The Ballad of Phoenix and Monsters

by M.N. Robbins

In a kingdom ruled by dark magic, Deneb strikes a desperate bargain to save her kill the Crown Prince, Varkein, and the Dark Prince Aedan will grant her the countercurse.
But at the royal feast, everything unravels. Varkein isn’t the heartless tyrant she imagined—yet she stabs him anyway. Captured by his guardians, she begs him to let her go. “I swear I’ll return. And my life will be yours.”
She does return—but with vengeance burning in her veins.
Her mother is dead, murdered by Aedan. Now Deneb vows to destroy to slay his seven monsters, reduce his obsidian castle to rubble, and slit his throat.
The only path to Aedan’s stronghold is through Scathmore’s Tournament, where fifty contenders battle monsters and cursed magic to the death. To survive, Deneb forges uneasy alliances… while Varkein waits in the shadows.
Betrayed and possessive, the Crown Prince intends to claim what she owes him—her life, her loyalty, and maybe her heart.
Vengeance has a price.
And in Scathmore, love may be the deadliest trap of all.

373 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

Reviews

[Camis.little.library · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending?! The twists?! 🤯🤯

-Dark romantasy
-Assassin FMC
-Morally grey MMC
-Political intrigue & courts
-Deadly tournaments
-Fae & Magical Monsters
-Spice

This story was fast paced, beautifully written for a DEBUT romantasy, had some tension and spice, magic, trials, and twists that had me SHOCKED!!

There are so many things I’m questioning before book 2- who’s good and who’s actually bad, whether I like the MMC (iykyk) and what the heck is going to happen in book 2!

I loved all of our supporting characters and our FMC’s determination to keep them all safe. Those trials were NOT for the weak (think Hunger Games). The author really packed a ton of characters, moments, and events all into this book.

While I loved the book, I do feel it almost could have been longer or our MC’s relationship fleshed out a bit. I honestly wanted more of them, more tension and banter - I loved their connection but just wish we had more!

Overall though, such an amazing start to a series - I can’t wait to see what happens after that cliff hanger - I need book 2 now!! 🫶🥹

[Anisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you love the hunger games & fantasy creatures you will love this book

The ballad of the Phoenix and monsters has such incredible world building. Deneb only has one mission and that’s to avenge her mother’s death. When she enters the castle as the Crown Princes Champion for Scathmore’s tournament, (where 50 contenders battle monsters and cursed magic to their deaths) she uncovers dark truths of her past that are now causing complications in her plan to avenge her mothers death. I loved the pace of the book, it wasn’t too fast but just the right pace to really immerse you into Scathmore. If you love the Hunger Games, divergent,fourth wing and acotar, I highly recommend picking up this book to get you through your book hangover!

[Tory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. Huge thank you to M.N. Robbins for reaching out and gifting me a copy of her book.

I love how we are thrown right into the action from the beginning and how we meet all the key characters so early. It is very fast-paced, packed with action, deadly trials, secrets, monsters, twists, and turns, and I honestly loved it all.

The character growth for the FMC was amazing, and I cannot wait to see where it takes us next. The MMC I was not sure about at first, but he grew on me fast, and I absolutely adored their chemistry and banter.

My only tiny nitpick is that I would have loved a slow burn romance and a real enemies-to-lovers here, but it is definitely insta-love.
I will for sure be reading book two.

[bookswithbex · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will absolutely love this book! I was hooked from the beginning and till the end! And the last 50ish pages?? omg that was an emotional rollercoaster to say the least? I need more asap?

It was very well written and the trials? My fave part of course 🤭 kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and absolutely loved it, please read this if your missing your hunger games/maze runner era it will not disappoint with the monsters 🖤

This is the authors debut novel and I cannot say there’s any faults, pacing was great and the plot was amazing, characters were also greatly written. I’m really intrigued where the rest of her work could go 🥰

[Stacey W · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 39%. This story has the potential to be great. The bones are there, but the execution was not. There were many small mistakes that I couldn’t get passed EX someone being described as wearing a blue tunic and in the next paragraph they’re removing their armor. What armor?? Things that an editor would have noticed. Some of the dialogue was fantastic and I truly think if this book had a proper editor or was picked up by a trad publisher that it would fly off the shelves.

[bookswithcorey · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥 The Ballad of Phoenix and Monsters by M.N. Robbins is exactly the kind of dark, trials-filled Romantasy I live for.

Our FMC, Deneb, is a deadly assassin raised in shadows and secrets. When she fails her mission to kill the crown prince, the consequences hit hard: her guardian is executed, and she’s left with nothing but rage, guilt, and a hunger for vengeance. ‼️

So she volunteers for the kingdom’s brutal, monster-ridden trials — not for glory, but to take her revenge from the inside. And that’s where everything starts to spiral: magic, monsters, shifting alliances, unexpected friendships, and a past she barely understands slowly unraveling piece by piece. 👹

I loved the pacing (fast but never chaotic), the genuine friendships forged under pressure, and the way her revenge plan begins to fracture the more she learns about herself… and about the prince she was ordered to kill. 👀

Here’s what really stood out to me:
🌀The “trials + monsters + magic + high stakes” formula grips you immediately (perfect for binge-reading!)
🌀Deneb is ruthless but broken in a way that feels real. Her craving for love and redemption softens her just enough that you can’t help but root for her.
🌀The friendships and alliances inside the trials give the story so much heart, even when the world stays dark and cruel.
🌀The pacing never drags. The secrets, twists, and revelations land fast enough to keep the tension high throughout.

I am SO READY for book 2. Give me more monsters, more magic, more betrayal, and more Deneb. ✨

Perfect for those of you who love brutal trials, morally gray heroines, dark magic, and arenas where almost none of the contenders make it out alive.

[Jezebel Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wildly captivating read! Every page twists deeper into a web of secrets, with clues so cleverly laid they sneak up on you, only to unravel into something much bigger than you expected. The storytelling is sharp, layered, and brilliantly executed. I’m already counting down the days until the next book.

[Katie Sellers · Rating 5 out of 5]

soooo good!!!

At first I thought I had the book figured out. I was so wrong 🤣

FMC is strong and determined. Super frustrating at times because she’s so stubborn but I get it with her fierce personality.

[Jenna Soletti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story. A new take on the dark romantasy realm. So much lore and world building that’s done so well. Twists and turns that will leave you gasping. Loved it.

[Shanayhay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Games and trials, magic, monsters, two battling princes. I had a fun time! Thanks to the author for the printed copy!