The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (and Other War Crimes)

Guides to Villainy and Love #1

by Tiffany Hunt

A conflicted villain and his unstoppable bride form the realm’s most chaotic alliance in this riotously funny dark romantasy perfect for fans of Assistant to the Villain, but darker and spicier.

“What’s mine stays mine.”

Step Kidnap someone cute.
Step Force her into marriage.
Step Try not to catch feelings.

When Dark Lord Kazimir Blackrose kidnaps Lady Arabella for a forced marriage, he expects an obedient, trembling bride. What he gets is a knife to the throat and a furious woman with demands of her own. He may need her heroic bloodline to achieve ultimate dominion, but she’s not about to make this easy for him.

Arabella has already survived her father’s tower prison and a lifetime of being treated like property. Getting abducted by the realm’s most notorious villain is just another Tuesday. If she must be married to the infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) Dark Lord, she’ll do it on her freedom within his fortress, hands strictly to himself, and complete honesty about his plans.

But when those plans go awry, Kazimir faces his most terrifying challenge he must date his own wife. Between magical training sessions, playing golf with the eyeballs of his enemies, and aphrodisiac dinners gone spectacularly wrong, his attempts at villainous seduction are failing at every turn.

As Kazimir and Arabella navigate magical explosions and jealous exes, they discover a far more terrifying prospect than war or magical They might actually be falling for each other.

This dark and sexy fantasy romance is perfect for readers who a morally gray antihero (who stays that way); a strong heroine who embraces her dark side (she doesn’t need rescuing, thanks); touch her and die trope; hilarious, wicked banter and sizzling spice; one bed/forced proximity; kidnapped bride/forced marriage; and dark humor.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Dark Romance

512 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2025

Reviews

[edie-may ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── 1.50 stars .ᐟ ⏾⋆.˚


‎ ‎ ‎ 「 ‎ ❝ Conquering a kingdom is nothing compared to winning over the right person. ❞ ‎ 」


‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ read: december 18 • december 26 • 2025
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ age rating: 17+
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ spice level: 3.5/5
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ content warnings: death, gore, & violence, sexual content, strong language


‎ ‎ ‎ ᯓ thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —— ⊱ • ༒︎ • ⊰ ——


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🖤 ‎꒰ main tropes: ꒱

‎ ‎ ⤿ badass fmc
‎ ‎ ⤿ forced marriage
‎ ‎ ⤿ forced proximity
‎ ‎ ⤿ insta-lust
‎ ‎ ⤿ morally (dark) grey characters
‎ ‎ ⤿ ‘touch her and die’


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🥀 ‎꒰ review: ꒱

‎ ‎ i genuinely feel so let down because i just…didn’t enjoy this very much. it was so hard to get into because the plot was unnecessarily dragged across five hundred pages, and we didn’t get to truly explore any other characters aside from the main two—and even then, they were just consistently lusting after each other!! the romance felt so underdeveloped and shallow, even when they kept talking about the ‘bond’ between them. the writing felt contrived and unnatural to me. i felt like the exposition was too obvious and the structure wasn’t executed well enough. the idea of this novel was so fun, but it just didn’t pull through in practice.

‎ ‎ the book definitely had its moments. the dialogue was fun, and i really appreciated the casual queer rep. i could absolutely understand why another person would like this book. unfortunately, it just wasn’t the one for me.


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ ♟️ ‎꒰ characters: ꒱

‎ ‎ ‎ ➛ arabella blackrose .ᐟ
‎ ‎ probably the highlight of this entire book. by far the most fun character for me. felt like an absolute diva, only finished the book because of her.

‎ ‎ ‎ ➛ kazimir blackrose .ᐟ
‎ ‎ i was prepared to be so in love with this man but i’m really…not. sure, he was fun! he had his moments! …i just want his wife.


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —— ⊱ • ༒︎ • ⊰ ——


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ pre-read:
‎ ‎ uk publishing date: 06 january, 2026

‎ ‎ i fear i may have requested a few too many arcs and now i’m dreading the next couple months. oh well, this sounds kinda iconic so maybe i’m being dramatic. — ( prediction ; 3.50 ☆ )


જ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹ ♰

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

walk him like a dog sis

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This actually pains me to say, but… I didn’t like this. I was so sure I was going to love it, so the disappointment feels even greater.

First of all, this book is way too long. And most of it is just relationship fluff. I feel like you could remove 200 pages and not take out any of the important parts. A lot of the interesting plot went under for me because it was buried between so many unnecessary scenes.

I did enjoy the MMC and FMC, though. We spent sooo much time on their relationship development that we really got to know them. Most of the other side characters fell flat for me—they would just show up and disappear, and I couldn’t remember any of them except for Griffin.

It WAS spicier than Assistant to the Villain, though. If that’s what you’re looking for then sure, give this a go!

preread
I've heard this is like Assistant to the Villain, but darker and spicier sooooo...absolutely yes.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read and enjoyed Assistant to the Villain or That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, read this book too! This book is funny, and the characters are written a bit like caricatures of villains, but it works. I liked both of the main characters - no complaints about either of them. They had great banter and hot steamy scenes. It starts out pretty quick - we just dive right into the plot right from the start of the book. There is a bit of a forced marriage/marriage of convenience vibe as well as a fake dating vibe, which I liked. It's kind of medium burn (they get together about halfway through the book), but the pacing works because then they're not allowed to be together physically because of the way their magic is reacting to each other, so it's then slowed down, but then it's sped up again when the magical heirloom binds them together and they physically cannot be separated.

Anyways, I surprisingly really enjoyed this book! The weakest part is definitely the world-building and the magic system. It's not explained super well, and some of the magical plot parts are really rushed towards the end of the book. However, I liked the characters and the setting and the banter. I would recommend!

[SHOMPA · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++✨

Oh. My. GOD.… I swear, I haven’t had this much fun with a story in ages. I devoured every page. It had me hooked like a feral gremlin clutching my Kindle at 3AM.

The author absolutely nailed that wild mix of delicious villainy and swoony romance. The premise is as chaotic as the title promises, but what really makes the book shine is the writing style. It was effortlessly engaging. I found myself laughing one moment and then deeply invested in the characters the next.

And let’s TALK about the FMC. Absolute queen. She’s clever, fierce, and takes zero nonsense from the so-called Dark Lord. Watching her stand toe-to-toe with him.. outwitting, out-sassing, and generally running circles around his “evil mastermind” act... was chef’s kiss. Honestly, half the time he came off less terrifying villain and more chaotic disaster man, and that perfect balance of menace + ridiculousness made the whole thing pure gold. Loved it.

[Cassandra 🍁☕️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This definitely gave me Assistant to the Villain banter vibes, but with spice added to the mix. I couldn’t stop laughing or smirking with certain scenes in this book. Kazimir and Arabella were everything throughout their journey together. I loved how he try to uphold his villain reputation, but really is soft teddy bear when it comes to Arabella. Arabella is a baddie and held her own even with Kaz.
I was obsessed with the chapter titles. For example, “ARGUE WITH YOUR BRIDE (IT'S
FOREPLAY FOR VILLAINS).” I’m always rooting for the villain to get the girl. This one was no exception. If you love legit enemies to lovers, great banter and a badass FMC. Then this book is definitely for you! Can’t wait to read the second book.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm not a damsel, Kazimir." I shook my head, voice low. "No. You're a nightmare descending on them all, and they'll never see it coming."

I loved everything:
the story/plot (dark lords kidnaps his new bride and she’s a badass)
the chapters - especially their little titles as Kidnap someone cute (and pretend it’s ambition, not loneliness) or Propose before she stabs you (timing is everything)
The tension and banter
The book was funny and entertaining ("In accordance with ancient tradition," the cleric proclaimed, "if any here object to this union, speak now and be immediately executed for treason.")
The characters and the whole dynamic
But still - STILL - it took me ages to finish this book (that’s a lie, but a few months) and I just can’t figure out why.
Maybe the slow plot? Who knows.

Still, definitely a recommendation!

[Cheyyleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for me! This started off so incredibly fun and unique and I loved every second of it. Then we hit the 50-75 percent mark. spoilers ahead.



As I said I loved this premise, the chapter titles the tongue in cheek joking and the banter were all I wanted and more. Having the Dark Lord kind of end up being the falls first character was also refreshing and awesome to read.
I loved the main characters spark and defiance without being an idiot for the sake of being an idiot like some heroins in fantasy novels. She was adamant about herself and what she deserved and she never once apologized for that or let herself be swayed. She was just a good FMC.

Now this would have been up to a 4 for me until we get to the 50-75 maybe even 80 percent mark. When we fall into the "we can't have sex, so let's just argue and ignore each other and be broody" I just felt none of the actions in this section were needed except to extend this book into a book two. (more on that later). This time frame just takes forever to get through and it brings the pacing down, the plot down, and right after we FINALLY have them hook up it brings the romance down. We also don't get a reason or real resolution for this section. Is the only reason they are falling apart at the seems really because they can't have sex with each other? That just doesn't line up with their characters or character development. Now I guess it could be his bones hurt and she's scared of her magic as their reason for the separation and rudeness to one another but somehow that seems even less plausible. They just go from world ending sex one day to can't even be in the same room the next and stick with that for a third of the book.

Speaking of romance, my guys just say you love each other. I don't honestly understand what barrier is left for them to be so worried or nervous that they can't just say it. Yes they both have past and barriers and it's been a game of deals and brokering with them, but by the end of the book with their progress and development they can't just say it? adjust seems like a way to get you into book two as a romance reader.

Now onto the book two situation. This book felt like it should have been a stand alone. The funny contemporary feel and the dragged out middle part, if we had cut that weird section we could've found out about the shadow king and had that in book one. Having us move onto a book two with Kaz being unaware of the fact that he is the shadow king and eventually hurting everyone and pushing Arabella away is fine, just wasn't really feeling like it was needed. Again, we have to slow everything down to make book two make sense when it could have just been a good book alone.

Also, just a note how did Arabella not have an eyebrow rise moment with how Kaz spoke to her in that last scene. He was so rude and standoffish I would automatically be asking questions about this super ancient artifact affecting him when he acted like that, because really despite him being the evil Lord he was always respectful of her and I feel that last scene he wasnt.

Anyway, I am not sure I will read the next book. I found this fun to begin with and like them but I don't know how I feel about 600 plus more pages of this story and that's if we end it as a duology.

[Danielle Tropea · Rating 2 out of 5]

How can you have a book over 540 pages and have one of the worst world building I’ve ever seen? How is the citadel “in the sky with lightning bridges connecting the isles” but then the king can access his “borders”??? Is the whole world in the sky? Every domain just islands in the sky? Is my kindle unlimited version missing a map to explain all this?? Kaz & Arabella have to take a portal to get to Morana’s territory, but then the king just marched over her lands into skyspire with no portal….and it’s allegedly IN THE SKY!! I don’t get it. The magic system is super confusing. Arabella has healing magic, sure ok. Kaz has “dominion” magic, which apparently is different? But was hers weird to everyone else in her kingdom? Kaz’s magic the weird one? What does everyone else have? Is Kaz stronger cuz of the runes *carved in his bones* that apparently you can see scars on his skin of said runes. So are they IN THE BONES or ON HIS SKIN?? Idk I can’t see my bones unless I rip my skin off. How/why this happened was never explained really other than *his mom did it* Even the spicy scenes didn’t make much sense.

This book needed a HEAVY HEAVY handed edit. I kept waiting for some of my questions to be flushed out but never did.

[Micca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED BOOK TWO NOW 😱

This was EVERYTHING I needed in a romantasy novel. Whimsical storytelling. Slowburn with suchhhh a satisfying end. Banter banter banter. UNIQUE storyline. Colourful characters. Subversion of the hero and villain ideals.

Kaz 🥵
Arabella ❤️

Ahhhhh I need more!!

[Devon Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars really.

Look, this book is written well, it’s funny, the evil villain is actually evil, the heroine is actually feisty and not a dumb ass, I was laughing and enjoying myself. This is what Assistant to the Villain SHOULD have been (dear god I despise that book).

Then I hit almost halfway and looked down and my Kindle said I still had like 450 hours left to finish it (not really, it was like 6)…and THEN it dawned on me that there had been ZERO PLOT the whole four hours I’d already read.

Zero. Plot.

Just vibes, flirting, sarcasm and a cool evil castle.

There is absolutely no reason for this book to be this long and so I am putting it down.

Will I pick it up again in future? Maybe. But if I do I can safely say I’d be able to pick up right where I left off and would need no reminders of what has happened because NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.

[Kelsey H · Rating 4 out of 5]

FMC - Arabella: 5 🌟
MMC - Kazamir: 5 🌟
SPICE: 🌶🌶🌶

LIKES: Arabella is exactly the type of FMC I love. She is so strong-willed, determined, and knows how to hold her own. She always keeps Kaz on his toes, and their banter is highly entertaining. I also knew right away that I was going to love Kaz as well. He's got that overly confident and arrogant personality that I can't help but be drawn in by. But even more, I love how he trains Arabella, helps her to become a better fighter and more powerful with her magic, giving her the tools to grow, even at the risk of her leaving. Together, they are an amusing and powerful couple, and I'm definitely intrigued to see what happens in book 2!

DISLIKES: Even though I was hooked fairly quickly by the banter and the slow burn romance, I had a hard time getting into the overall plot for quite a while. Once the relationship started escalating, that's when more interesting things started happening to further the story as well, and from there the book had my total attention.

So if you read the book and find yourself wavering a little, just give it some time! Until that point, just bask in the deliciousness that is Kazamir 😉

[Nicole is Reading Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so much fun! Kazimir and Arabella’s banter was top notch. Their chemistry was palpable, and I loved seeing them grow as a couple and as individuals; they truly brought out the best in each other, while still being appropriately villainous, of course. There were a lot of trainer/trainee scenes in this book, so if that’s your cup of tea you’ll absolutely love this!

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a lighter Romantasy read that still delivers on the plot and romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Scarlett Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me DYING. Like I didn’t know this type of book was missing from my life, until I was done it and I was like, “Okay, now what do I do?” It was that good. It made me laugh so hard, the told building was incredible and definitely different than anything I have read in a while.

The author had an amazing way of making this book so chaotically funny, yet had such a delicious villainous vibe to it as well. This book was also the slowest of slow burns. And the spice? Let’s just say they really liked to test the foundation of that castle🤣🥵 Kazimir and Arabella had such amazing chemistry and hilarious banter as well. He would come at her and she would come right back at him and would crush his little “Dark Lord” persona with just one sentence.

I honestly cannot wait for the next book with that cliffhanger. I just KNOW we are in for a wild ride for the next book as well. If you are a huge fan of morally grey men who are also kind of villainous, a strong FMC who has insane powers, and some cheeky banter with some insane spice. You really need to add this to your TBR immediately.

[Rebecca Merlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

At 60% and am deciding not to finish the book. (Rare for me) Frustrating and boring.
But many others give good reviews, which is why I started it. Oh well, each to his own.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps true love CAN be found over golfing with enemies eyeballs.

[Bella Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

More smut than plot. I had a really hard time completing this book because of it, yet at the very end something interesting was finally revealed for the plot. Most of it was lazy storytelling and felt like a cheap imitation of “Assistant to the Villain.”

[Leslie Leake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and Original

This book is AMAZING! It's in the same vein as Assistant to the Villain, a book that I love, but the story is definitely original. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
The first 50% or so? Stunning, loved it, perfect blend of tension and humor. But after about 2/3 of the way through, this book had overstayed its welcome and I had grown tired of the overused girl-training-her-magic-because-she’s-secretly-super-powerful plotline. And by that point the fun and whimsy had worn off so that the lack of actual worldbuilding was really apparent.

[casiareine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book honestly started off strong and by the 50% mark I was bored...and then then it just kept going downhill from there.

Some brain dump points:

1) These characters are "villains" but they have their own morals. Sometimes this can be written to where it makes sense, but here there were certain things that just felt really hypocritical to me. For example - Arabella's father was using her for her bloodline but...so was Kazimir at the start. Just because Arabella "chose" him after being a hostage for so long doesn't really make it better. And yes he's a villain so that's fine! He can do evil things! But the story and the characters try to justify it like it's completely different. Let's be real, if Kazimir was old and ugly like the king, it would have been the exact same situation. Kazimir also has the line that he's never sold his own blood, but he easily kills his own servants in his castle in gruesome ways so like...what's the difference really. And again, he's the dark lord so him doing those things is fine, but let's not pretend like we have any moral high ground to stand on here.

2) I feel like Arabella's truth-sense nonsense was kind of just a cop out for a lot of things. It wasn't necessary and made conflict a lot more boring. For me personally, when it comes to villain characters I want to wonder if I really should trust this guy? Am I being manipulated? But her truth-sense took out all of that mystique. They also got information out of people really easily because Arabella could tell if they were lying or not and it just felt...dull.

3) The back-and-forth, hot-and-cold of the characters was boring and I think the main conflict basically going from "they need to have sex for the powerful artifact to work" to "they can't have sex anymore or the powerful artifact will destroy the world" was a little...cheesy? Eye-rolly? Stupid? I think this was meant to be comedy/a bit satire, but still. There were also some points where I was literally confused about what Arabella was actually angry with Kazimir about lol.

4) The "plot twist" at the end that is LITERALLY called a plot twist (both in the chapter name and Kaz says it's a plot twist) is NOT a twist at all. Honestly I was hoping that Vex would be the traitor because that would kind of shock me but...the husband of the lady who was pegged as the bad guy all along? Really? That's the big twist?

The ending (last 85%) really made me consider dropping this down to two stars, but I'm trying to remember the better times (the first 30%) and be fair. I was really having fun with it at the very start, so it's a bit disappointing. This book was way too long. But I did enjoy the training scenes and some of the banter! I don't think I'll be able to chug along for another 500 page book 2 though.

[Veevee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read about a third of the way into this book trying to decide if I liked it. Then I put it down and went to sleep and when I woke up in the morning... I decided that this book probably just isn't for me. The writing is very tell rather than show and characters are inconsistent.

For some reason the FMC decided to share her tragic backstory with the villain in their first conversation and that bothers me. Like who does that? Oh no! Someone is threatening and kidnapping me, better tell them they won't break me because I've been through bad things!

Conversely the MC is all... I could break your spirit with torture but he barely even threatens her in actuality, the FMC just glares at him a few times and suddenly he 'knows' torture wouldn't work. He also repeatedly states that he is not evil enough to commit r*pe. He kills and tortures people in his dungeon, but protects villagers from harm. There is just no internal logic and it is driving me insane. I get that this is a tongue-in-cheek 'morally grey' character, but for a character to be interesting they have to have some character, some consistency, something for the reader to latch on to... they can't just do whatever is needed for the plot.

I also looked at some other reviews and realized that this was not a standalone, and that is what really clinched it for me. There is not enough plot in this book to cover the already overly long first book, let alone multiple books. So peace y'all, I'm out.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

The problem that I seem to run into lately is finding these amazing books on NetGalley, but then having to wait for the next book to come out. I hate waiting so much, but obviously some things are worth it.

This book caught my attention somehow, although I really wasn’t sure what I was going to think about it. I never read dark romance, as I just don't care to read about those toxic relationships. Not sure how the dark romance fans would like this; too much mutual respect in the relationship. There is absolutely no rape or even the hint of dubcon in the book. He is pretty fine forcing her to marry him, but the Dark Lord would never force himself on a woman.

Beyond all that, the book is so funny. Like during weddings, the officiant will say, 'speak now or forever hold your peace'. During their wedding, it was speak now and be immediately murdered (want to put the actual quote, but since this is an advanced copy, I can't).

Very heavy on the smut (when they finally get around to it).

There are so many times I say I will make sure to read the next book or keep an eye out for the next book. I sometimes forget about them and never read another. This is one that I am putting on my calendar to make sure that I don't forget to look for the next book. I can't wait for the next book (which could be awhile, considering this one isn't even out yet).

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

[kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny and with short chapters might be my favorite kind of book

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly amazing! Reminded me so much of A.K. Caggiano's "Villains&Virtues" 🫶

"How disappointingly sensible.”
I shrugged. “I save the extravagant displays for special occasions.”
“Like kidnapping?”
The corner of my mouth tugged upward. “You were being… spirited.”
“I was trying to kill you.”
I tapped the spot on my throat where she’d pressed that blade in our initial scuffle. “I’ve developed a nice scar. I rather like it."

Honestly? The only down side to this book is the fact it's written in a 1st person pov. Everything else? Hilariously fun. I loved the worldbuilding and the characters - everyone and everything had a sense of depth and purpose. The romance hmmm ngl I wish it was more of a slow burn, that the sex thing wasn't the big plot point but eh 🤷🏻‍♀️ (the sex scenes were okay, nothing too wild or too tame) They still had great chemistry and an incredible banter between them - I especially love how Arabella grew into her own power and accepted herself fully as she is and how Kazimir didn't come off as just "allowing" her to do so.

Anyway, I thought this was a standalone but apaprently not. Now I have to wait till next year for the sequel 🥲

side note: extra kudos for the shadow tentacle scene 🔥🤭

[Ashly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok…this book had me cackling so much. All the chapter titles, especially the beginning, I was shaking out loud with my husband and he doesn’t even like reading but I just needed to share them 😂

Kazimere even wanted a cape that said “Villain” on it and that whole scene was just hilarious.

I loved how this book just embraced the whole villain side because it really made the FMC hotter in my opinion. And this FMC gets HOT! The banter and spice??! I loved it! He’s making magic happen with his shadows, Ladies&Gentlemen. And I mean a soft and sensual bound and gag with shadows and more shadows have her rolling her eyes in the back of her head 🌶️🥵 They want to be able to enjoy each other in the carnal manner, however every time they boink, the entire realm almost collapses so they have to resort to shadows and other shenanigans to make each other come……👀

There’s a lot of magical training… and I mean a lot… so be prepared to read a lot about magical and battle training.

Arabella totally embraces her role as dark lady because technically what she was kidnapped from is way better. I mean, what would you prefer? Being kidnapped by a hot shadow daddy or being traded off to an old King to produce him heirs or worse for him to take your magic?

I loved this book! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and share my honest opinion!

[Allie Browder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the Author & Publisher for the E-ARC via NetGalley!

I loved this! I was quickly drawn in by the first chapter and stayed entertained throughout. The banter was perfect. I loved the side characters and hope to learn more about them in the next book. I loved the tension between Kaz & Amara, but sometimes the spicy scenes felt a little repetitive. There are a lot of questions left unanswered and a plot twist revealed near the end, which left me excited for the sequel. Overall, a great read!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manchmal braucht man einfach so ein Buch 🤷‍♀️

He falls first

He falls garder

Falling in love with the villain

MC is super strong

lot’s of steamy scenes

but: not a stand alone

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Currently in my romantasy era and boy have I read some questionable recommendations from here. You kids are wild.

This little gem is pure magic though. The story is interesting. The characters are deliciously snarky. And the romance is messy, but also hot. These characters are adults (hallelujah!), dealing with adult issues. And also wanting to rule the world, but don't we all? Not sure I can wait until next year for the second book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well balance of sarcastic humor, romance, high fantasy and political intrigue. Checking all of my boxes. This was so undeniable funny especially each chapter title. I have zero complaints about either MC. Arabella is strong from the start and refuses above all else to be a damsel in distress. Kaz is that all powerful shadow warlord you can't help but love.

I want to desperately rate this higher but there are minor issues. A few cringy scenes here and there. Not crazy around the idea that the world's doom depends on their relationship. It does help in breaking up the spice since it does start early. Then for a vital reason, they need to stop. Hunt does a phenomenal job of bringing that slow but intense burn especially in this instance. You can tell that it's literally eating away at both of them. By doing this though the romance does not overpower the plot line which is a major plus.

Another oddity I should say is one of the plot twists at the end happens and it's as if a full chapter is missing. We go from them finding out and going to find Morana then immediately to Edmunds dead body in front of them. Telling us what happened for a scene that really should have been confronted to the reader. The major plot twist I figured out about halfway through. It does not take away from when the scene unfolds.

A fun, fast paced and highly entertaining book. I am highly intrigued with the Syndicate. Book two brings a lot of promise. Including more of Kaz's history which we only get whispers about with the exception of his conquests. Also, what further tricks King Auremar has up his sleeve while being hyper focused on getting Arabella. Give me more sassy Nyx too while you are at it.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest: I had an absolute blast reading the first 50% of the book. The premise felt similar to Assistant to the Villain, but in my opinion, it was even better thanks to the writing style. We have the fast pace, the sharp banter, the engaging setting and backstory, and genuinely interesting characters. In the first half, there wasn’t a single thing that irritated me.

My problem was with everything that came after—and it’s a perfect example of why books like this need to be slow burn.

After the characters, erm, tied the knot, and all that frustration and tension disappeared, I genuinely started losing interest. Why? Because this book’s main genre is romance, it’s a romantasy, so when you have a romantasy, the heart of the story should be the romance. But instead, the plot suddenly tried to become something it wasn’t. The author shifted focus toward politics, worldbuilding, and the magic system, but because the book is written as romantasy, those elements were underdeveloped and basic.

A twist here and there works beautifully in romantasy, but the central thread should still be the romance. That’s why a slow burn works so much better than officially “wrapping up” the relationship at 50% and then wondering what to do with the next half of the book.

The side characters were another underdeveloped aspect. They were all so bland that I couldn’t care less whether they were in the room or not. In the setting Tiffany Hunt created, they had so much potential. especially the characters around Kazimir. but they ended up feeling random and forgettable.

“Random” also describes the plot of the second half. Without getting into spoilers, nearly everything that happened felt rushed and almost predictably obvious—not in an enjoyable way, but in a the-story-needs-something-to-fill-the-space-now way.

Overall, I don’t want to give this book less than 3 stars, because it was well-written. I loved the dialogue, I liked Kazimir’s character and behaviour, and the banter and jokes were on point. But I also can’t give it more than 3 because of the issues in the second half.

This book is great for fans of Assistant to the Villain, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy, Tangled, and ACOTAR (imagine Feyre and Rhysand in Hewn City).

Thank you, NetGalley and Scarlett Press UK, for the ARC!