes in this book, but the majority of them were very short and not very descriptive. Meanwhile, the longest scene, which I guess could be considered erotic, involved Garjan essentially being raped by a group of women who were acting as spies for his brother.

I was also surprised that there are no trigger warnings listed in this book. I honestly don't really pay attention to them because I'm not bothered by most things, but I know there are a few things in this book (rape, abuse, abortion, the killing of babies) that should definitely be called out so readers can be aware of them.

[Katerina Karavapori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a bit conflicted with this one, not entirely sure how I feel. I'm definitely glad I read it and I'm very excited with he prospect of new lore being introduced in a very saturated landscape withing recent years of romantasy publications. We see a lot of Norse/Viking/Greek etc. but I'm here for the novel cultural/mythological aspects of this, India is one of my favourite places to visit and the feast for the senses really shines through here. The world and worldbuilding felt original, fresh, lush, interesting, cinematic, it had everything I hope for and for me is the absolute highlight and the reason every seasoned romantasy fan should read this book!

Having said that, here are a few things that didn't work very well for me (and this could very well be a me problem, keep in mind):
- The 4 POVs. I don't know how this could be fixed. I usually really enjoy multiple POVs, the problem for me here is that the short chapters and alternating voices ended up confusing me and pulling me out of the story. Not really feeling that I know any of these characters resulted in me not being massively invested. You know, in a way that keeps you up late at night because you want to read one more chapter? Yeah, I didn't get that sadly. If this is going to be a series, maybe this aspect will change, but for a series starter it all felt a bit hazy, if that makes sense.
- The romantic plot lines. Again, because I didn't feel like I knew the characters very well, this was not anything particularly interesting to me.
- So, maybe, it's a bit about the writing and editing then. I truly think if a little bit of time and effort was put into tweaking these things, it could elevate this to a 5 star read because the premise is SO COOL.

I will be looking out for more from the author, there is so much promise here! I don't know if I can recommend this book BUT what I WILL say is that people should read it as it's different and fresh and unique and would probably make a great topic of book club discussions! Thank you to Anuja Varghese, Little Brown Book Group UK | Orbit and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

[Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Since it’s marketed as romantasy, I went in a little cautious because that genre can really vary for me. Sometimes the balance between fantasy and romance works perfectly, with compelling worldbuilding, interesting magic systems, and strong plots, while other times it feels more like a romance novel that simply happens to take place in a fantasy setting. Thankfully, this book leans much more toward the former. In fact, I’d argue it feels more like a fantasy novel with romantic and spicy elements rather than a romantasy.

One of my favorite aspects was the medieval Indian-inspired setting. It felt fresh and distinct compared to a lot of fantasy I’ve read, and I loved learning more about the world, the gods, and the magic system throughout the story. The pacing also worked really well for me because it balanced plot progression, character development, and worldbuilding without making any one aspect feel neglected.

I also thought the multiple POV structure was handled really well. All four perspectives felt unique, with their own personalities, flaws, motivations, and storylines. I especially appreciated that the characters made decisions that felt mature and self-aware. The book avoids some of the more frustrating overused tropes, particularly unnecessary miscommunication, and instead allows characters to recognize their own shortcomings and actively seek ways to improve themselves. That added a level of emotional maturity I really appreciated.

Even the side characters stood out. They felt like actual people who contributed meaningfully to the story rather than existing solely to move the plot forward. I also appreciated the diversity in both the cast and the relationships, including the strong LGBTQ+ representation woven naturally into the story.

Overall, this was a really enjoyable surprise for me, and I’m very excited to continue the series and read whatever the author writes next.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the overall premise of this book and the intricacies of the plot. It definitely has potential, and I had high hopes that the mysteries and secrets would eventually draw me in, but unfortunately they did not.

The main shortcomings of the novel for me lie with the characters and the fact that this was a very plot-driven novel.

I am heavily drawn to character-driven novels with nuanced, in-depth character arcs that drive the plot. This novel had none of that. For me, the characters felt very surface level with bland personalities. I didn’t feel connected to any of them or invested in their stories. This left little motivation for me to read on, despite all the political intrigue and scheming that typically captivates me.

The relationships between the characters left much to be desired. Garg and Bhediya are already in love at the start of the novel, as readers are told multiple times but never really shown. The relationships between Roland/Yash and Taara/Payal are both very rushed and too insta-lusty for my liking. They seemed thrown together for the sake of pairing them off rather than growing and developing a relationship authentically.

I did not like the sex scenes at all (I have nothing against sex scenes in general). I just felt these were cringy, and pointless because the character relationships were so poorly developed. There was no tension, no yearning, no banter, nothing to make these scenes remotely appealing.

The rotating POVs made the story feel a bit disjointed, perhaps because I felt no connection between the characters. Every time the POV changed, I felt less motivated to continue reading.

Overall, I think someone with different preferences could really enjoy this book. The plot is strong, but the characters needed more depth and development for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

[Courtney|the.bookcourt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Orbit Books and Anuja Varghese for the earc in exchange for my review. All opinions that follow are honest and my own.

2.5⭐️

A debut romantasy inspired by medieval India, A Kiss of Crimson Ash follows a power hungry king who will stop at nothing to gain all the power, including the death of many innocent people. But an ancient goddess is gathering her own weapons against him, a thief, a newly crowned queen, a heartsick prince, and a courtesan. Together they are the only hope to defeat the rising evil.

The synopsis had me on the edge of my seat. An essentially rag tag bunch of people from different walks of the world, forced together by an ancient being to save their kingdom? Sounds like either the set up for a bad joke or an epic tale.
And I think we ended up getting a little bit of both.
First the pacing of this story was weird, at times I thought whole weeks had passed only to find out it was just the next day. Also got a bunch of Déjà vu because of the multiple POVs that often picked up in the middle of the previous chapter. Don’t get me wrong, hearing other sides of the story is great…if they actually provide additional details and not regurgitated moments.
I found that throughout the book, I was never invested in the characters. There was a lot of telling and not showing, which made it hard to picture the scenes and what these characters even looked like.
Finally for a story that seemed to be a high stakes adventure, there was really only two moments where our two of our main characters were close to death and even then it was solved pretty quickly. Would’ve liked to see some of that drag out to build more tension and intrigue.
Overall, it wasn’t what I hoped it would be and maybe with some more detail and fleshing out of the history and characters this could be a really solid story!

[Nia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oookay! Let's talk cuz this book was fun!
It had an absolutely lush world building, crazy settings, high stakes and amazing characters!
This was a setting for a really fun, multi pov trilogy and I'm so excited for it!
The BUT here is me, I'm the problem 😭
• Because this book unfortunately unearthed a lot of genrational trauma that I thought I had buries deep, instead of heaving a huge sign of relief that our characters are safe and sound, I remembered the characters who weren't and the pain every single of them faced, it made me wildly uncomfortable!
• How Ganj mused themat over the ten years his brother had been married he'd never seen his sister in law not pregnant, she got 6 kids and is pregnant with one and in the end what happened to her..?! I was horrified but also knew that this might've been more common occurance.
• The purity concept in which the courtesans are blamer for the atrocities men do, saying that courtesans compelled them with black magic to do so...a woman is always judged, always at the altar to be pointed at.
• How Tara is cajoled with your husband will know, and she's totally unaware which pointed it the fact that the best way to control is to never make them aware never show them anything that brings point of comparison so they can see that the behaviour they're enduring is bad.
• How mens violence is always excused and women are one way or another used as an unwilling pawn in a game they don't know of and blamed it they don't serve the purpose properly!

🪩 This book was dark, real with really amazing things happening- a lot tho wasn't wrapped up so I'll definitely be picking up the next book cuz I'm a glutton for punishment, yess!!

💖 Thanks NetGalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own!