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Dhampira
A long-lost noble of the ruthless vampire court discovers she might not need to choose between her two suitors in this blood-pounding new romantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of the Bitten and Bound series.
Corinthe has spent a lifetime longing for excitement outside her sleepy human village. As a dhampir born of a human mother and vampire father, her unique abilities make her desired by those who lurk across the Feyline—the boundary that keeps the magical realm in perpetual twilight where vampires hold dominion. To stay safe, she’s concealed her supernatural strength and taste for blood from her human neighbors, but when her yearning for excitement accidentally exposes her gifts, she is captured to sell to the highest bidder.
Terrified, she expects the worst. But rescue comes in the form of Vander, a handsome stranger who whisks her from the auction stage and across the Feyline . . . where he reveals himself to be a vampire knight of King Rasimir’s court. Notorious for his cruelty, the deranged king is determined to extend his rule to the farthest reaches, and Vander has been tasked with delivering Corinthe to him.
Now a pawn in the vampire court, Corinthe learns that Rasimir intends to marry her off to the arrogant Prince Lorcan and exploit her daywalking abilities for his own gain. But a wedding isn’t the only obstacle in her path to freedom. While Vander burns with dangerous charm, Lorcan watches her with hungry eyes. And both men claim they can help her—if she can trust them.
Corinthe has spent a lifetime longing for excitement outside her sleepy human village. As a dhampir born of a human mother and vampire father, her unique abilities make her desired by those who lurk across the Feyline—the boundary that keeps the magical realm in perpetual twilight where vampires hold dominion. To stay safe, she’s concealed her supernatural strength and taste for blood from her human neighbors, but when her yearning for excitement accidentally exposes her gifts, she is captured to sell to the highest bidder.
Terrified, she expects the worst. But rescue comes in the form of Vander, a handsome stranger who whisks her from the auction stage and across the Feyline . . . where he reveals himself to be a vampire knight of King Rasimir’s court. Notorious for his cruelty, the deranged king is determined to extend his rule to the farthest reaches, and Vander has been tasked with delivering Corinthe to him.
Now a pawn in the vampire court, Corinthe learns that Rasimir intends to marry her off to the arrogant Prince Lorcan and exploit her daywalking abilities for his own gain. But a wedding isn’t the only obstacle in her path to freedom. While Vander burns with dangerous charm, Lorcan watches her with hungry eyes. And both men claim they can help her—if she can trust them.
486 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2026
About the author
Amy Pennza
62 books1,079 followersAmy Pennza is a USA Today Bestselling Author of steamy fantasy romance. After becoming a lawyer because everyone insisted writing wasn’t a “real job,” she stubbornly wrote anyway—and is delighted to have proved them wrong. She’s grateful to spend her days crafting dirty, swoony books about magic, swords, and unforgettable characters. She lives in the Great Lakes region with her husband and five children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️ 2 ⭐️ I don't even know where to begin with this review..because this book was a hot mess.
Lets begin with a little summary
We follow a 24 year old woman raised in a quiet village beside her mother. She's a dhampir--one born of a human mother and a vampire father. Corinthe possesses supernatural strength and unique abilities (enhanced strength and rare ability to be in daylight) and that make her desired by many. One day she is kidnapped and rescued by Vander, a vampire knight. He takes her to Nocta, a vampire kingdom where she meets her father, the ruthless vampire king. From hungry eyes and dangerous charms, she soon realizes that her father wants to use her for his own political schemes and she becomes a pawn in his vampire court. She is then forced to marry Prince Lorcan, who has his own hidden agenda. In short, this is a why choose, polyamorous romance with lots of spicy scenes, court politics and betrayals.
So why is this book a hot mess?
In short, the world building and pacing was the biggest flop in this book. We are introduced to a lot of different creatures/entities and none are explained. The magical concepts are introduced very quickly and feel superficial. I was left with many questions on top of more questions that were never answered. We jump from scene to scene without any proper transitions, so the writing is very choppy and doesn’t flow naturally…everything feels forced as much as it feels superficial. It was also very repetitive, we are given PAGES of the same explanations and repetition continues onto the following chapters.
Character development and the romance was severely lacking. As a fantasy reader, I must find appreciation in character development. There must be something that tethers me to the leads. I prefer a very capable heroine who is up for a challenge at the same time someone who is emotionally developing all through out the story. So growth, is essential to a strong lead, at least for me. Throughout the story, her emotional growth was rushed. Every transition happened too quickly and she seemed to adapt to everything too quickly. She became overly confident even in the situations she never encountered before. I felt that her character had limited internal conflicts: like her relationship and feelings towards her father--this particularly was very disappointing to read. She also came off as someone who prioritized her sexuality and relationships over everything else.
The romance between the three of them was so cringy. I have nothing against poly relationships and romance between throuples. It's how Pennza explored their relationship left me feeling unsatisfied. I know the author is spice heavy, but the way she represented the characters here with their bickering was not attractive, felt very juvenile and not even slightly charming. She developed their romance too quickly without emotional build up. She focused more on the 'urges and needs' vs intimacy, romance and attachment/attraction. There is no build up in terms of chemistry and spice. Corinthe's relationship with Lorcan and Vander by no means contributed to her growth. Like I've been insinuating, he biggest push here was spice and steam. For an example: at 49% the main female protagonist states she wouldn’t tie herself to any man she didn’t love and knows that the two MMCs are playing a game with her yet by 52% she is literally begging Vander for a release and his fingers wind up in her underwear. We went from cold to hot instantly and it’s just NOT DONE RIGHT. We went from romantasy to erotica real quick so it almost feels like this is in the wrong genre. I personally wanted more scenes that focused on independent ambitions than sexual releases.
The ending: what a flop...what was that? I mean it wrapped up faster than I expected. Was it any good? No, not really. It was abrupt and left me wanting more.
Side note: I also wanted to point how disappointed I was that Allurial selected this book. This is nothing against Allurial, I love them but the last two selections featured books with mediocre writing. Just because something is gorgeous with a cover that’s hard to resist, it doesn’t mean that the book is amazing. I hate to be this person to give a known author a poor rating but to be honest, I am kind of shocked that Allurial featured this book—have they looked at the writing? Are we just featuring something because something looks pretty and the spice level is hot? Are we overlooking everything else? How about giving us a great story with amazing character development and dynamics, a plot and something to hold on to?? I’m very thankful that I received this ARC and was very thankful to have that knowledge prior to my pick. I was already 30% in and not enjoying it, so I selected a different book for JUNE & I am so happy that I did because it would honestly suck owning a beautiful book and not having a good time.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Amy Pennza for an early copy.
Publication date: June 16, 2026
Lets begin with a little summary
We follow a 24 year old woman raised in a quiet village beside her mother. She's a dhampir--one born of a human mother and a vampire father. Corinthe possesses supernatural strength and unique abilities (enhanced strength and rare ability to be in daylight) and that make her desired by many. One day she is kidnapped and rescued by Vander, a vampire knight. He takes her to Nocta, a vampire kingdom where she meets her father, the ruthless vampire king. From hungry eyes and dangerous charms, she soon realizes that her father wants to use her for his own political schemes and she becomes a pawn in his vampire court. She is then forced to marry Prince Lorcan, who has his own hidden agenda. In short, this is a why choose, polyamorous romance with lots of spicy scenes, court politics and betrayals.
So why is this book a hot mess?
In short, the world building and pacing was the biggest flop in this book. We are introduced to a lot of different creatures/entities and none are explained. The magical concepts are introduced very quickly and feel superficial. I was left with many questions on top of more questions that were never answered. We jump from scene to scene without any proper transitions, so the writing is very choppy and doesn’t flow naturally…everything feels forced as much as it feels superficial. It was also very repetitive, we are given PAGES of the same explanations and repetition continues onto the following chapters.
Character development and the romance was severely lacking. As a fantasy reader, I must find appreciation in character development. There must be something that tethers me to the leads. I prefer a very capable heroine who is up for a challenge at the same time someone who is emotionally developing all through out the story. So growth, is essential to a strong lead, at least for me. Throughout the story, her emotional growth was rushed. Every transition happened too quickly and she seemed to adapt to everything too quickly. She became overly confident even in the situations she never encountered before. I felt that her character had limited internal conflicts: like her relationship and feelings towards her father--this particularly was very disappointing to read. She also came off as someone who prioritized her sexuality and relationships over everything else.
The romance between the three of them was so cringy. I have nothing against poly relationships and romance between throuples. It's how Pennza explored their relationship left me feeling unsatisfied. I know the author is spice heavy, but the way she represented the characters here with their bickering was not attractive, felt very juvenile and not even slightly charming. She developed their romance too quickly without emotional build up. She focused more on the 'urges and needs' vs intimacy, romance and attachment/attraction. There is no build up in terms of chemistry and spice. Corinthe's relationship with Lorcan and Vander by no means contributed to her growth. Like I've been insinuating, he biggest push here was spice and steam. For an example: at 49% the main female protagonist states she wouldn’t tie herself to any man she didn’t love and knows that the two MMCs are playing a game with her yet by 52% she is literally begging Vander for a release and his fingers wind up in her underwear. We went from cold to hot instantly and it’s just NOT DONE RIGHT. We went from romantasy to erotica real quick so it almost feels like this is in the wrong genre. I personally wanted more scenes that focused on independent ambitions than sexual releases.
The ending: what a flop...what was that? I mean it wrapped up faster than I expected. Was it any good? No, not really. It was abrupt and left me wanting more.
Side note: I also wanted to point how disappointed I was that Allurial selected this book. This is nothing against Allurial, I love them but the last two selections featured books with mediocre writing. Just because something is gorgeous with a cover that’s hard to resist, it doesn’t mean that the book is amazing. I hate to be this person to give a known author a poor rating but to be honest, I am kind of shocked that Allurial featured this book—have they looked at the writing? Are we just featuring something because something looks pretty and the spice level is hot? Are we overlooking everything else? How about giving us a great story with amazing character development and dynamics, a plot and something to hold on to?? I’m very thankful that I received this ARC and was very thankful to have that knowledge prior to my pick. I was already 30% in and not enjoying it, so I selected a different book for JUNE & I am so happy that I did because it would honestly suck owning a beautiful book and not having a good time.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Amy Pennza for an early copy.
Publication date: June 16, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I can’t believe a 5 star book finally found me!!!
This was, in a word, perfection. The writing, the characters, and the plot hit every single mark for me. If you love high-stakes vampire courts and incredible chemistry, you need to read this!
The relationship between Corinthe, Vander, and Lorcan was my absolute favorite part, obviously. What really made the book for me was the depth given to everyone. Lorcan’s backstory was completely heartbreaking, and seeing the complexity of Vander’s connection to Rasimir added such a great layer of tension.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ yes, it’s explicit and yes, it’s plentiful! These scenes were so spicy, but they still felt layered and so meaningful. I absolutely loved watching them build their bond through those moments. The wedding night, in particular, was everything.
I’m already desperate for the next book. After that ending, I’m crossing my fingers that we add the werewolf to the romance mix because that would be an absolute dream.
Tropes: Why Choose | Arranged Marriage | Forced Proximity | Deranged Villain
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: I don’t think I ever read a Why Choose before, and I’m curious to know what I’m missing! Plus I’m in a major vampire mood right now. Why have one brooding vampire when you can have two?
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!
This was, in a word, perfection. The writing, the characters, and the plot hit every single mark for me. If you love high-stakes vampire courts and incredible chemistry, you need to read this!
The relationship between Corinthe, Vander, and Lorcan was my absolute favorite part, obviously. What really made the book for me was the depth given to everyone. Lorcan’s backstory was completely heartbreaking, and seeing the complexity of Vander’s connection to Rasimir added such a great layer of tension.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ yes, it’s explicit and yes, it’s plentiful! These scenes were so spicy, but they still felt layered and so meaningful. I absolutely loved watching them build their bond through those moments. The wedding night, in particular, was everything.
I’m already desperate for the next book. After that ending, I’m crossing my fingers that we add the werewolf to the romance mix because that would be an absolute dream.
Tropes: Why Choose | Arranged Marriage | Forced Proximity | Deranged Villain
─ ✦ ────
✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: I don’t think I ever read a Why Choose before, and I’m curious to know what I’m missing! Plus I’m in a major vampire mood right now. Why have one brooding vampire when you can have two?
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!
Did Not Finish
July 5, 2026firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
unfortunately, dnf @ 47% — i’m a sucker for paranormal romances and so i decided to return to my roots for this vampire romance (which i didn’t realize was why choose and would have eaten it up if executed well…)
i had seen a few mutuals enjoy their read, and was hopeful that i would enjoy mine too, but this just wasn’t for me!
unfortunately, dnf @ 47% — i’m a sucker for paranormal romances and so i decided to return to my roots for this vampire romance (which i didn’t realize was why choose and would have eaten it up if executed well…)
i had seen a few mutuals enjoy their read, and was hopeful that i would enjoy mine too, but this just wasn’t for me!
![Profile Image for minnie. [traveling hiatus!].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1779543772i/190542410._UX200_CR0,23,200,200_.jpg)
July 1, 2026
── .✦ 4.5 stars! .ᐟ ⌗
𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 .ᐟ review #19
𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: june 16th
⤿ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: 06.09.26 - 06.15.26
⤿ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 16+
⤿ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 4/5
⤿ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: explicit sex, trafficking scene
𐔌🩸 06.16.26 ⸝⸝ basically what happens when the long lost princess of the ruthless vampire court is a dhampir, almost gets sex trafficked, and ends up being kidnapped to her father’s court by a hot vampire knight and is forced to marry a hot vampire prince (but she gets to choose both).
⋮ ⌗ ⚜️ ꒰ thoughts꒱
⤿🍷 .ᐟ i loved dhampira. going into the novel, it was quite clear that there were many common tropes: woman learns she has magical powers and then is trained by mmc, evil figure wants to use her power, arranged marriage, etc. however, i still did really enjoy dhampira because it was really fun and very well written. i liked corinthe a lot because she wasn’t a perfect fmc, and she struggled and failed and was genuinely flawed. living in a dangerous world and in a cutthroat court, she has to hide her emotions, intentions, and motives while also trying to figure out who she is. corinthe was realistic and relatable, and it was refreshing to see a heroine who doesn’t automatically succeed and be perfect at everything she learns. i also felt like she had a lot of growth, which made me really happy because static characters are very boring, but unfortunately very common in romantasy books.
⤿⚜️ .ᐟ i loved both mmc’s. usually in a love triangle i prefer the dark, broody prince (i know, i’m tragically brainwashed by booktok), but when i first met lorcan i actually expected that i would hate him. i was wrong of course, and ended up totally in love with him. both vander and lorcan were very well written and appealing, but somehow so different, and that made the romance so much better. i was hooked in with lorcan’s traumatizing, tragic backstory, and how he is stoic but soft for the people he cares about. you know what i also love? when the boyfriends are boyfriends. omg i was so happy to see this happening, i actually screamed when i found out.
⤿🍷 .ᐟ i found the magic system and world building to be quite interesting, and i liked how you can gain different types of magic through drinking blood. the world was very unique, and the twists of classic magic systems always surprises me every time, despite my habit of binge reading every fantasy i can get my hands on. i hated rasimir with every bone in my body, and i really want to strangle him, but i’m glad that amy pennza actually described the horrible, atrocious things that he has done instead of just stating that he’s a villain and that’s it. no, rasimir is quite literally the definition of evil.
⤿⚜️ .ᐟ overall this book gets 4.5 stars because the romance was amazing, common tropes were twisted to feel original and entertaining, and i had such a good time reading it! i can’t wait for the next book! to anyone who’s reading this review, today is the release date, so go RUN to your bookstores and buy dhampira now xx
⋮ ⌗ 🩸 ꒰ what to expect꒱
꒰💋꒱ flawed, realistic fmc
꒰💋꒱ boyfriends who are also boyfriends
꒰💋꒱ extremely hatable antagonist
꒰💋꒱ why choose romance
꒰💋꒱ arranged marriage
꒰💋꒱ unique magic system
꒰💋꒱ cutthroat vampire politics
꒰💋꒱ spicy chemistry
꒰💋꒱ forced proximity
my instagram review here!
⤿many, many thanks to netgalley, berkley publishing, and the author, amy pennza for the e-arc of the novel dhampira! all thoughts in this review are my honest opinion, and no ai was used at all during this process xx
𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 .ᐟ review #19
𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: june 16th
⤿ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: 06.09.26 - 06.15.26
⤿ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 16+
⤿ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 4/5
⤿ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: explicit sex, trafficking scene
«Eyes on me, Corinthe, because no force in this world or any other could make me take mine off you.»
𐔌🩸 06.16.26 ⸝⸝ basically what happens when the long lost princess of the ruthless vampire court is a dhampir, almost gets sex trafficked, and ends up being kidnapped to her father’s court by a hot vampire knight and is forced to marry a hot vampire prince (but she gets to choose both).
⋮ ⌗ ⚜️ ꒰ thoughts꒱
⤿🍷 .ᐟ i loved dhampira. going into the novel, it was quite clear that there were many common tropes: woman learns she has magical powers and then is trained by mmc, evil figure wants to use her power, arranged marriage, etc. however, i still did really enjoy dhampira because it was really fun and very well written. i liked corinthe a lot because she wasn’t a perfect fmc, and she struggled and failed and was genuinely flawed. living in a dangerous world and in a cutthroat court, she has to hide her emotions, intentions, and motives while also trying to figure out who she is. corinthe was realistic and relatable, and it was refreshing to see a heroine who doesn’t automatically succeed and be perfect at everything she learns. i also felt like she had a lot of growth, which made me really happy because static characters are very boring, but unfortunately very common in romantasy books.
⤿⚜️ .ᐟ i loved both mmc’s. usually in a love triangle i prefer the dark, broody prince (i know, i’m tragically brainwashed by booktok), but when i first met lorcan i actually expected that i would hate him. i was wrong of course, and ended up totally in love with him. both vander and lorcan were very well written and appealing, but somehow so different, and that made the romance so much better. i was hooked in with lorcan’s traumatizing, tragic backstory, and how he is stoic but soft for the people he cares about. you know what i also love? when the boyfriends are boyfriends. omg i was so happy to see this happening, i actually screamed when i found out.
⤿🍷 .ᐟ i found the magic system and world building to be quite interesting, and i liked how you can gain different types of magic through drinking blood. the world was very unique, and the twists of classic magic systems always surprises me every time, despite my habit of binge reading every fantasy i can get my hands on. i hated rasimir with every bone in my body, and i really want to strangle him, but i’m glad that amy pennza actually described the horrible, atrocious things that he has done instead of just stating that he’s a villain and that’s it. no, rasimir is quite literally the definition of evil.
⤿⚜️ .ᐟ overall this book gets 4.5 stars because the romance was amazing, common tropes were twisted to feel original and entertaining, and i had such a good time reading it! i can’t wait for the next book! to anyone who’s reading this review, today is the release date, so go RUN to your bookstores and buy dhampira now xx
«I would never be Rasimir’s pretty monster. But I was more than willing to be his undoing.»
⋮ ⌗ 🩸 ꒰ what to expect꒱
꒰💋꒱ flawed, realistic fmc
꒰💋꒱ boyfriends who are also boyfriends
꒰💋꒱ extremely hatable antagonist
꒰💋꒱ why choose romance
꒰💋꒱ arranged marriage
꒰💋꒱ unique magic system
꒰💋꒱ cutthroat vampire politics
꒰💋꒱ spicy chemistry
꒰💋꒱ forced proximity
my instagram review here!
⤿many, many thanks to netgalley, berkley publishing, and the author, amy pennza for the e-arc of the novel dhampira! all thoughts in this review are my honest opinion, and no ai was used at all during this process xx
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
”I would never be Rasimir’s pretty monster. But I was more than willing to be his undoing.”
• all types of magical creatures
• a steadfast fmc
• the boyfriends are also boyfriends
• a truly despicable antagonist
• strong mother / daughter relationship
• gradual romance that makes sense
• draining blood allows the use of different magic
i really loved how the world building had a clear direction, while still having room to open and expand in the rest of the series. Corinthe is a dhampir, that’s been raised by her mother to protect herself and never let anyone know that she is one. she gets thrown into the vampire court, where she has to cover up her true strength and abilities so she won’t be used for them.
King Rasimir was the WORST, i wanted to choke him.
”Eyes on me, Corinthe, because no force in this world or any other could make me take mine off you.”
the two mmc’s : Vander and Lorcan were so different but equally as appealing. Vander’s sarcasm and blunt attitude was my favorite, the way he kept dragging Lorcan was so funny. Lorcan is the more tortured of the two and his backstory was so sad. he was also the one who took initiative the most to make the hard decisions when it came to his vampire side. i loved the dynamic they all had together and how Corinthe’s ties to her mother never wavered.. can’t wait for the next book!
➘ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
• all types of magical creatures
• a steadfast fmc
• the boyfriends are also boyfriends
• a truly despicable antagonist
• strong mother / daughter relationship
• gradual romance that makes sense
• draining blood allows the use of different magic
i really loved how the world building had a clear direction, while still having room to open and expand in the rest of the series. Corinthe is a dhampir, that’s been raised by her mother to protect herself and never let anyone know that she is one. she gets thrown into the vampire court, where she has to cover up her true strength and abilities so she won’t be used for them.
King Rasimir was the WORST, i wanted to choke him.
”Eyes on me, Corinthe, because no force in this world or any other could make me take mine off you.”
the two mmc’s : Vander and Lorcan were so different but equally as appealing. Vander’s sarcasm and blunt attitude was my favorite, the way he kept dragging Lorcan was so funny. Lorcan is the more tortured of the two and his backstory was so sad. he was also the one who took initiative the most to make the hard decisions when it came to his vampire side. i loved the dynamic they all had together and how Corinthe’s ties to her mother never wavered.. can’t wait for the next book!
➘ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
April 4, 2026DNF at 28%
Thank you so much to Berkely and NetGalley for the e-arc!
While starting off with an intriguing premise, I found Dhampira to be very YA feeling. Although this isn’t an issue for some, it was for me. I felt that the story had too many coming of age fantasy clichés already and it wasn’t gripping me with any depth.
Corinthe held a lot of possibility but her naïveté was quick to grate on my nerves. She kept showing all of her cards and doing everything her mother told her to NOT do time and time again. She’s given advice and usually does not heed it. I wanted her to be cunning and smart, but she was woefully out of her depth here. Again, this may be a story some enjoy, I just don’t.
The two love interests haven’t done much yet so I can’t speak on their characters.
The writing is very nice and smooth, with some gorgeous descriptions of nature. I enjoyed it!
Overall, this is by no means a bad novel, it’s just too YA feeling for my own personal enjoyment.
Thank you so much to Berkely and NetGalley for the e-arc!
While starting off with an intriguing premise, I found Dhampira to be very YA feeling. Although this isn’t an issue for some, it was for me. I felt that the story had too many coming of age fantasy clichés already and it wasn’t gripping me with any depth.
Corinthe held a lot of possibility but her naïveté was quick to grate on my nerves. She kept showing all of her cards and doing everything her mother told her to NOT do time and time again. She’s given advice and usually does not heed it. I wanted her to be cunning and smart, but she was woefully out of her depth here. Again, this may be a story some enjoy, I just don’t.
The two love interests haven’t done much yet so I can’t speak on their characters.
The writing is very nice and smooth, with some gorgeous descriptions of nature. I enjoyed it!
Overall, this is by no means a bad novel, it’s just too YA feeling for my own personal enjoyment.
June 25, 2026
This had so much potential to be good but it just did not come together for me.
⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️
I liked the writing in this. It was very detailed and descriptive and the characters were interesting but the plotline, magic system and romance fell super flat. I think the magic and world was just really confusing and seemed weird with the vampire dynamic. I had high hopes for the 3 person romance but unfortunately like a lot of thrupple romances it didn't work for me. Mostly just form a lack of development.
I don't know, the writing keep you reading but as a whole it did not come together well. 🤷♀️
⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️
I liked the writing in this. It was very detailed and descriptive and the characters were interesting but the plotline, magic system and romance fell super flat. I think the magic and world was just really confusing and seemed weird with the vampire dynamic. I had high hopes for the 3 person romance but unfortunately like a lot of thrupple romances it didn't work for me. Mostly just form a lack of development.
I don't know, the writing keep you reading but as a whole it did not come together well. 🤷♀️
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Dhampira was precisely the kind of book you would expect it to be. With instant-connection turning into love, vampire politics, and a dash of danger, no element of the story particularly surprised me but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. It was predictable, fun, and intriguing enough to keep me reading. The FMC had a good amount of growth, the MMCs probably could have been combined into one single character, and the villain was almost cartoonish in his evil. Honestly, this was a YA plot with a few romance scenes thrown in, but it was still a fun time.
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.
June 8, 2026
Dhampira is yummy treat. The story follows Corinthe who has unknown parentage and must escape her village to protect her mother and hide the secret that she’s a day walking vampire. As she learns her ancestry she is forced into a betrothal with someone who terrifies her. She gains and loses friends as she struggles to find her power and save her life and the kingdom from the evil power hungry neurotic king. She finds herself in some very spicy situations. I really enjoyed the friendships she found. While she’s still in the mortal town it feels like a vampire version of beauty and the beast. I quite enjoyed it and devoured this book quickly and can’t wait to see what Amy Pennza writes next! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Did Not Finish
July 22, 2026After trying to read this book not once, not twice, but three times, I truly had to give up.
I’ve made it to 31% and it just isn’t making any sense. Things are just coming out of left field. Random stuff just keeps happening.
Like, randomly, when she’s taken to a spot in the forest after starving her, she drains a mermaid so bad that she gains his gills…. I understood the tattoos but the gills? So odd to me (they acted like it was expected).
For the first 20% of a standalone, not much was happening as well. It was a little washed out.
I definitely had to stop this one.
I’ve made it to 31% and it just isn’t making any sense. Things are just coming out of left field. Random stuff just keeps happening.
Like, randomly, when she’s taken to a spot in the forest after starving her, she drains a mermaid so bad that she gains his gills…. I understood the tattoos but the gills? So odd to me (they acted like it was expected).
For the first 20% of a standalone, not much was happening as well. It was a little washed out.
I definitely had to stop this one.
May 29, 2026
Received an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley
(Spoiler...ish)
This was compulsively readable, despite being on the longer side (500pgs) I flew through it in about 3 days.
While this novel isn't reinventing the wheel (early to mid-twenties woman learns she harbors mystical and/or unprecedented power, is sought by evil figure for insidious purposes, trained/guarded by X flavor of MMC, comes into her power, etc.), it was still incredibly fun, well written, and truly delightful to read.
For me, Corinthe definitely falls on the more tolerable side of fantasy FMCs. She's flawed. She isn't perfectly poised, amazing at subterfuge, skilled at everything and successful immediately. She genuinely fails and struggles for most of the book to simultaneously discover who she truly is, while hiding her real emotions and intentions in a very dangerous world. There is a sincerity to a main character struggling like this that a lot of fantasy seems to lack. In other books we see a lot of instances where our FMC just picks up swordplay and fighting in a week and it's incredibly annoying and unbelievable.
I was obviously down bad for Vander immediately. A charmingly mischievous and overprotective redheaded man? I'm there. I expected to hate Lorcan and ended up loving him so much. Again... a dark, stoic, traumatized prince with a tragic backstory, who is soft only for the people he loves? Was this written specifically for me? (And if he just so happens to love being dommed by the aforementioned redheaded Captain of the King's Guard... I'm seated).
But my love of the characters aside, there was a lot I liked about this. Parts of the magic system and some of the creatures were truly whimsical and unique. It's nice to be a seasoned fantasy reader and still be surprised by original character or creature concepts, or little twists on magic systems. Rasimir was villainous in every sense of the word, which I appreciate. I hate when villains are just painted as surface-level evil without delving into the specifics of how groups of people are affected by their tyrannical actions.
The smut was smuttin, and I truly appreciate a scenario where our FMC's boyfriends are boyfriends. But that aside, we got some truly lovely non-sexual intimate scenes in this. The wedding and wedding night were so beautifully written. My heart broke for Lorcan, learning about his past was so sad and it made their bond that much more special. The relationship between the three of them was very sweet and I can't wait to see more of it in the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. I hadn't read any of Amy Pennza's work previously, but I had a bunch on my TBR. So, when this popped up on NetGalley I figured WHY NOT?! Very glad I got to read an ARC copy. I will now be going back and reading a bunch more of her work and am very excited about it.
(Spoiler...ish)
This was compulsively readable, despite being on the longer side (500pgs) I flew through it in about 3 days.
While this novel isn't reinventing the wheel (early to mid-twenties woman learns she harbors mystical and/or unprecedented power, is sought by evil figure for insidious purposes, trained/guarded by X flavor of MMC, comes into her power, etc.), it was still incredibly fun, well written, and truly delightful to read.
For me, Corinthe definitely falls on the more tolerable side of fantasy FMCs. She's flawed. She isn't perfectly poised, amazing at subterfuge, skilled at everything and successful immediately. She genuinely fails and struggles for most of the book to simultaneously discover who she truly is, while hiding her real emotions and intentions in a very dangerous world. There is a sincerity to a main character struggling like this that a lot of fantasy seems to lack. In other books we see a lot of instances where our FMC just picks up swordplay and fighting in a week and it's incredibly annoying and unbelievable.
I was obviously down bad for Vander immediately. A charmingly mischievous and overprotective redheaded man? I'm there. I expected to hate Lorcan and ended up loving him so much. Again... a dark, stoic, traumatized prince with a tragic backstory, who is soft only for the people he loves? Was this written specifically for me? (And if he just so happens to love being dommed by the aforementioned redheaded Captain of the King's Guard... I'm seated).
But my love of the characters aside, there was a lot I liked about this. Parts of the magic system and some of the creatures were truly whimsical and unique. It's nice to be a seasoned fantasy reader and still be surprised by original character or creature concepts, or little twists on magic systems. Rasimir was villainous in every sense of the word, which I appreciate. I hate when villains are just painted as surface-level evil without delving into the specifics of how groups of people are affected by their tyrannical actions.
The smut was smuttin, and I truly appreciate a scenario where our FMC's boyfriends are boyfriends. But that aside, we got some truly lovely non-sexual intimate scenes in this. The wedding and wedding night were so beautifully written. My heart broke for Lorcan, learning about his past was so sad and it made their bond that much more special. The relationship between the three of them was very sweet and I can't wait to see more of it in the next book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. I hadn't read any of Amy Pennza's work previously, but I had a bunch on my TBR. So, when this popped up on NetGalley I figured WHY NOT?! Very glad I got to read an ARC copy. I will now be going back and reading a bunch more of her work and am very excited about it.
July 25, 2026
˙⋆✮Rating✮⋆˙
1.5/5 Stars
(Rounded Down)
【What to Expect】
🩸Court Politics & Intrique
ྐ❤︎ A Tirant King
🩸 Arranged Marriage
ྐ❤︎ Unique Magic System
🩸 Forced Proximity
𓂃🖊Notes and Highlights-
・┆✦ʚ”Are you a tool or a blade?”ɞ✦ ┆・
✦•┈๑⋅⋯”Truth is pain but pain is a useful thing. It reminds us we’re alive.”⋯⋅๑┈•✦
💭 Thoughts-
-ˋˏ✄┈┈When you read a fantasy book one of the main things that matters in it is how the author writes both the world building and the overall pacing of the book. Sadly I felt the author failed to do this on both accounts and while I did enjoy the uniqueness of the witches magic and how it works I barely knew anything about it besides the basics which made it feel like a small thing off the side not a huge part of who the character is and her past.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈The female main character also just felt like an unnecessary addition to the book. I honestly think she could have just been a side character with Vander and Lorcan as the main characters of this book. Corinthe most of the time just seemed like a naive little girl who never stuck to what she believed in. It felt like she just did whatever the guys told her to do. They would tell her to kill someone she was like no I could never then would do it without mercy or feeling anything, they would tell her she needs to kill her father her response “Ok lets do it!”, and most of the time felt like she was clawing for a spotlight that didn’t need her.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈The romance also was just cringy and made me skip pretty much all the romantic scenes even just kissing because I couldn’t with it. Then after 500 pages of confusion and annoyance we get to an ending that felt rushed, bland, and honestly just not needed. The author wanted a cliff hanger to lead to the next book of what will happen next and all we got was something that felt like everything else in the book. We didn’t get a true ending to a fantasy book.
Now Playing:
Devil in Disguise- Marino
0:01 ❍─────── 4:28
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Volume: ▁▂▃10%
1.5/5 Stars
(Rounded Down)
【What to Expect】
🩸Court Politics & Intrique
ྐ❤︎ A Tirant King
🩸 Arranged Marriage
ྐ❤︎ Unique Magic System
🩸 Forced Proximity
𓂃🖊Notes and Highlights-
・┆✦ʚ”Are you a tool or a blade?”ɞ✦ ┆・
✦•┈๑⋅⋯”Truth is pain but pain is a useful thing. It reminds us we’re alive.”⋯⋅๑┈•✦
💭 Thoughts-
-ˋˏ✄┈┈When you read a fantasy book one of the main things that matters in it is how the author writes both the world building and the overall pacing of the book. Sadly I felt the author failed to do this on both accounts and while I did enjoy the uniqueness of the witches magic and how it works I barely knew anything about it besides the basics which made it feel like a small thing off the side not a huge part of who the character is and her past.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈The female main character also just felt like an unnecessary addition to the book. I honestly think she could have just been a side character with Vander and Lorcan as the main characters of this book. Corinthe most of the time just seemed like a naive little girl who never stuck to what she believed in. It felt like she just did whatever the guys told her to do. They would tell her to kill someone she was like no I could never then would do it without mercy or feeling anything, they would tell her she needs to kill her father her response “Ok lets do it!”, and most of the time felt like she was clawing for a spotlight that didn’t need her.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈The romance also was just cringy and made me skip pretty much all the romantic scenes even just kissing because I couldn’t with it. Then after 500 pages of confusion and annoyance we get to an ending that felt rushed, bland, and honestly just not needed. The author wanted a cliff hanger to lead to the next book of what will happen next and all we got was something that felt like everything else in the book. We didn’t get a true ending to a fantasy book.
Now Playing:
Devil in Disguise- Marino
0:01 ❍─────── 4:28
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺
Volume: ▁▂▃10%
June 25, 2026
Holy crap!!! I'm back in my Fantasy era. Two 5 star Fantasy books in 1 week (other was Starside). This book was everything! I loved it so much!!!
Did Not Finish
June 19, 2026DNF @ 32%, skimmed up to 53% (end of Chapter 16). Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for the ARC.
This would better entertain someone who has yet to find the formulaic romantasy narrative stale. It's the attraction to men the Heroine barely knows and have trouble trusting, because we have to go through the motions of keeping secrets from her until the Time Is Right. I'm just also unimpressed with lusty scenes that the narrative forces these characters into before I've even started to care about them as a couple. Oh they're kissing and making out this early now? Oh she's under some influence and is in crazy heat and needs sexual release? Can we get a proper bonding moment first.
Our half-vampire half-human heroine, Corinthe, is .... fine. Just fine. To list the things I like about her so far: she's compassionate for the individuals that she's being forced to kill + she's 25, which is better than being 19 with centuries-old love interests. For her two love interests, you've got the Vander the Nice(r) One and Lorcan the A-Grade Asshole. I didn't get that far in to confirm but there's some strongly hinted swordcrossing with the two male love interests, which would make this a three-way polyamory and not just Girl With Two Boyfriends.
Then there's Corinthe's mother. She raised her half-vamp daughter as best as she could (the fact that Corinthe could mostly control her thirst for blood is a testament to that), it still annoys me of how ill-prepared the latter is due to her ignorance that isn't even her fault. Corinthe isn't some teenager; this is your grown ass daughter in her literal mid 20s and maybe informing her of the actual dangers you are trying to protect her from would keep her safer.
Dhampira is not for me, and I stopped reading because I anticipated this annoying me even more if I didn't.
This would better entertain someone who has yet to find the formulaic romantasy narrative stale. It's the attraction to men the Heroine barely knows and have trouble trusting, because we have to go through the motions of keeping secrets from her until the Time Is Right. I'm just also unimpressed with lusty scenes that the narrative forces these characters into before I've even started to care about them as a couple. Oh they're kissing and making out this early now? Oh she's under some influence and is in crazy heat and needs sexual release? Can we get a proper bonding moment first.
Our half-vampire half-human heroine, Corinthe, is .... fine. Just fine. To list the things I like about her so far: she's compassionate for the individuals that she's being forced to kill + she's 25, which is better than being 19 with centuries-old love interests. For her two love interests, you've got the Vander the Nice(r) One and Lorcan the A-Grade Asshole. I didn't get that far in to confirm but there's some strongly hinted swordcrossing with the two male love interests, which would make this a three-way polyamory and not just Girl With Two Boyfriends.
Then there's Corinthe's mother. She raised her half-vamp daughter as best as she could (the fact that Corinthe could mostly control her thirst for blood is a testament to that), it still annoys me of how ill-prepared the latter is due to her ignorance that isn't even her fault. Corinthe isn't some teenager; this is your grown ass daughter in her literal mid 20s and maybe informing her of the actual dangers you are trying to protect her from would keep her safer.
Dhampira is not for me, and I stopped reading because I anticipated this annoying me even more if I didn't.
June 11, 2026
if this book was maybe 100 pages longer i would give it five stars do not argue with me.
THANK YOU COMPUTA FOR NOT MAKING ME CHOSE BETWEEN A STOIC PRINCE AND A HUNKY GUARD CAPTAIN
THANK YOU COMPUTA FOR NOT MAKING ME CHOSE BETWEEN A STOIC PRINCE AND A HUNKY GUARD CAPTAIN
July 23, 2026
Computa..…. give me 2 vampire boyfriends and make them kiss🩸
And did they ever 😏
I’m a big fan of this book, because it had my holy trinity✨
1. Arranged marriage
2. Forced proximity
3. Boyfriends who are also boyfriends
I went into this thinking it would be a duology, and my only complaint is that it wasn’t. The ending felt a little rushed and I think it would have benefited greatly from being split into two books. The plot was there and I wanted more time with the finale.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a slutty little poly vampire romance with a solid plot and great spice. 4/5 bites🩸
**Thank you so much to Ace & Berkley Publishing for sending me an ARC copy of this book. It was exactly what I hope vampire romance will be. All thoughts/opinions are my own**
And did they ever 😏
I’m a big fan of this book, because it had my holy trinity✨
1. Arranged marriage
2. Forced proximity
3. Boyfriends who are also boyfriends
I went into this thinking it would be a duology, and my only complaint is that it wasn’t. The ending felt a little rushed and I think it would have benefited greatly from being split into two books. The plot was there and I wanted more time with the finale.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a slutty little poly vampire romance with a solid plot and great spice. 4/5 bites🩸
**Thank you so much to Ace & Berkley Publishing for sending me an ARC copy of this book. It was exactly what I hope vampire romance will be. All thoughts/opinions are my own**
April 8, 2026
The first in a trilogy, Dhampira begins the tale of Corinthe, a 25-year-old woman with a secret: her father was a vampire. When her secret forces her to flee her home, she discovers a completely new world where magic reigns— as does evil. Corinthe must discover her own magical powers to avoid not only her own death, but the death of the entire magical realm of Nocta.
Pennza’s usual spice is tamped down to a slow burn in this MMF romantasy where world-building takes center stage. I’m looking forward to the next book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Pennza’s usual spice is tamped down to a slow burn in this MMF romantasy where world-building takes center stage. I’m looking forward to the next book!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
July 14, 2026
3.5 Stars ⭐️
This book was another "new to me" author that just happened to also be my monthly selection from Allurial.
We are introduced to FMC Corinthe - the child of her human mother and vampire father - and learn that the world she lives in has a divide between the human realm and the magical realm. While she was raised in a human village, her mother has always warned her about getting too close to the Feyline and risking her life in the twilight realm. That magical realm is ruled by the cruel and deranged vampire King Rasimir.
Corinthe is a dhampira who has been hidden by her mother for her entire life (25 years) when a disastrous event cascades into a kidnapping, a rescue, then a betrayal where she finds herself in the realm that her mother has tried to keep her hidden from and delivered directly to King Rasimir.
As things begin to unfold, she learns that her entire life has been a lie. Nothing that she grew up believing has been true and she has to deal with an emotional avalanche as she realizes that her ignorance can actually kill her.
Things take a turn when she meets the other two MMC's:
Sir Vander - Vampire and Captain of the King's guard with special abilities
Prince Lorcan - former Dragon King but now an ally of King Rasimir - also a vampire who collects other powers and abilities.
Things are not what they seem and Corinthe finds herself having to walk a fine line to stay alive. The King is not only power hungry; he is also insane and without a conscience. Talk about being thrown into the deep end without knowing how to swim....
I didn't realize that this was a "Why Choose", so that solved a few issues for me :)
The ending felt rather rushed - after building up the final battle for so long, things actually happened rather quickly and easily. After the ending, this FEELS like a stand alone, but I saw some references to this being a series. I honestly have no idea but this book, and this story arc, were wrapped up fairly completely.
This book was another "new to me" author that just happened to also be my monthly selection from Allurial.
We are introduced to FMC Corinthe - the child of her human mother and vampire father - and learn that the world she lives in has a divide between the human realm and the magical realm. While she was raised in a human village, her mother has always warned her about getting too close to the Feyline and risking her life in the twilight realm. That magical realm is ruled by the cruel and deranged vampire King Rasimir.
Corinthe is a dhampira who has been hidden by her mother for her entire life (25 years) when a disastrous event cascades into a kidnapping, a rescue, then a betrayal where she finds herself in the realm that her mother has tried to keep her hidden from and delivered directly to King Rasimir.
As things begin to unfold, she learns that her entire life has been a lie. Nothing that she grew up believing has been true and she has to deal with an emotional avalanche as she realizes that her ignorance can actually kill her.
Things take a turn when she meets the other two MMC's:
Sir Vander - Vampire and Captain of the King's guard with special abilities
Prince Lorcan - former Dragon King but now an ally of King Rasimir - also a vampire who collects other powers and abilities.
Things are not what they seem and Corinthe finds herself having to walk a fine line to stay alive. The King is not only power hungry; he is also insane and without a conscience. Talk about being thrown into the deep end without knowing how to swim....
I didn't realize that this was a "Why Choose", so that solved a few issues for me :)
The ending felt rather rushed - after building up the final battle for so long, things actually happened rather quickly and easily. After the ending, this FEELS like a stand alone, but I saw some references to this being a series. I honestly have no idea but this book, and this story arc, were wrapped up fairly completely.
July 7, 2026
Dhampira
1⭐️ | DNF
Unfortunately, Dhampira was not the right fit for me, and I ultimately decided to DNF it.
The book started with a promising premise that initially captured my attention. However, as the story progressed, I found myself increasingly disengaged. The narrative became difficult to follow, and rather than growing more invested in the plot and characters, my interest steadily declined until I no longer felt compelled to continue reading.
Reading this book felt like being dropped into a pot of sancocho, filled with countless ingredients, but without a clear understanding of how they fit together.
There are numerous supernatural creatures, many of which seemed to have little relevance to the story, making the world feel overcrowded rather than immersive. At the same time, the world-building felt underdeveloped. Combined with a cast of characters I struggled to connect with, the reading experience became increasingly frustrating.
I also felt that the marketing and premise did not accurately reflect the story being told. The book is promoted as a why-choose romance, yet the primary romantic tension appears to exist between the two male characters. While I have no issue with that dynamic, it left me confused about the why-choose aspect of the story. Unless the intended conflict revolves around Vander choosing between Lorcan and Corinthe, the romantic setup did not align with my expectations based on the book's description.
Overall, while the concept had potential, the execution did not work for me, and I chose to step away from the story before finishing.
1⭐️ | DNF
Unfortunately, Dhampira was not the right fit for me, and I ultimately decided to DNF it.
The book started with a promising premise that initially captured my attention. However, as the story progressed, I found myself increasingly disengaged. The narrative became difficult to follow, and rather than growing more invested in the plot and characters, my interest steadily declined until I no longer felt compelled to continue reading.
Reading this book felt like being dropped into a pot of sancocho, filled with countless ingredients, but without a clear understanding of how they fit together.
There are numerous supernatural creatures, many of which seemed to have little relevance to the story, making the world feel overcrowded rather than immersive. At the same time, the world-building felt underdeveloped. Combined with a cast of characters I struggled to connect with, the reading experience became increasingly frustrating.
I also felt that the marketing and premise did not accurately reflect the story being told. The book is promoted as a why-choose romance, yet the primary romantic tension appears to exist between the two male characters. While I have no issue with that dynamic, it left me confused about the why-choose aspect of the story. Unless the intended conflict revolves around Vander choosing between Lorcan and Corinthe, the romantic setup did not align with my expectations based on the book's description.
Overall, while the concept had potential, the execution did not work for me, and I chose to step away from the story before finishing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2026
Man that was fun!
For some reason I rarely read a book rated less than a 4 on Goodreads, I don't know, I think I assume they are shite. But holy guacamole, was I wrong.... It just goes to show you, sometimes you just have to take a punt.
I absolutely loved this book, I ran through it like a hot knife through butter. It is F.U.N. I really needed a good read, I feel like I've been reading turkey after turkey after turkey. And this was definitely not a turkey.
I don't know where Amy Penzza has been all my life but I loved her world building, it's descriptive and richly vivid. The magic system was so quirky and unusual, dare I say it.... Original. And the 🌶️ was absolutely off the charts 🔥. The character builds were solid and their banter was fun and engaging. The combination of all these things made this book LITERALLY unputdownable.
It's been a long time since I drifted through my work day obsessively wondering what was going to happen next in a novel I'm reading. Amy P has a remarkable skill of offering little glimmers and hints of mystery, peppered like glitter every now and then. It makes this book almost impossible to stop reading. My only hope is that this series continues.
Love, love, loved this light and witty read, thoroughly recommend!
For some reason I rarely read a book rated less than a 4 on Goodreads, I don't know, I think I assume they are shite. But holy guacamole, was I wrong.... It just goes to show you, sometimes you just have to take a punt.
I absolutely loved this book, I ran through it like a hot knife through butter. It is F.U.N. I really needed a good read, I feel like I've been reading turkey after turkey after turkey. And this was definitely not a turkey.
I don't know where Amy Penzza has been all my life but I loved her world building, it's descriptive and richly vivid. The magic system was so quirky and unusual, dare I say it.... Original. And the 🌶️ was absolutely off the charts 🔥. The character builds were solid and their banter was fun and engaging. The combination of all these things made this book LITERALLY unputdownable.
It's been a long time since I drifted through my work day obsessively wondering what was going to happen next in a novel I'm reading. Amy P has a remarkable skill of offering little glimmers and hints of mystery, peppered like glitter every now and then. It makes this book almost impossible to stop reading. My only hope is that this series continues.
Love, love, loved this light and witty read, thoroughly recommend!
June 15, 2026
Dhampira’s world building and magic system is 10/10. I was so intrigued by all the creatures and how everything tied to one another.
The romance… good… it was hard for the characters to build on their love when they were also sneaking around trying to overthrow the overlord and the spice was mild until the end.
The resolution of the conflict though… so quick lmao. The lead up to it really built it up so for it to resolve so easily… idk but it’s giving book 2 will be interesting because they set the villain up to be harder to defeat so we’ll see!
3.75 ⭐️?
The romance… good… it was hard for the characters to build on their love when they were also sneaking around trying to overthrow the overlord and the spice was mild until the end.
The resolution of the conflict though… so quick lmao. The lead up to it really built it up so for it to resolve so easily… idk but it’s giving book 2 will be interesting because they set the villain up to be harder to defeat so we’ll see!
3.75 ⭐️?
July 16, 2026
La premisa de este libro sonaba interesante pero siento que la ejecución no fue la mejor. A pesar de que hubo partes interesantes en la historia y el spice estuvo bueno, no pude conectar del todo con los personajes principales. Siento que el libro fue innecesariamente largo y me aburrí en muchas partes. El final fue demasiado rush y todo pasó demasiado rápido. No creo que continue con esta historia.
July 1, 2026
I did enjoy some of it. (Mostly the beginning) I liked the characters on their own but together not so much. They didn’t have much depth. I wish was there more of a slow burn in the romance idk it felt like something was missing, the ending was anticlimactic imo.
June 25, 2026
I was kinda bored. 🥱
Took me a few days to get through because I wasn’t super excited about it. No chemistry between the characters. Just wasn’t feeling it.
Took me a few days to get through because I wasn’t super excited about it. No chemistry between the characters. Just wasn’t feeling it.
Read
April 11, 2026A bloody good time!
A super fun, fast-paced read that left me eagerly wanting the next in the series!
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy read!
A super fun, fast-paced read that left me eagerly wanting the next in the series!
Thank you to the author for the advanced copy read!
June 16, 2026
I absolutely devoured this book! It normally takes me awhile to read a physical book (because, toddlers) but I carried this one with me everywhere and switched to audio when I had to multi-task.
Corinthe drew me in from the start, and I enjoyed her wit and strength. She has a kind heart and has to learn to do what it takes to survive in her father’s cruel kingdom. I appreciated the exploration of morals and good vs. evil in the quest to save to people of Nocta.
The spice in this story was SPICY and I was here for it! It is a slow burn and the spice doesn’t come until the second half and especially last quarter of the book. The author did a great job developing the MMF relationship and exploring what it looks like for someone to come into an established relationship. I loved how the worldbuilding required the characters to have to play an act, because it made the payoff of learning their true personalities so rewarding. Vander & Lorcan’s backstories really got me emotionally, and made their character development top tier.
I was fascinated by the interesting magic and worldbuilding in this story, especially all of the different magical creatures. I loved learning about the witches magic and root words, as well as how the vampires can steal gifts from others. I really hope there is another book to come because I’d love to explore what happens next in the kingdom, and get more of the witch and elven lore!
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞:
✨ spicy MMF romantasy
✨ vampires x dhampir
✨ magic is power
✨ arranged marriage
✨ forced proximity
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ lots of banter
🎧 Narrator: Jaclyn Kelso
🎧 Audiobook length: 15h 15m
This was my first audiobook by this narrator, and I loved it! I looked up her credits and will definitely be listening to more of her work as I discovered she narrates several other books on my TBR.
Thank you to Ace, PRH Audio, and Literary Media Tours for providing me with copies of the books. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Corinthe drew me in from the start, and I enjoyed her wit and strength. She has a kind heart and has to learn to do what it takes to survive in her father’s cruel kingdom. I appreciated the exploration of morals and good vs. evil in the quest to save to people of Nocta.
The spice in this story was SPICY and I was here for it! It is a slow burn and the spice doesn’t come until the second half and especially last quarter of the book. The author did a great job developing the MMF relationship and exploring what it looks like for someone to come into an established relationship. I loved how the worldbuilding required the characters to have to play an act, because it made the payoff of learning their true personalities so rewarding. Vander & Lorcan’s backstories really got me emotionally, and made their character development top tier.
I was fascinated by the interesting magic and worldbuilding in this story, especially all of the different magical creatures. I loved learning about the witches magic and root words, as well as how the vampires can steal gifts from others. I really hope there is another book to come because I’d love to explore what happens next in the kingdom, and get more of the witch and elven lore!
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞:
✨ spicy MMF romantasy
✨ vampires x dhampir
✨ magic is power
✨ arranged marriage
✨ forced proximity
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ lots of banter
🎧 Narrator: Jaclyn Kelso
🎧 Audiobook length: 15h 15m
This was my first audiobook by this narrator, and I loved it! I looked up her credits and will definitely be listening to more of her work as I discovered she narrates several other books on my TBR.
Thank you to Ace, PRH Audio, and Literary Media Tours for providing me with copies of the books. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.
June 17, 2026
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and based on posts I’ve seen about their other books, I expected a significant amount of spice without much plot. Jokes on me, because this book had a decent plot, great worldbuilding, and fully fleshed-out characters. I quickly got sucked into this story and am excited to see where these characters end up in future books.
I appreciated how the author wove the worldbuilding into the story. As the FMC gained an understanding of the kingdom she ends up in, the reader learned alongside her without being bogged down by minute details. Throughout the book, we encounter a variety of magical and fantastical creatures, all of which were explained in a way that made them easy to visualize while keeping the story moving and engaging.
Corinthe was an interesting FMC. At first, she came across as helpless, which drove me nuts. It teetered on the edge of alienating me from her character, but once the story got rolling, I really enjoyed watching her growth. Surrounded by the two MMCs, her initial naivete was balanced by Vander’s sarcastic wit and Lorcan’s serious sense of purpose. Their contrasting personalities created a dynamic that kept the character interactions entertaining and helped Corinthe’s development feel more natural.
Overall, this was an entertaining and spicy first installment in the series. It delivered far more plot, character development, and worldbuilding than I expected, while still providing the romance and spice I anticipated going in. I’m curious enough about where the story is headed that I’ll definitely be picking up future books. More than anything, I need to see how Lorcan, Corinthe, and Vander’s dynamic holds up over the long term and what challenges await them next.
Thank you so much to Amy Pennza, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, and Literary Media Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book as an e-ARC.
I appreciated how the author wove the worldbuilding into the story. As the FMC gained an understanding of the kingdom she ends up in, the reader learned alongside her without being bogged down by minute details. Throughout the book, we encounter a variety of magical and fantastical creatures, all of which were explained in a way that made them easy to visualize while keeping the story moving and engaging.
Corinthe was an interesting FMC. At first, she came across as helpless, which drove me nuts. It teetered on the edge of alienating me from her character, but once the story got rolling, I really enjoyed watching her growth. Surrounded by the two MMCs, her initial naivete was balanced by Vander’s sarcastic wit and Lorcan’s serious sense of purpose. Their contrasting personalities created a dynamic that kept the character interactions entertaining and helped Corinthe’s development feel more natural.
Overall, this was an entertaining and spicy first installment in the series. It delivered far more plot, character development, and worldbuilding than I expected, while still providing the romance and spice I anticipated going in. I’m curious enough about where the story is headed that I’ll definitely be picking up future books. More than anything, I need to see how Lorcan, Corinthe, and Vander’s dynamic holds up over the long term and what challenges await them next.
Thank you so much to Amy Pennza, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, and Literary Media Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book as an e-ARC.
June 4, 2026
2.5 stars. ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest reviews. Nearly 400 pages later she still can't cast a single spell lol and saving the world literally depends on it. The only redeeming quality of this book is the MM spice and romance, it was done quite well, and this book would have been leagues better as a MM romance. While the painfully naive and weak heroine is the worst part of it all. Despite a quote said in the very beginning of the book that the world is not black and white and no man is good or bad, the heroine ignores it and continues to judge others for their actions to survive.
I liked the heroes and the indestructible dress that changed into anything you could think of and that was about it. It was also surprisingly gory for the genre so if body horror is something you are worried about, proceed with caution as I didn't see a trigger warning page in my Netgalley copy. Furthermore, the story abruptly ends rather anti-climatically and in my opinion doesn't need a sequel. I was bored out of my mind for half of this, probably would have DNFed if it weren't an ARC. This did NOT need to be 500 pages long for the conflict to be resolved in the last chapter.
The author also doesn't know how to use dialogue quotes or ever heard of italicizing or separating the past and the present. We'd jump from the present, to flashbacks and quotes back to back to back with no indication who's saying what or if this is said in the present or just a memory.
Overall, quite a disappointing read other than the MM relationship. Shame since the author's bitten series was on my TBR.
I liked the heroes and the indestructible dress that changed into anything you could think of and that was about it. It was also surprisingly gory for the genre so if body horror is something you are worried about, proceed with caution as I didn't see a trigger warning page in my Netgalley copy. Furthermore, the story abruptly ends rather anti-climatically and in my opinion doesn't need a sequel. I was bored out of my mind for half of this, probably would have DNFed if it weren't an ARC. This did NOT need to be 500 pages long for the conflict to be resolved in the last chapter.
The author also doesn't know how to use dialogue quotes or ever heard of italicizing or separating the past and the present. We'd jump from the present, to flashbacks and quotes back to back to back with no indication who's saying what or if this is said in the present or just a memory.
Overall, quite a disappointing read other than the MM relationship. Shame since the author's bitten series was on my TBR.
July 5, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
I’m so torn on this one! The premise is honestly great, and the writing style is so fluid and rich in detail that it completely sucks you into the world building. The atmosphere was definitely there.
But for a why choose? The romance just didn't hit the mark for me. There was surprisingly very little smut, which felt weird given the genre, but the biggest issue was the lack of actual connection. The "I love you" felt like it just dropped straight out of thin air. I really needed more moments that showed actual chemistry between them, because right now, most of their early interactions are just Vander doing a drain after Lorcan and/or Corinthe fed on someone. Sorry, but a medical/magical cleanup job does not count as romantic bonding!
Also, we need to talk about that ending. If this doesn’t get a sequel, it is officially one of the worst endings I have ever read. A standalone ending on a massive cliffhanger with this many loose ends should be illegal. I’m really hoping the author fixes this in a second book... but you never know
I’m so torn on this one! The premise is honestly great, and the writing style is so fluid and rich in detail that it completely sucks you into the world building. The atmosphere was definitely there.
But for a why choose? The romance just didn't hit the mark for me. There was surprisingly very little smut, which felt weird given the genre, but the biggest issue was the lack of actual connection. The "I love you" felt like it just dropped straight out of thin air. I really needed more moments that showed actual chemistry between them, because right now, most of their early interactions are just Vander doing a drain after Lorcan and/or Corinthe fed on someone. Sorry, but a medical/magical cleanup job does not count as romantic bonding!
Also, we need to talk about that ending. If this doesn’t get a sequel, it is officially one of the worst endings I have ever read. A standalone ending on a massive cliffhanger with this many loose ends should be illegal. I’m really hoping the author fixes this in a second book... but you never know
June 15, 2026
Absolute banger!!!! I can’t say enough good things about this story! The character development, the relationships, the world building, creature dynamics within Nocta, Corinthe’s dhampir-ness, the fear and tension within the castle of Mad Rasimir, the passion and love among Corinthe and Vander and Lorcan, and the way it all comes to a head at the end. Whewww this was fantastic writing, slow burn with some sexxxxy scenes that came about organically and beautifully, and these two MMCs were so interesting and complex. Everything they develop was so well earned and meaningful. I didn’t want it to end and I cannot wait until the next book comes out so we can get more Lorcan hair brushing, more Vander commands, and more Corinthe exploring her power and realm. Ugh, sooo goooooood.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an early reader copy, this review is given voluntarily.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an early reader copy, this review is given voluntarily.
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