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Night and the Dead Prince
The long night falls, and the shadows kill.
Dawn and Ilya trek through the northern winter, bound for Yrsa, hoping to save Dawn’s brother from the Covenant. The endless hours of darkness and the blistering cold are enough to make anyone mad, but when Ilya starts speaking to phantoms, Dawn worries it’s a little more than a simple fever.
Kraso takes his silvercloaks and dragons north in search of the elusive Yrsa. He expects purging the nest of flying sorcerers to be an arduous task and means to wait for warmer weather, but when a long-lost family member brings him an opportunity he cannot refuse, he hastens his plans.
When dragon wings thunder across the night skies, they wake an ancient magic slumbering in the frozen hills of Narzha, and faced with a thousand-year-old enemy, the tsar’s immortality just might run out.
Night and the Dead Prince is Book Two of the Volynian Tales, a sword and sorcery dark fantasy woven with romance.
If talking dragons, an immortal tsar, slow-burn romance full of banter, heaps of violence, a pinch of bad language, and murderous characters with years of trauma and a moral compass missing its needle sound like your kind of fun, this book is for you.
Content advisory for violence and language.
Dawn and Ilya trek through the northern winter, bound for Yrsa, hoping to save Dawn’s brother from the Covenant. The endless hours of darkness and the blistering cold are enough to make anyone mad, but when Ilya starts speaking to phantoms, Dawn worries it’s a little more than a simple fever.
Kraso takes his silvercloaks and dragons north in search of the elusive Yrsa. He expects purging the nest of flying sorcerers to be an arduous task and means to wait for warmer weather, but when a long-lost family member brings him an opportunity he cannot refuse, he hastens his plans.
When dragon wings thunder across the night skies, they wake an ancient magic slumbering in the frozen hills of Narzha, and faced with a thousand-year-old enemy, the tsar’s immortality just might run out.
Night and the Dead Prince is Book Two of the Volynian Tales, a sword and sorcery dark fantasy woven with romance.
If talking dragons, an immortal tsar, slow-burn romance full of banter, heaps of violence, a pinch of bad language, and murderous characters with years of trauma and a moral compass missing its needle sound like your kind of fun, this book is for you.
Content advisory for violence and language.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 20, 2025
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Brien Feathers
25 books218 followersBrien Feathers is a fantasy author living in the land of permanent frost, horses, and Mongols. She likes reading, writing (of course), riding, drinking dark beer, and checking things off a to-do list.
Although she claims to love everyone equally, she really loves her youngest son the most. He has autism superpowers that allow him to speak all types of rare languages including drumbeats, elevator dings, and police sirens.
Miss Feathers loves grey days, orange cats, and all creatures human or otherwise. And she hopes you will love her world (fantasy) and people (characters) as well.
Connect with the author.
Sign up for the Feathers Newsletter at https://www.brienfeathers.com.
Although she claims to love everyone equally, she really loves her youngest son the most. He has autism superpowers that allow him to speak all types of rare languages including drumbeats, elevator dings, and police sirens.
Miss Feathers loves grey days, orange cats, and all creatures human or otherwise. And she hopes you will love her world (fantasy) and people (characters) as well.
Connect with the author.
Sign up for the Feathers Newsletter at https://www.brienfeathers.com.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 9, 2025
Ilya and Dawn trek through the hazardous North to Yrsa to exchange Ilya for Dawn's brother. However, the Covenant is even more treacherous than expected, and Ilya soon finds himself their prisoner. Dawn is forced to return to the tsar in order to rescue Ilya. Can she save him before his own family kills him?
Night and the Dead Prince continues the dark saga started in Winter and the Immortality Thief. We spend less time with Dawn and Ilya, and spend more time with the Tsar and other supporting characters. This allows for greater understanding of these characters, but did make it a little harder for me to get into the plot of this book. That being said, this book continues to build the fantastic world, as well as dole out more and more underlying mythology and history underpinning the current conflict.
A great read with devastating complications that clearly is setting up for a great finish.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Night and the Dead Prince continues the dark saga started in Winter and the Immortality Thief. We spend less time with Dawn and Ilya, and spend more time with the Tsar and other supporting characters. This allows for greater understanding of these characters, but did make it a little harder for me to get into the plot of this book. That being said, this book continues to build the fantastic world, as well as dole out more and more underlying mythology and history underpinning the current conflict.
A great read with devastating complications that clearly is setting up for a great finish.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 29, 2025
Most harrowing story yet that I have read of Brien Feathers! She has stepped up her game with Ilya and Dawn. They feel fated, with everything standing inbetween.
This story made me laugh, cry, and clutch my heart! The end in particular was a very wild ride that still has me guessing yet excited for the trouble the couple has gotten into. Chased through a cold wasteland, racing dragons to a hidden city, followed by fanatics who think Ilya is their chosen... had so many elements that made for a crazy, yet lovingly tragic story.
So far, highly recommend.
This story made me laugh, cry, and clutch my heart! The end in particular was a very wild ride that still has me guessing yet excited for the trouble the couple has gotten into. Chased through a cold wasteland, racing dragons to a hidden city, followed by fanatics who think Ilya is their chosen... had so many elements that made for a crazy, yet lovingly tragic story.
So far, highly recommend.
October 31, 2025
Like Joe Abercrombie’s novels, it’s a gritty depiction of war in a dragon-bonding world. Over several novels, I realized that Brien Feathers likes to describe a much larger time frame than most novels: until old age. Main characters are morally gray, or hardened by life’s obstacles. Characters are older and act their age. And every book features a minor character in the action, which is so refreshing in a genre awash with displaced princesses and surprise special powers.
{Romantic Fantasy; M/F; multiple POV; first-person; Open Door scenes}
I had trouble understanding the first few paragraphs, especially since I tend to forget everything once the first book is finished. However, I realized this can easily be read as a standalone as long as you realize that you are missing the book 1 history.
There seem to be two different main characters, and the one we start with is not the main focus, I think.
Maria is a soldier with some responsibilities. She’s realistic, morally gray, and she survives by shrugging off the worst of the events. Her friend-with-benefits, captain Balo, left her in charge when his troupe marched off to attack the sorcerors, the Osukhan. Unfortunately, none of them expected the Tsar and the sorcerors to regroup in her camp, leaving her cooks, grooms, and children to fight off the ambush. The Tsar, Kraso, may have been immortal, but his life depended on an amulet that the lead sorcerer coveted.
There is a scene where Maria strides in between the dragons and the sorcerors to hold a dying young man’s torso that epitomized her bravery in the midst of more powerful beings. Maria becomes the Tsar’s lover and then his battle leader. Her only fault is her morally-grey outlook on life.
The second main character confused me at first because I put the novel down for a couple of days, and started with an all-new character. After a while, I realized both characters are strong, dominant women, and I liked the second one more. **Dawn **is the younger queenly figure that I cannot help sympathizing with. Her younger brother has a deadly illness, and she is willing to do anything to save him. Cross kingdoms. Ask a surly dragon. Visit the evil sorceror. Lose fingers to frostbite. Anything.
Her lover is Ilya, the Tsar’s young son and a sorceror. Most of the people hate him because he is one of *them, *a sorceror. But he is so sympathetic, and their love is as strong as metal, that I just love the two together. When he sacrifices himself for her sake, she won’t let him go. She crosses over enemy lines to find him again. 🤗
The Romance: ❤️
Scenes are brief and honor the plot. Maria is not expected to find her one-and-only and surprises me in how she just migrates from one lover to another. Dawn and Ilya are perfect together. All scenes are consensual. The plot dominates.
“Leave it to family to treat you worse than your enemies. “
“I was wrong. Love did hurt. It hurt the worst. I would rather get impaled by a dull spear, but then who would help Ilya? “
To be continued....
{Romantic Fantasy; M/F; multiple POV; first-person; Open Door scenes}
I had trouble understanding the first few paragraphs, especially since I tend to forget everything once the first book is finished. However, I realized this can easily be read as a standalone as long as you realize that you are missing the book 1 history.
There seem to be two different main characters, and the one we start with is not the main focus, I think.
Maria is a soldier with some responsibilities. She’s realistic, morally gray, and she survives by shrugging off the worst of the events. Her friend-with-benefits, captain Balo, left her in charge when his troupe marched off to attack the sorcerors, the Osukhan. Unfortunately, none of them expected the Tsar and the sorcerors to regroup in her camp, leaving her cooks, grooms, and children to fight off the ambush. The Tsar, Kraso, may have been immortal, but his life depended on an amulet that the lead sorcerer coveted.
There is a scene where Maria strides in between the dragons and the sorcerors to hold a dying young man’s torso that epitomized her bravery in the midst of more powerful beings. Maria becomes the Tsar’s lover and then his battle leader. Her only fault is her morally-grey outlook on life.
The second main character confused me at first because I put the novel down for a couple of days, and started with an all-new character. After a while, I realized both characters are strong, dominant women, and I liked the second one more. **Dawn **is the younger queenly figure that I cannot help sympathizing with. Her younger brother has a deadly illness, and she is willing to do anything to save him. Cross kingdoms. Ask a surly dragon. Visit the evil sorceror. Lose fingers to frostbite. Anything.
Her lover is Ilya, the Tsar’s young son and a sorceror. Most of the people hate him because he is one of *them, *a sorceror. But he is so sympathetic, and their love is as strong as metal, that I just love the two together. When he sacrifices himself for her sake, she won’t let him go. She crosses over enemy lines to find him again. 🤗
The Romance: ❤️
Scenes are brief and honor the plot. Maria is not expected to find her one-and-only and surprises me in how she just migrates from one lover to another. Dawn and Ilya are perfect together. All scenes are consensual. The plot dominates.
“Leave it to family to treat you worse than your enemies. “
“I was wrong. Love did hurt. It hurt the worst. I would rather get impaled by a dull spear, but then who would help Ilya? “
To be continued....
October 19, 2025
Book Review: Night and the Dead Prince by Brien Feathers
So I came back for round two of Feathers’s dark fantasy royalty, expecting betrayal, blood, and just the right amount of witchcraft, and Night and the Dead Prince more than delivers. It’s the kind of sequel that makes you wish your phone had a “do not disturb: I’m reading” mode, because between the political intrigue, undead royalty revivals, and morally flexible alliances, this one keeps you wired late into the night.
Our hero/anti-hero (or whatever shade of morally gray Feathers has decided to torture us with this time) is dragged, kicking, existentially screaming, into webs of legacy, ghosts, and obligations he thought were long buried. Feathers has a knack for twisting the lines between loyalty and survival so tightly that by chapter ten, you’re not sure who you’re rooting for, or why you’re emotionally compromised about it. You start questioning who’s really the villain: the one pulling the strings, or the one forced to dance to them.
The worldbuilding remains lush, eerie, and intoxicating; frost-bitten courts, haunted bloodlines, and magic that hums with danger and regret. Whether Slavic-inspired or something darker, the world feels lived-in, layered, and utterly captivating. The romance? Deliciously messy, toeing that line between devotion and doom. Feathers doesn’t shy away from the consequences, and that gives the story its bite.
And that ending, equal parts gut punch and slow clap, cements Feathers as an author who clearly enjoys watching readers suffer (respectfully). It’s bold, beautifully cruel, and somehow exactly right.
If there’s a quirk, it’s a few pacing dips where plot threads linger too long in the political murk, or side characters fade into the background just when you want more of them. But even those moments feel intentional, like a pause before another emotional ambush.
In short, Night and the Dead Prince is a fierce, darker, sharper, and more devastating follow-up that proves Brien Feathers knows exactly how to keep readers on the hook. If you’re into undead politics, bad decisions made with good intentions, and characters whose hearts are as haunted as their pasts, welcome back to the madness.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the publisher and BookSirens for the ARC.
So I came back for round two of Feathers’s dark fantasy royalty, expecting betrayal, blood, and just the right amount of witchcraft, and Night and the Dead Prince more than delivers. It’s the kind of sequel that makes you wish your phone had a “do not disturb: I’m reading” mode, because between the political intrigue, undead royalty revivals, and morally flexible alliances, this one keeps you wired late into the night.
Our hero/anti-hero (or whatever shade of morally gray Feathers has decided to torture us with this time) is dragged, kicking, existentially screaming, into webs of legacy, ghosts, and obligations he thought were long buried. Feathers has a knack for twisting the lines between loyalty and survival so tightly that by chapter ten, you’re not sure who you’re rooting for, or why you’re emotionally compromised about it. You start questioning who’s really the villain: the one pulling the strings, or the one forced to dance to them.
The worldbuilding remains lush, eerie, and intoxicating; frost-bitten courts, haunted bloodlines, and magic that hums with danger and regret. Whether Slavic-inspired or something darker, the world feels lived-in, layered, and utterly captivating. The romance? Deliciously messy, toeing that line between devotion and doom. Feathers doesn’t shy away from the consequences, and that gives the story its bite.
And that ending, equal parts gut punch and slow clap, cements Feathers as an author who clearly enjoys watching readers suffer (respectfully). It’s bold, beautifully cruel, and somehow exactly right.
If there’s a quirk, it’s a few pacing dips where plot threads linger too long in the political murk, or side characters fade into the background just when you want more of them. But even those moments feel intentional, like a pause before another emotional ambush.
In short, Night and the Dead Prince is a fierce, darker, sharper, and more devastating follow-up that proves Brien Feathers knows exactly how to keep readers on the hook. If you’re into undead politics, bad decisions made with good intentions, and characters whose hearts are as haunted as their pasts, welcome back to the madness.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to the publisher and BookSirens for the ARC.
December 26, 2025
Thank you to Brien Feathers and BookSirens for this free ARC.
I've read Winter and the Immortality Thief, and now I've finished the sequel, Night and the Dead Prince by Brien Feathers. The cover follows the same style as the first book and looks just as lovely.
✍🏽📖 The Reading Experience
It story opens in the past for the first few chapters, which is a treat for those of us who've read the first book, filling in certain events that were mentioned before. After which we come to the present day with our main protagonists, Dawn and Ilya.
I felt the pacing this time seemed a little rushed, especially in the second half. It could have benefited slowing down in some parts. For instance, when Dawn has to go on without Lyosha. She didn't really get time to process what happened, and what it means for her going forward— particularly after reuniting with the Tsar, Dion and the others. Also, Ilya's mysterious dreams and visions were intriguing, though we could have had one or two questions answered by the end, given what happened to him at the climax.
📚 The Story
Dawn and Ilya are making the trek to Yrsa, planning to exchange the latter for Dawn's brother. While Dawn's dreading the upcoming separation, Ilya's starts hearing voices and getting visions of the past. It doesn't get any easy once they arrive; Ilya is challenged to a trail to determine the true Osukhan heir, and usher in their people's rise back to power.
Meanwhile, the Tsar, Kraso, his dragon rider, Arkadion 'Dion', and a few others are searching for the Osukhan stronghold to end the war for good. After meeting up with an unexpected ally, plans are put in motion that will change the course of the war.
👥 Characters
I've already mentioned Dawn & Ilya, so I'll mention another here, Maria. She's the character we begin and close the book with. It was nice seeing her past, and a different side of her from Maria's perspective. While I feel that her PoV wasn't strictly necessary for the plot, it was an interesting addition, nonetheless.
✔️ Final Thoughts
As sequels go, this was a solid read. It provided a backstory of events and character histories introduced in the first book. I'd consider this book a bridge to be read prior to the final book of the trilogy, which I eagerly await after that ending! 😊
I've read Winter and the Immortality Thief, and now I've finished the sequel, Night and the Dead Prince by Brien Feathers. The cover follows the same style as the first book and looks just as lovely.
✍🏽📖 The Reading Experience
It story opens in the past for the first few chapters, which is a treat for those of us who've read the first book, filling in certain events that were mentioned before. After which we come to the present day with our main protagonists, Dawn and Ilya.
I felt the pacing this time seemed a little rushed, especially in the second half. It could have benefited slowing down in some parts. For instance, when Dawn has to go on without Lyosha. She didn't really get time to process what happened, and what it means for her going forward— particularly after reuniting with the Tsar, Dion and the others. Also, Ilya's mysterious dreams and visions were intriguing, though we could have had one or two questions answered by the end, given what happened to him at the climax.
📚 The Story
Dawn and Ilya are making the trek to Yrsa, planning to exchange the latter for Dawn's brother. While Dawn's dreading the upcoming separation, Ilya's starts hearing voices and getting visions of the past. It doesn't get any easy once they arrive; Ilya is challenged to a trail to determine the true Osukhan heir, and usher in their people's rise back to power.
Meanwhile, the Tsar, Kraso, his dragon rider, Arkadion 'Dion', and a few others are searching for the Osukhan stronghold to end the war for good. After meeting up with an unexpected ally, plans are put in motion that will change the course of the war.
👥 Characters
I've already mentioned Dawn & Ilya, so I'll mention another here, Maria. She's the character we begin and close the book with. It was nice seeing her past, and a different side of her from Maria's perspective. While I feel that her PoV wasn't strictly necessary for the plot, it was an interesting addition, nonetheless.
✔️ Final Thoughts
As sequels go, this was a solid read. It provided a backstory of events and character histories introduced in the first book. I'd consider this book a bridge to be read prior to the final book of the trilogy, which I eagerly await after that ending! 😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2025
This book definitely sets it up for a blow out showdown. While the first book mainly revolved around Ilya and Dawn, this installment glimpsed into many other characters. The first portion of the book is actually set in the past before book 1 and delves into how Maria and Kraso get together. At first that was confusing because it just says "time before now" but it was actually time before the 1st book. Once you get a few chapters in you see that part is meant to be prequel.
I absolutely abhorred Khesimir, yet as you read about him he was actually tortured in the past. The why this is so, other than he's of a disliked, unclean race, is not really spelled out. This makes Kraso look like a bad tsar again. Then you read on and more is revealed about Khesimir. Was he always this awful? Because it truly looks like it. He's very willing to use children, ill people, and trauma from past abuse to get what he wants. The way the cliffhanger is, did he actually get any kind of revenge he would actually know about? He sure did not seem like he was able to withstand the blackfire. Although by the end I wanted to see Dion go away as he holds onto a serious grudge against Ilya and is the cause for what happens in the end. He was definitely against his own family with what he ended up doing.
That said, all characters are written with flaws. They own their imperfections. If you are looking for spice you will not get that in this one. Its action all of the way - was kind of neat to read some of the cultural items interspersed through the story - but this one definitely leaned heavily on the dragon riding lore and expanded upon the world building. If you are in the mood for serious action that sets up the final showdown between the two "races" then look no further. The end has one heck of a cliffhanger and I was dismayed that I will have to wait for the conclusion. I got this book free as an ARC and truly enjoyed having the opportunity to do so.
I absolutely abhorred Khesimir, yet as you read about him he was actually tortured in the past. The why this is so, other than he's of a disliked, unclean race, is not really spelled out. This makes Kraso look like a bad tsar again. Then you read on and more is revealed about Khesimir. Was he always this awful? Because it truly looks like it. He's very willing to use children, ill people, and trauma from past abuse to get what he wants. The way the cliffhanger is, did he actually get any kind of revenge he would actually know about? He sure did not seem like he was able to withstand the blackfire. Although by the end I wanted to see Dion go away as he holds onto a serious grudge against Ilya and is the cause for what happens in the end. He was definitely against his own family with what he ended up doing.
That said, all characters are written with flaws. They own their imperfections. If you are looking for spice you will not get that in this one. Its action all of the way - was kind of neat to read some of the cultural items interspersed through the story - but this one definitely leaned heavily on the dragon riding lore and expanded upon the world building. If you are in the mood for serious action that sets up the final showdown between the two "races" then look no further. The end has one heck of a cliffhanger and I was dismayed that I will have to wait for the conclusion. I got this book free as an ARC and truly enjoyed having the opportunity to do so.
November 15, 2025
📖 ARC Review 📖
Night and the Dead Prince is the kind of sequel that doesn’t just pick up where book one left off, it deepens the world, the danger, and the characters in a way that feels both brutal and beautiful.
Dawn and Ilya’s journey through the frozen north is haunting, raw, and strangely intimate. The long night presses in from every angle, and watching Ilya slip between reality and phantom-haunted fever had my heart in my throat. Their bond grows in all the quiet, painful ways that only a slow burn in a deadly world can.
Kraso’s storyline is equally compelling, sharp, ambitious, and dripping with tension. His march toward Yrsa, the dragons cleaving open the night sky, the politics thrumming under every decision… it all builds toward something massive. And when the ancient magic finally stirs, it feels earned, terrifying, and utterly satisfying. I loved how the history of Volynia starts cracking open here, myth turning into threat, prophecy into blood.
This book is violent, atmospheric, and full of characters who are morally unhinged in the best way. The banter is dark, the romance is slow and aching, and the world feels colder and more alive than ever. If you’re here for dragons, trauma-soaked characters, and fantasy that isn’t afraid to bite, this series continues to deliver.
I’m already desperate for the next one.
Night and the Dead Prince is the kind of sequel that doesn’t just pick up where book one left off, it deepens the world, the danger, and the characters in a way that feels both brutal and beautiful.
Dawn and Ilya’s journey through the frozen north is haunting, raw, and strangely intimate. The long night presses in from every angle, and watching Ilya slip between reality and phantom-haunted fever had my heart in my throat. Their bond grows in all the quiet, painful ways that only a slow burn in a deadly world can.
Kraso’s storyline is equally compelling, sharp, ambitious, and dripping with tension. His march toward Yrsa, the dragons cleaving open the night sky, the politics thrumming under every decision… it all builds toward something massive. And when the ancient magic finally stirs, it feels earned, terrifying, and utterly satisfying. I loved how the history of Volynia starts cracking open here, myth turning into threat, prophecy into blood.
This book is violent, atmospheric, and full of characters who are morally unhinged in the best way. The banter is dark, the romance is slow and aching, and the world feels colder and more alive than ever. If you’re here for dragons, trauma-soaked characters, and fantasy that isn’t afraid to bite, this series continues to deliver.
I’m already desperate for the next one.
November 16, 2025
The journey toward Yrsa has taken its toll on them, but Dawn and Ilya finally arrived to save her younger brother from the Covenant. Meanwhile, the immortal king Kraso, is going north and planning his attack to eliminate the sorcerers hiding there. But when Dawn is brought to him and he learns the location of the Covenant from her, the battle is moved forward, and Dawn is to be part of it. But as they quit the field, or skies, around Narzha the unthinkable happens and an ancient enemy arises from the ashes.
Yikes, this is a very dark fantasy with elements of classic sword and sorcery along with romance. Dragons that speak, magic, morally gray and sometimes downright black characters, unexpected twists and turns in the plot, and a cliffhanger that left me reeling and has me eagerly waiting for the next book. The characters are all absolutely fascinating and quite frankly most of them have questionable if not utterly objectionable ethics and morality, but I still love them and can’t get enough of them. If you don’t mind sex, violence and very bad language then this book is for you but be warned that you really need to read the first book before you read this one. I enjoy this author’s work and highly recommend her books to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Book Sirens.
Yikes, this is a very dark fantasy with elements of classic sword and sorcery along with romance. Dragons that speak, magic, morally gray and sometimes downright black characters, unexpected twists and turns in the plot, and a cliffhanger that left me reeling and has me eagerly waiting for the next book. The characters are all absolutely fascinating and quite frankly most of them have questionable if not utterly objectionable ethics and morality, but I still love them and can’t get enough of them. If you don’t mind sex, violence and very bad language then this book is for you but be warned that you really need to read the first book before you read this one. I enjoy this author’s work and highly recommend her books to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Book Sirens.
October 30, 2025
✨ Review | Night and the Dead Prince by Brien Feathers ✨
Returning to Feathers’s world feels like stepping into a frostbitten dream, beautiful, brutal, and impossible to escape. Night and the Dead Prince weaves betrayal, magic, and the kind of danger that whispers your name in the dark.
Feathers blurs the line between loyalty and survival until you don’t know who to root for, or why your heart hurts so much. The world is all frostbitten courts, haunted bloodlines, and magic that hums with danger. And the romance? A slow, messy, delicious descent into devotion and doom.
The pacing dips a little, but every quiet moment feels like the breath before the blade. And that ending—equal parts heartbreak and applause, proves Feathers lives to keep readers suffering (in the best way).
A darker, sharper sequel that cements Feathers as a master of emotional ruin.
If you love undead politics, tragic hearts, and slow-burns that hurt so good, welcome back to the madness. 🖤
Returning to Feathers’s world feels like stepping into a frostbitten dream, beautiful, brutal, and impossible to escape. Night and the Dead Prince weaves betrayal, magic, and the kind of danger that whispers your name in the dark.
Feathers blurs the line between loyalty and survival until you don’t know who to root for, or why your heart hurts so much. The world is all frostbitten courts, haunted bloodlines, and magic that hums with danger. And the romance? A slow, messy, delicious descent into devotion and doom.
The pacing dips a little, but every quiet moment feels like the breath before the blade. And that ending—equal parts heartbreak and applause, proves Feathers lives to keep readers suffering (in the best way).
A darker, sharper sequel that cements Feathers as a master of emotional ruin.
If you love undead politics, tragic hearts, and slow-burns that hurt so good, welcome back to the madness. 🖤
November 6, 2025
What stayed with me most is endurance. Some of the characters endure for their own ambition, others want to save the world, others have no choice - but the most spectacular is the endurance for love.
Dawn and Ilya want to come on the other side of duty, guilt and sacrifice just to live together, to have a chance at happiness in the desperate hope that they can overcome the staggering odds. They both live through overwhelming, crippling fear, despair, grief, hunger, pain and cold to the limits of endurance, and then they endure some more.
They are not the only ones fighting a desperate battle for saving the world from darkness, for their family or their tsar, and when everything goes achingly wrong in a tormenting cliffhanger, it's the cruelest thing ever! Can't wait for the sequel!
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dawn and Ilya want to come on the other side of duty, guilt and sacrifice just to live together, to have a chance at happiness in the desperate hope that they can overcome the staggering odds. They both live through overwhelming, crippling fear, despair, grief, hunger, pain and cold to the limits of endurance, and then they endure some more.
They are not the only ones fighting a desperate battle for saving the world from darkness, for their family or their tsar, and when everything goes achingly wrong in a tormenting cliffhanger, it's the cruelest thing ever! Can't wait for the sequel!
I received an advance review copy for free via BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dark, emotional, and totally addictive
I really enjoyed this continuation of the series! Night and the Dead Prince picks up right where book two left off, and it pulled me straight back into Brien Feathers’ haunting, magical world. The atmosphere is still dark and dreamy, and I loved how the author deepened the characters’ emotions this time around.
There’s a great mix of tension, romance, and danger — and even when things got a bit slow in the middle, I was still completely invested in seeing how it all played out. The writing is beautiful and moody, and the emotional moments really hit hard.
It’s definitely a story that sticks with you after you finish. I wouldn’t call it perfect, but it’s absolutely one of those books that keeps you thinking about the characters long after the last page. Can’t wait to see where the next one takes us!
Thanks to BookSirens for this e-Arc! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this continuation of the series! Night and the Dead Prince picks up right where book two left off, and it pulled me straight back into Brien Feathers’ haunting, magical world. The atmosphere is still dark and dreamy, and I loved how the author deepened the characters’ emotions this time around.
There’s a great mix of tension, romance, and danger — and even when things got a bit slow in the middle, I was still completely invested in seeing how it all played out. The writing is beautiful and moody, and the emotional moments really hit hard.
It’s definitely a story that sticks with you after you finish. I wouldn’t call it perfect, but it’s absolutely one of those books that keeps you thinking about the characters long after the last page. Can’t wait to see where the next one takes us!
Thanks to BookSirens for this e-Arc! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 6, 2025
I returned to Feathers’ dark fantasy world expecting betrayal, blood, and witchcraft — and Night and the Dead Prince more than delivered. This sequel grabs hold and doesn’t let go, filled with political intrigue, undead royalty, and morally gray alliances that’ll keep you reading way past bedtime.
The worldbuilding is as lush and eerie as ever — frostbitten courts, haunted bloodlines, and magic that hums with danger and regret. Our tortured hero is once again dragged into webs of ghosts, legacy, and obligation, and I loved every second of it.
Feathers nails that blend of fantasy, romance, and devastation. It’s sharper, darker, and even more addictive than book one. If you love undead politics, bad decisions made with good intentions, and characters whose hearts are as haunted as their pasts — this one’s for you.
The worldbuilding is as lush and eerie as ever — frostbitten courts, haunted bloodlines, and magic that hums with danger and regret. Our tortured hero is once again dragged into webs of ghosts, legacy, and obligation, and I loved every second of it.
Feathers nails that blend of fantasy, romance, and devastation. It’s sharper, darker, and even more addictive than book one. If you love undead politics, bad decisions made with good intentions, and characters whose hearts are as haunted as their pasts — this one’s for you.
November 13, 2025
The book starts right where the first one ended, with our MCs on their way to the north.
We see their relationship growing and it feels more real now than in the first book.
We get more insight in Maria and Kraso's relationship but I'm still not really a fan of Kraso. The different POVs definetly let us understand the other characters better.
We finally get to see the mysterious Yrsa that everyone is searching for. As expected, things do not go smoothly there and our heroes are separated once more. At the end, all hell breaks loose and this exiting story ends in a cliffhanger. Will our heroes be alright? What monster has arrived? What happened to the tsar?
We need the next book!
Thank you Brien Feathers and BookSirens for the copy I received. This is my honest review.
(4,5/5 stars)
We see their relationship growing and it feels more real now than in the first book.
We get more insight in Maria and Kraso's relationship but I'm still not really a fan of Kraso. The different POVs definetly let us understand the other characters better.
We finally get to see the mysterious Yrsa that everyone is searching for. As expected, things do not go smoothly there and our heroes are separated once more. At the end, all hell breaks loose and this exiting story ends in a cliffhanger. Will our heroes be alright? What monster has arrived? What happened to the tsar?
We need the next book!
Thank you Brien Feathers and BookSirens for the copy I received. This is my honest review.
(4,5/5 stars)
November 18, 2025
This is only my second Brien Feathers book, but I really like her style.
I don't usually like it when there are too many characters and point of view switches, but the story is captivating enough and I learn more and more about the world, the war and the characters as we switch points of view around.
The characters are deep and they feel fleshed out with their good and their bad sides, on both sides of the war. That we see different characters interact with each other shows more and more about who they are and how they operate. They all journey forward through their own story, but they all interact and weave masterfully together.
It definitely makes me wonder about which side I would be on, and I like that sometimes I even forget who to root for.
And I'm really looking forward to traveling on with the characters and see which side I, and they end up on.
I don't usually like it when there are too many characters and point of view switches, but the story is captivating enough and I learn more and more about the world, the war and the characters as we switch points of view around.
The characters are deep and they feel fleshed out with their good and their bad sides, on both sides of the war. That we see different characters interact with each other shows more and more about who they are and how they operate. They all journey forward through their own story, but they all interact and weave masterfully together.
It definitely makes me wonder about which side I would be on, and I like that sometimes I even forget who to root for.
And I'm really looking forward to traveling on with the characters and see which side I, and they end up on.
December 6, 2025
Night and the Dead Prince is the kind of sequel that grabs you immediately and doesn’t let go. Dawn and Ilya’s journey through the frozen north is tense, atmospheric and full of moments that had me glued to the page. The creeping madness, the shadows in the dark and the growing danger around Ilya kept the stakes high from start to finish.
I loved how the political intrigue deepened in this book. Kraso’s storyline, the dragons, and the long-buried magic waking in Narzha all added layers that made the world feel even richer than in book one. The writing is moody and beautiful, with emotional moments that hit surprisingly hard.
Between undead royalty, shifting alliances and the constant threat of ancient magic, I was completely invested in how everything would unfold. A strong and gripping continuation of the Volynian Tales, and now I’m even more excited for what comes next.
I loved how the political intrigue deepened in this book. Kraso’s storyline, the dragons, and the long-buried magic waking in Narzha all added layers that made the world feel even richer than in book one. The writing is moody and beautiful, with emotional moments that hit surprisingly hard.
Between undead royalty, shifting alliances and the constant threat of ancient magic, I was completely invested in how everything would unfold. A strong and gripping continuation of the Volynian Tales, and now I’m even more excited for what comes next.
November 20, 2025
I loved reading Night and the Dead Prince. It was at least as engrossing as the first book in the Volynian Tales series, probably moreso. The story is intricate, the characters are very well developed, and the pacing is great. Once I started, I had a very hard time setting this one down before the end. And after that bombshell of an ending, I'm desperately hoping the next book comes soon. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy dark fantasy with dragons. Just be sure to start with the first book in the series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 31, 2025
This was a strong sequel in the Volynian Tales series, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed from the previous entry in this series, it uses the fantasy romance elements perfectly to tell the story and had characters that I cared about during the storyline. The characters worked so well in this universe and had that charm that I enjoyed from the previous book. Brien Feathers always has a strong writing style and was glad I got to read this.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 20, 2025
Thank you to Brien Feathers for allowing me to read an eARC of Night and the Dead Prince. These opinions are my own!
Chosen take!!! Holy sorcerers and dragons!!!
That was an adventure for sure!! I love this world and the characters!!! There's so much that's discovered in this about the series!!! Our FMC is so sassy and hilarious!
I can not wait to read the finale!!!
There's some yummy spice but plot forward. It's a little dark but so dang good!! There's politics and war and magic and dragons and secrets!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#volyniantales #nightandthedeadprince #secretsandlies #dragons #magic #sorcerers
Chosen take!!! Holy sorcerers and dragons!!!
That was an adventure for sure!! I love this world and the characters!!! There's so much that's discovered in this about the series!!! Our FMC is so sassy and hilarious!
I can not wait to read the finale!!!
There's some yummy spice but plot forward. It's a little dark but so dang good!! There's politics and war and magic and dragons and secrets!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#volyniantales #nightandthedeadprince #secretsandlies #dragons #magic #sorcerers
November 21, 2025
Night and the Dead Prince is a chilling, atmospheric plunge into the frozen brutality of the Volynian winter where every breath, shadow, and heartbeat feels sharpened by survival. Brien Feathers continues the Volynian Tales with a story that is as fierce as it is intimate, weaving sword and sorcery with aching humanity. Dawn and Ilya’s journey through endless darkness is tense, tender, and threaded with the kind of slow-burn connection that thrives under pressure. Their trek is haunted both literally and emotionally and Feathers captures that unraveling with masterful restraint
November 22, 2025
I received an ARC of Night And The Dead Prince from the author.
This is the second book in The Volynian Tales trilogy and starts up immediately where the first book left off.
We got a few more POVs in this book and everyone finally discovers Dawn's true heritage.
Dawn and Ilya's dedication to each other was really sweet. The ending was bleak, but I'm excited to see how Brien wraps up the series. I really did enjoy getting to know the rest of the Kniazhevs.
I'm hoping Kraso doesn't die as he's tied to Ash and I love her.
This is the second book in The Volynian Tales trilogy and starts up immediately where the first book left off.
We got a few more POVs in this book and everyone finally discovers Dawn's true heritage.
Dawn and Ilya's dedication to each other was really sweet. The ending was bleak, but I'm excited to see how Brien wraps up the series. I really did enjoy getting to know the rest of the Kniazhevs.
I'm hoping Kraso doesn't die as he's tied to Ash and I love her.
January 12, 2026
Volynian Tales book two, Night and the Dead Prince is a dark fantasy romance which continues the story of Dawn. Her and Ilya are headed to Yrsa to find the covenant that holds her brother. With the introduction of new characters and continued imaginative world building, this book outshines the first. Swords, sorcery, dragons, danger, mystery, violence, and a slow-burn romance that makes you ache for more! The wait for Blood and the Dragon Rider starts now, cause that cliffhanger has left me hungry.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 28, 2025
The saga continues with "Night and the Dead Prince," an enthralling epic that carries on the "Volynian Tales." Brien Feathers builds on the journeys of the richly detailed cast and delves deeper into the intricacies of the incredible world she’s crafted for them. Now, it’s time for the next chapter in their adventures.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 5, 2025
Brien Feather’s second book in the Volynian Tales trilogy is an absolute delight. Once again, she draws us into rich, believable worlds filled with authenticity and heart. The characters are wonderfully crafted—I’m especially attached to Dawn and Illya, who shine even more brightly in this instalment. The story is laced with constant suspense; when you think you know what’s coming, the plot takes a gripping, often nail-biting turn—a truly captivating read and highly recommended.
November 12, 2025
I enjoyed the second journey for these characters. There are places in this book that break your heart. Some that make you smile. Last but not least, but most of all, suspense. Reading about Dawn and Ilya has been enjoyable. This is an ongoing story. Only the author knows what is to come, but I look forward to finding out.
November 20, 2025
Dawn and Ilya are back and so is all the intrigue, drama , trouble and surprises that make this series fun to read. A simple plan to rescue Dawn's brother goes wrong and leads to all sorts of wild and fun times for everyone. So much crazy drama goes with all the magic, dragons and the people. Loved it and hard to put down it was so good.
November 27, 2025
Loved it!
M/F romantasy is my favourite genre, and I want it to be steamy, as long as it does not override the plot. In ‘Night and the Dead Prince’, you get open door-scenes and a perfect amount of spice.
I also really like multiple POVs, which we get plenty of.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
M/F romantasy is my favourite genre, and I want it to be steamy, as long as it does not override the plot. In ‘Night and the Dead Prince’, you get open door-scenes and a perfect amount of spice.
I also really like multiple POVs, which we get plenty of.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 29, 2025
Even better than the first one, how is that possible?? Brien Feathers has a way of writing twists and turns I did not see coming, and the most satisfying fight scenes!! Love love love
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Read
November 1, 2025Great continuation. The characters and story just expanded and I learned so much more about the world in this book. The story kept my attention and the characters were really likable and relatable. Really good read.
Currently reading
January 11, 2026Catching up on this series in time for the next book's release next month (‘Blood and the Dragon Rider’).
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