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Runewitch Saga #1
The Death-Made Prince: A Dark Fantasy Romance
A runewitch on the run has only one option join forces with the sarcastic, unpleasantly gorgeous necromancer she loathes
The man Thraga loved is dead, and her future is in shambles. When she's sentenced to the gallows for killing her lover's murderers, it's a relief more than anything… until, the night before her execution, a necromancer is thrown into her cell.
Escaping with him is her only chance to bring Lark back to life - and also the start of all her troubles.
Because her new almost-ally is not just any man returned from death. Fire mage, rogue prince, and son of the man who killed her mother, sharp-tongued Durlain Averre is everything Thraga hates. Worse, he won't revive her lover unless she joins him on a mission of his own first, using her forbidden rune magic to free his sister from the dungeons of an enemy king.
But their quest turns into a deadly chase when Thraga's violent past catches up with her. And as the net of court intrigue and old fears closes around them, she begins to find out Lark was not at all the man she thought he was…
And neither is Durlain.
The Death-Made Prince is the first book of the Runewitch Saga, an epic enemies to lovers fantasy romance featuring two morally grey leads, OCD rep, and a Norse mythology-inspired world. While it is a slow burn romance, the first book does contain spicy content intended for 18+ readers.
The man Thraga loved is dead, and her future is in shambles. When she's sentenced to the gallows for killing her lover's murderers, it's a relief more than anything… until, the night before her execution, a necromancer is thrown into her cell.
Escaping with him is her only chance to bring Lark back to life - and also the start of all her troubles.
Because her new almost-ally is not just any man returned from death. Fire mage, rogue prince, and son of the man who killed her mother, sharp-tongued Durlain Averre is everything Thraga hates. Worse, he won't revive her lover unless she joins him on a mission of his own first, using her forbidden rune magic to free his sister from the dungeons of an enemy king.
But their quest turns into a deadly chase when Thraga's violent past catches up with her. And as the net of court intrigue and old fears closes around them, she begins to find out Lark was not at all the man she thought he was…
And neither is Durlain.
The Death-Made Prince is the first book of the Runewitch Saga, an epic enemies to lovers fantasy romance featuring two morally grey leads, OCD rep, and a Norse mythology-inspired world. While it is a slow burn romance, the first book does contain spicy content intended for 18+ readers.
545 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2025
924 people are currently reading
9249 people want to read
About the author
Lisette Marshall
29 books1,668 followersLisette Marshall is a fantasy romance author, language nerd and cartography enthusiast. Having grown up on a steady diet of epic fantasy, regency romance and cosy mysteries, she now writes steamy, swoony stories with a generous sprinkle of murder.
Lisette lives in the Netherlands (yes, below sea level) with her boyfriend and the few house plants that miraculously survive her highly irregular watering regime. When she’s not reading or writing, she can usually be found drawing fantasy maps, baking and eating too many chocolate cookies, or geeking out over Ancient Greek.
To get in touch, visit www.lisettemarshall.com, or follow @authorlisettemarshall on Instagram, where she spends way too much time looking at pretty book pictures.
Lisette lives in the Netherlands (yes, below sea level) with her boyfriend and the few house plants that miraculously survive her highly irregular watering regime. When she’s not reading or writing, she can usually be found drawing fantasy maps, baking and eating too many chocolate cookies, or geeking out over Ancient Greek.
To get in touch, visit www.lisettemarshall.com, or follow @authorlisettemarshall on Instagram, where she spends way too much time looking at pretty book pictures.
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October 28, 2025
Because that’s the thing, isn’t it? As long as you’re happy to stay inside, a cage just feels like a home. It’s only when you want to step out that you start to see the bars for what they are
I knew without a doubt I could trust Lisette Marshall to write a great book and the beginning to what promises to be an amazing new series; having read and loved to pieces the Fea Isles series, my expectations were high, and this book delivered.
Plotwise this is very introductory, it does the groundwork for a compelling series, presenting an interesting story, characters and political messes, there’s some really good action too, but like I said, it prepares the ground a lot.
What shines the most is what I think is LM best: the characters. We are presented with two strongly developed mc, both complex and so interesting, layered, and there’s still so much to discover (and I can’t wait for that).
‘I’ve spent all my adult life doing the bidding of terrible men, you know. I’ve been told to be quiet and to swallow my fear and to play along with games I could only ever lose, and I didn’t even remember I could do better until you made me hold that bloody door. I attacked Belloc yesterday. It was stupid, but I chose to attack Belloc. You gave me that, do you understand? The point I’m trying to make is you’ve already fulfilled your side of the bargain, you fool. You’ve given me so much more than I ever imagined I could bargain for. And yet you’re still trying to help me, the way you’re trying to protect everyone and everything around you all the time, and it’s … I’m so very sorry, Dur. I wish someone had helped you when it counted – that someone could have saved you from becoming what you didn’t want to be.’
Thraga is tough, capable, sassy, wild, but for a long time she didn’t believe these things about herself, only now she’s starting to own them, to be herself, she’s discovering who she is, her strength, her voice, along with us, because for the first time in a long time, she’s free, not just free from a prison, but also free from a partner that closed her in a little box where she had to act how he told her to. I really felt for her and loved watching her find her freedom and she won’t be boxed in again. I can’t wait to see her rage fase; she’s much more dangerous than anyone realizes.
If the world had to be terrible, I could be so, so much worse.
Durlain is very fascinating, and we discover him little by little. Cunning, dangerous, calculating, manipulative, snarky, he shows the world only what he wants them to see, yet as time passes, Thraga starts to see past his shields, past the cutting cruel remarks he uses to keep his distance. The prince of many faces carries a lot of trauma and anger and burdens, he’s morally grey for sure, a man with a conscience, but who still would commit murders, betrayals and such if necessary, mostly for those he loves, and he loves his sister (and now Thraga).
‘Of course the sorry bastard should have wanted you because you’re a foul-mouthed little fighter with an unnervingly wicked sense of humour and an absolutely riveting obsession with runes. If he’d had any sense, that would have been all he cared about.’
Another thing LM does amazingly is showing how trauma impacts people and how issues aren’t fixed in a moment (like I said great character work). Thraga OCD is portrayed respectfully and realistically, as is so real the representation of how a toxic relationship shapes the way a person sees themselves, the way they act; I loved all about how LM does that and how Durlain helps Thraga to recognize and pick apart the bullshit her dead lover (patronizing, condescending, controlling, belittling, abusing asshole) convinced her of, and how much he understands and helps with her OCD.
I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.
Another thing done wonderfully is the romance. This is a real slow burn, a reluctant allies who hate and insult each other to lovers where the progression of the relationship is handled so well, and the more the book goes on the more they start to see and understand and admire and respect each other. They share meaningful moments and a real connection forms between them. Durlain tries so hard to fight his feelings and retreat behind his uncaring bastard façade, it’s a constant struggle between them, but Thraga sees him and when push comes to shove, he can’t help but care. He sees how wonderful she is sooner than she sees it herself and helps her see it too, he admires her, respects her, how tough and capable she is, he listens, challenges her, pushes her to be herself. And by the end there’s no doubt whatsoever about how damn much these two have fallen in love. The chemistry between them is great, with really charged scenes (the hottest handholding ever 🥵) and a couple of hot spicy scenes. And the nicknames, my murderous little miracle, brilliant, glorious fool, Thorn of mine!! ❤️
‘Hell have mercy on me, Thraga – do you want the truth? Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.’
I predicted the Durlain deal reveal at 2/3ish of the book, but it landed all the same, it’s heartbreaking. I feel for Durlain and understand he didn’t want that to happen at that point, but my heart brakes for Thraga. The man will have to GROVEL (I can already tell he will, so so much, for her) and I want to see her kick his ass first, make him work for it, and then they have to get together and be a power couple forever ok?
It was not remotely close to all, because the prince of broken hearts had killed for his sister and stolen hellhounds for his sister and betrayed his life’s work for his sister, and yet he would not sacrifice me for her.
P.S. 1-for the next book, could use a map of the world.
2-Honestly what pisses me off the most is what Cimmura does at the end, what she says is right, but she’s doing the worst possible thing.
3-Hope that the Durlain pov in the second to last chapter means we might have some dual pov in the next book.
4-the last sentence, that was a twist!
5-The next book cannot come fast enough and October 2026 is too far away.
The place stank and I thought I heard the scurrying footsteps of rats or mice somewhere far too close. But Durlain Averre looked at me as if I was the answer to every question he’d ever asked, and in the glory of the moment, I couldn’t think of a better place in the world to be.
I knew without a doubt I could trust Lisette Marshall to write a great book and the beginning to what promises to be an amazing new series; having read and loved to pieces the Fea Isles series, my expectations were high, and this book delivered.
Plotwise this is very introductory, it does the groundwork for a compelling series, presenting an interesting story, characters and political messes, there’s some really good action too, but like I said, it prepares the ground a lot.
What shines the most is what I think is LM best: the characters. We are presented with two strongly developed mc, both complex and so interesting, layered, and there’s still so much to discover (and I can’t wait for that).
‘I’ve spent all my adult life doing the bidding of terrible men, you know. I’ve been told to be quiet and to swallow my fear and to play along with games I could only ever lose, and I didn’t even remember I could do better until you made me hold that bloody door. I attacked Belloc yesterday. It was stupid, but I chose to attack Belloc. You gave me that, do you understand? The point I’m trying to make is you’ve already fulfilled your side of the bargain, you fool. You’ve given me so much more than I ever imagined I could bargain for. And yet you’re still trying to help me, the way you’re trying to protect everyone and everything around you all the time, and it’s … I’m so very sorry, Dur. I wish someone had helped you when it counted – that someone could have saved you from becoming what you didn’t want to be.’
Thraga is tough, capable, sassy, wild, but for a long time she didn’t believe these things about herself, only now she’s starting to own them, to be herself, she’s discovering who she is, her strength, her voice, along with us, because for the first time in a long time, she’s free, not just free from a prison, but also free from a partner that closed her in a little box where she had to act how he told her to. I really felt for her and loved watching her find her freedom and she won’t be boxed in again. I can’t wait to see her rage fase; she’s much more dangerous than anyone realizes.
If the world had to be terrible, I could be so, so much worse.
Durlain is very fascinating, and we discover him little by little. Cunning, dangerous, calculating, manipulative, snarky, he shows the world only what he wants them to see, yet as time passes, Thraga starts to see past his shields, past the cutting cruel remarks he uses to keep his distance. The prince of many faces carries a lot of trauma and anger and burdens, he’s morally grey for sure, a man with a conscience, but who still would commit murders, betrayals and such if necessary, mostly for those he loves, and he loves his sister (and now Thraga).
‘Of course the sorry bastard should have wanted you because you’re a foul-mouthed little fighter with an unnervingly wicked sense of humour and an absolutely riveting obsession with runes. If he’d had any sense, that would have been all he cared about.’
Another thing LM does amazingly is showing how trauma impacts people and how issues aren’t fixed in a moment (like I said great character work). Thraga OCD is portrayed respectfully and realistically, as is so real the representation of how a toxic relationship shapes the way a person sees themselves, the way they act; I loved all about how LM does that and how Durlain helps Thraga to recognize and pick apart the bullshit her dead lover (patronizing, condescending, controlling, belittling, abusing asshole) convinced her of, and how much he understands and helps with her OCD.
I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.
Another thing done wonderfully is the romance. This is a real slow burn, a reluctant allies who hate and insult each other to lovers where the progression of the relationship is handled so well, and the more the book goes on the more they start to see and understand and admire and respect each other. They share meaningful moments and a real connection forms between them. Durlain tries so hard to fight his feelings and retreat behind his uncaring bastard façade, it’s a constant struggle between them, but Thraga sees him and when push comes to shove, he can’t help but care. He sees how wonderful she is sooner than she sees it herself and helps her see it too, he admires her, respects her, how tough and capable she is, he listens, challenges her, pushes her to be herself. And by the end there’s no doubt whatsoever about how damn much these two have fallen in love. The chemistry between them is great, with really charged scenes (the hottest handholding ever 🥵) and a couple of hot spicy scenes. And the nicknames, my murderous little miracle, brilliant, glorious fool, Thorn of mine!! ❤️
‘Hell have mercy on me, Thraga – do you want the truth? Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.’
I predicted the Durlain deal reveal at 2/3ish of the book, but it landed all the same, it’s heartbreaking. I feel for Durlain and understand he didn’t want that to happen at that point, but my heart brakes for Thraga. The man will have to GROVEL (I can already tell he will, so so much, for her) and I want to see her kick his ass first, make him work for it, and then they have to get together and be a power couple forever ok?
It was not remotely close to all, because the prince of broken hearts had killed for his sister and stolen hellhounds for his sister and betrayed his life’s work for his sister, and yet he would not sacrifice me for her.
P.S. 1-for the next book, could use a map of the world.
2-Honestly what pisses me off the most is what Cimmura does at the end, what she says is right, but she’s doing the worst possible thing.
3-Hope that the Durlain pov in the second to last chapter means we might have some dual pov in the next book.
4-the last sentence, that was a twist!
5-The next book cannot come fast enough and October 2026 is too far away.
The place stank and I thought I heard the scurrying footsteps of rats or mice somewhere far too close. But Durlain Averre looked at me as if I was the answer to every question he’d ever asked, and in the glory of the moment, I couldn’t think of a better place in the world to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ — Thank you Lisette Marshall for making me one of your ARC readers 🖤🔥 ; provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op.
I am speechless & empty.
This wasn’t just a simple cliffhanger. It was a “let me slowly peel the layers of your lungs out of your chest while you watch paralyzed” type of cliffhanger 😭 I feel like the fall as much as the shock is everlasting. You’re warned…
(You can find a quick rating overview & list of tropes at the very bottom if you don’t feel like reading a full review.)
This book is such a refreshing take on the genre! It was my first dip into necromancy & only my second into rune witches 🖤
I found the magic system absolutely brilliant, the world building intriguing, and the visuals truly breathtaking!
From the vicious displays of powers, to the eerie & otherworldly environments and finally the surprising & infuriating interactions, everything was so well thought out and beautifully detailed that it felt like you were right there walking along the characters through it all ✨
Durlain’s story is so horrifically gruesome & tragic, and so of course he is an insufferable *string of ridiculously creative and nasty expletives I will let you discover in the book because they were just so much fun*.
And while his appearance is very far from your typical gorgeous broody magical being, he is and sounds scary hot 🫣🤭 I didn’t expect an eyepatched, horned & scarred necromancer would be my type but guess there’s always room for more firsts 👹
The juxtaposition of his fire wielding powers with the glacial death elements was such a beautiful contradiction.
Thraga is an OCD & anxiety rep, and as someone who has dealt with both of those, I felt that so fucking deep in my bones I wanted to cry.
Seeing her come to the realizations she did throughout the book, both on her own and with Durlain’s help was both frustrating & exhilarating 🔥 I love a good female rage awakening story and this one was truly delightful!
That newfound freedom showed up in just about every aspect of her self, and witnessing her break the bars of the cage she’d been unknowingly holding onto for so long had my heart squeezing impossibly tight 🥹
This book is the TRUE definition of a SLOW BURN. Both in terms of the MC’s relationship, as well as the storyline.
This story will have you in a constant state of almost anxious, almost scared. Anticipation crawling through you like thick sludge at every turn of the page. Before it will ultimately WRECK YOU.
The plot is steady with some intense moments of chaos sprinkled here and there for a good 60ish percent of the book, but once it picks up… you’ll have to put your kindle down at every chapter.
Because when shit hits the proverbial fan (MULTIPLE TIMES), let me tell you I was stunned. Which is a feat in and of itself as I can smell a freaking plot-twist ages before it happens.
You will get hammered & beaten down every time you come up for air. And you will end this read speechless & stripped of your ability to feel anything other than quiet numbed despair 💔
As for the dynamics : this is how you write a REAL ENEMIES TO LOVERS story 👹
If it were not for absolute necessity, these two would have taken the first chance they could get to off the other. No second thoughts. No remorse. And probably with a big fat vicious smile plastered across their face.
And even through their unfortunately shared endeavour, they did not mince words, did not do or say things to placate or soothe each other. They spit their venom, pushed & prodded, and only intervened in the most dire of circumstances. Only when it served their own personal needs. Until well, the tides ultimately shifted…
The SLOW BURN was so slow it felt like moving sands. And just as I thought I would drown in them, a gentle hand held my own, slowly pulling me into a daze of want & need making me think we were finally there 😌
ONLY TO PLUNGE ME RIGHT BACK INTO AN ICY BATH OF NOTHING (and dirty dirty thoughts)!!!!
And then it would happen, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN 😭
But once those two finally let go of their silly little convictions and whatever other bland excuses they tried to hold on to, MY OH MY was that some scrumptiously written spice 🥵 worth every goddamn minute of agony & taunting!
But more than that it was the hard conversations between them that both broke & remade my heart & soul 😭
The amount of highlighting I did in this book is INSANE. I’m not talking phrases or paragraphs but FULL ON PAGES.
The quiet but mounting defiance clashing with the loud unforgiving realizations that nothing is as it seems, and maybe it’s actually a good thing despite the agony of it.
This book held some of my favorite tough but equally gentle conversations EVER, and also had such incredible venom spewing & banter, that everyone else just NEEDS to experience!!!
The writing is both exquisite and so so witty!!
The construction of it and the choice of vocabulary was different & fresh and made the read so much more enjoyable and impactful than your regular run of the mill romantasy, while still being super easy to read and follow!
I also ADORED the choices the author made in terms of names, not your usual lilt-y delicate obviously magically charged names, but otherworldly, a little rough around the edges & quietly powerful instead!
And of course I couldn’t finish this reviews without mentioning her choice of words and expressions for both insults & terms of endearment, because they were bloody brilliant! Hilarious, biting and crude 👹 someone after my own heart!!
I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED about the rest of the series because I KNOW this is about to be one of my all time favourites.
•••
OVERVIEW :
Rating ⭐ 4.5/5
Tension 🔥 4/5
Spice 🌶️ 2/5
Emotional Damage 💀 5/5
🖤 REAL enemies to lovers
🔥 Rune Witch x Necromancer
🖤 Forced proximity
🔥 Female Rage Awakening
🖤 OCD & anxiety rep
🔥 Deadly quest meets Court intrigue
🖤 Jarring juxtapositions
🔥 SLOWEST FREAKING BURN EVER (but worth every agonizing second)
🖤 Reluctant allies on the run
🔥 Touch her and die (eventually)
🖤 Scary hot insufferable cold hearted & murderous MMC
🔥 Unassumingly deadly but equally terrified & sharp tongued FMC
🖤 Slow start > Epic end
🔥 Just so so so much pain everywhere
🖤 Fresh take on the genre
🔥 Fascinating magic system & world building
🖤 Betrayal galore
🔥 Equal parts venom & banter
🖤 Exquisite tension
🔥 Cliffhanger that will leave you speechless & empty
I am speechless & empty.
This wasn’t just a simple cliffhanger. It was a “let me slowly peel the layers of your lungs out of your chest while you watch paralyzed” type of cliffhanger 😭 I feel like the fall as much as the shock is everlasting. You’re warned…
(You can find a quick rating overview & list of tropes at the very bottom if you don’t feel like reading a full review.)
This book is such a refreshing take on the genre! It was my first dip into necromancy & only my second into rune witches 🖤
I found the magic system absolutely brilliant, the world building intriguing, and the visuals truly breathtaking!
From the vicious displays of powers, to the eerie & otherworldly environments and finally the surprising & infuriating interactions, everything was so well thought out and beautifully detailed that it felt like you were right there walking along the characters through it all ✨
Durlain’s story is so horrifically gruesome & tragic, and so of course he is an insufferable *string of ridiculously creative and nasty expletives I will let you discover in the book because they were just so much fun*.
And while his appearance is very far from your typical gorgeous broody magical being, he is and sounds scary hot 🫣🤭 I didn’t expect an eyepatched, horned & scarred necromancer would be my type but guess there’s always room for more firsts 👹
The juxtaposition of his fire wielding powers with the glacial death elements was such a beautiful contradiction.
Thraga is an OCD & anxiety rep, and as someone who has dealt with both of those, I felt that so fucking deep in my bones I wanted to cry.
Seeing her come to the realizations she did throughout the book, both on her own and with Durlain’s help was both frustrating & exhilarating 🔥 I love a good female rage awakening story and this one was truly delightful!
That newfound freedom showed up in just about every aspect of her self, and witnessing her break the bars of the cage she’d been unknowingly holding onto for so long had my heart squeezing impossibly tight 🥹
This book is the TRUE definition of a SLOW BURN. Both in terms of the MC’s relationship, as well as the storyline.
This story will have you in a constant state of almost anxious, almost scared. Anticipation crawling through you like thick sludge at every turn of the page. Before it will ultimately WRECK YOU.
The plot is steady with some intense moments of chaos sprinkled here and there for a good 60ish percent of the book, but once it picks up… you’ll have to put your kindle down at every chapter.
Because when shit hits the proverbial fan (MULTIPLE TIMES), let me tell you I was stunned. Which is a feat in and of itself as I can smell a freaking plot-twist ages before it happens.
You will get hammered & beaten down every time you come up for air. And you will end this read speechless & stripped of your ability to feel anything other than quiet numbed despair 💔
As for the dynamics : this is how you write a REAL ENEMIES TO LOVERS story 👹
If it were not for absolute necessity, these two would have taken the first chance they could get to off the other. No second thoughts. No remorse. And probably with a big fat vicious smile plastered across their face.
And even through their unfortunately shared endeavour, they did not mince words, did not do or say things to placate or soothe each other. They spit their venom, pushed & prodded, and only intervened in the most dire of circumstances. Only when it served their own personal needs. Until well, the tides ultimately shifted…
The SLOW BURN was so slow it felt like moving sands. And just as I thought I would drown in them, a gentle hand held my own, slowly pulling me into a daze of want & need making me think we were finally there 😌
ONLY TO PLUNGE ME RIGHT BACK INTO AN ICY BATH OF NOTHING (and dirty dirty thoughts)!!!!
And then it would happen, OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN 😭
But once those two finally let go of their silly little convictions and whatever other bland excuses they tried to hold on to, MY OH MY was that some scrumptiously written spice 🥵 worth every goddamn minute of agony & taunting!
But more than that it was the hard conversations between them that both broke & remade my heart & soul 😭
The amount of highlighting I did in this book is INSANE. I’m not talking phrases or paragraphs but FULL ON PAGES.
The quiet but mounting defiance clashing with the loud unforgiving realizations that nothing is as it seems, and maybe it’s actually a good thing despite the agony of it.
This book held some of my favorite tough but equally gentle conversations EVER, and also had such incredible venom spewing & banter, that everyone else just NEEDS to experience!!!
The writing is both exquisite and so so witty!!
The construction of it and the choice of vocabulary was different & fresh and made the read so much more enjoyable and impactful than your regular run of the mill romantasy, while still being super easy to read and follow!
I also ADORED the choices the author made in terms of names, not your usual lilt-y delicate obviously magically charged names, but otherworldly, a little rough around the edges & quietly powerful instead!
And of course I couldn’t finish this reviews without mentioning her choice of words and expressions for both insults & terms of endearment, because they were bloody brilliant! Hilarious, biting and crude 👹 someone after my own heart!!
I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED about the rest of the series because I KNOW this is about to be one of my all time favourites.
•••
OVERVIEW :
Rating ⭐ 4.5/5
Tension 🔥 4/5
Spice 🌶️ 2/5
Emotional Damage 💀 5/5
🖤 REAL enemies to lovers
🔥 Rune Witch x Necromancer
🖤 Forced proximity
🔥 Female Rage Awakening
🖤 OCD & anxiety rep
🔥 Deadly quest meets Court intrigue
🖤 Jarring juxtapositions
🔥 SLOWEST FREAKING BURN EVER (but worth every agonizing second)
🖤 Reluctant allies on the run
🔥 Touch her and die (eventually)
🖤 Scary hot insufferable cold hearted & murderous MMC
🔥 Unassumingly deadly but equally terrified & sharp tongued FMC
🖤 Slow start > Epic end
🔥 Just so so so much pain everywhere
🖤 Fresh take on the genre
🔥 Fascinating magic system & world building
🖤 Betrayal galore
🔥 Equal parts venom & banter
🖤 Exquisite tension
🔥 Cliffhanger that will leave you speechless & empty
January 1, 2026
‘because that’s the thing, isn’t it? as long as you’re happy to stay inside, a cage just feels like a home. it’s only when you want to step out that you start to see the bars for what they are.’
lisette marshall is one of my favourite authors. she wrote the series that reintroduced me to the joys of reading, with most of my appreciation influenced by her undeniable talent in weaving together an intricate narrative. her writing isn’t convoluted; it’s lush with rich detail, charming characters and entertaining dialogue that amounts to something engaging and riveting. nothing then would’ve hindered me from devouring the death-made prince. lisette marshall selected well-loved romantasy tropes with careful deliberation—ones that complement each other well—and she utilised them with utmost finesse. she’s delivered a romantasy new and refreshing, accompanied by various magic systems based around nordic runes; the classic element of fire, wielded by fireborn nobles; and the cold mists derived from hell itself, an indicator of necromantic power.
a brilliant and exciting introduction to lisette marshall’s newest series, the runewitch saga, the death-made prince creates a compelling foundation for the overarching journey our leading characters embark on. granting us with riveting adventures and untamed environments, the death-made prince is character driven with abundant allure and structure that doesn’t detract from detailed world-building and immersive settings. this book is, without doubt, artfully balanced. thraga and durlain’s travels across the various kingdoms unveils the wider world, but also reveals more of themselves in greater detail as they traverse foreign terrain, and escape nefarious, twisted enemies manoeuvring a political battlefield with cunning tactics as careful allies.
it was equal parts thrilling and unnerving, to observe myself turning into this person i didn’t know in the slightest - some reckless creature flirting with darkness for nothing but the fun of it.
♡ thraga gunnsdottir
thraga’s an interesting character; a multi-faceted woman built on intricacies, morally complex decisions and tangible grief. the death-made prince follows an overarching long-plot, but there’s an undeniable quiet focus on thraga’s journey of growth, of her learning to overcome unfathomable self-doubt—the foundations of it constructed through subtle biting remarks from her dead lover—and shattering the figurative bars of her cage. her strengthening resolve is an excellent characterisation of her combined formidable and fragile nature, and watching her embrace herself, all flaws and feminine rage, was such a warming experience.
the prince of many faces, they called him at the estiën court. the prince of broken hearts.
♡ durlain averre
cold and aloof, oftentimes hiding behind withering comments but underneath his casual, blistering attitude is someone who’s warm and caring. that is durlain averre, a noble fireborn who has suffered from severe trauma and bitter torture at the hands of his own brothers he transformed into someone who’s death-made, a necromancer who utilises the mists of the underworld itself. the man’s blunt and sarcastic with a scathing tone; cunning and dangerous with shrewd tactics and cutting, sometimes harsh comments, but during his travels with thraga, we discover there’s more to this man’s character. he shows subtle affections and charming kindness in his interactions with thraga. durlain learned hair-braiding for his sister—if that isn’t the sweetest ever—and made a concerted effort to braid thraga’s hair. i love male characters who use actions to show affection and durlain reinforces that statement.
‘feel equally free to tell me to go to hell,’ he said, voice just a little rough. ‘but if you insist on the truth - i could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.’
♡ durlain averre + thraga gunnsdottir
i love a true slow burn romance that does burn slow as it unravels. i’m a firm believer that a real slow burn allows us time to appreciate the growing affections between the characters, especially when they don’t like each other much, allowing us opportunities to cherish the budding romance more. we were afforded that. that slow crawl from casual wariness, to hesitant allies, to awe and adoration was worth all of the moments that reached the inevitable. the mutual disdain and unease shared between thraga and durlain, who formed a reluctant alliance to achieve their certain goals, was made better from the incessant bickering and taunting they traded. durlain challenged albeit encouraged thraga to view herself with self-acceptance; thraga somehow managed to soften durlain’s hardened exterior to allow himself an opportunity to be vulnerable, even for just a moment. the innocent handholding shouldn’t have contained as much heat and tension as it did, but somehow lisette marshall made something so innocuous feel thoroughly sinful.
something that made this book different is the tactful approach lisette marshall took to portraying thraga’s obsessive compulsive disorder (ocd). it’s handled with realism and through thraga’s experiences with a condescending and deceased lover, we traverse the effects of trauma and the sheer power it has at influencing our personal opinions of ourselves. it laid down thraga’s character arc and was a focal detail for illustrating her behaviours, internal thoughts and feelings. i love (and appreciate) how lisette marshall allowed durlain to coax thraga into recognising her trauma and, in subtle ways, encouraged thraga to overcome her self-doubts. forget, “she’s mine” and instead embrace durlain’s, “she’s entirely her own.” thraga’s newfound freedom will be something so exciting and exhilarating to witness in the next books.
the elements of the death-made prince created a seamless blend of action, adventure and romance—an ideal combination that i love more than all else in my fantasies—where combat scenes and devious tactics to infiltrate certain kingdoms, combined with adventurous moments, are detailed and riveting; where romance burns and the tension between thraga and durlain is able to be felt in their exchanges. i know i mention i’m excited for series’ continuations more often than not, but the next book in the runewitch saga, the thorn-marked witch, is one that i’m going to be ravenous to devour!
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˖⁺‧₊♡ pre-read review ⋙
if there’s an author i’m able to trust to bring me back into reading, it’s lisette marshall. she was, after all, the author who wrote the fae isles series and that made me love romantasy and reading again.
a massive thank you to lisette marshall and behind the pages pa for the gifted e-arc.
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December 20, 2025
consider me textbook agog, bc WTF!!!!!!
this ending was completely insane, plot twist after plot twist. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK
the fmc is so me, dealing with ocd and the comfort of her own mental cage. however, she’s also a huge bad ass and i loved her.
the mmc is SO BROODY AND MEAN AND I LOVE HIM!!!! he’s sarcastic, and also can’t help but tell the truth. he also calls her “thorn of mine”, that’s now my fav pet name in a book ever.
the world was awesome, the plot was so good and i’m obsessed. so. TAKE ALL MY STARS!!!! 5 million!! ✨
this ending was completely insane, plot twist after plot twist. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK
the fmc is so me, dealing with ocd and the comfort of her own mental cage. however, she’s also a huge bad ass and i loved her.
the mmc is SO BROODY AND MEAN AND I LOVE HIM!!!! he’s sarcastic, and also can’t help but tell the truth. he also calls her “thorn of mine”, that’s now my fav pet name in a book ever.
the world was awesome, the plot was so good and i’m obsessed. so. TAKE ALL MY STARS!!!! 5 million!! ✨
December 29, 2025
This is so under hyped it actually hurts! 🔥Definitely one of the top, if not the best Romantasy i’ve read this year and I’ve read over 125 books so far!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌶️
Lisette Marshall where have you been hiding because WOW that was some incredible writing! I will definitely be reading your back log awaiting this continuation!
This book had everything I look for in a Fantasy Romance! Great world building without being overwhelming. Fabulous detailed writing! Amazing characters with substantial depth. Emotional trauma that strangles the heart. Beautiful character development. A unique awesome magic system. A Heart wrenching slow burn the builds flawlessly.♥️ Pacing that left me eager for more and a love story to root for……but an ending that might break your heart! 😩
I was entertained all the way though. The way these two characters complement each other was beautifully done! This had so much action and adventure throughout, but also had the perfect amount of detail and depth to keep you turning the page. If you’re looking for your new romantasy obsession, this might just be it! The witty banter between these two, chefs kiss! 💋
I cannot wait to see where this goes in book two! That cliffhanger was rough. And that plot twist at the end??? 😮💨😫😉
Quote: “Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.”
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
🌶️
Lisette Marshall where have you been hiding because WOW that was some incredible writing! I will definitely be reading your back log awaiting this continuation!
This book had everything I look for in a Fantasy Romance! Great world building without being overwhelming. Fabulous detailed writing! Amazing characters with substantial depth. Emotional trauma that strangles the heart. Beautiful character development. A unique awesome magic system. A Heart wrenching slow burn the builds flawlessly.♥️ Pacing that left me eager for more and a love story to root for……but an ending that might break your heart! 😩
I was entertained all the way though. The way these two characters complement each other was beautifully done! This had so much action and adventure throughout, but also had the perfect amount of detail and depth to keep you turning the page. If you’re looking for your new romantasy obsession, this might just be it! The witty banter between these two, chefs kiss! 💋
I cannot wait to see where this goes in book two! That cliffhanger was rough. And that plot twist at the end??? 😮💨😫😉
Quote: “Wanting you feels like I’m hurtling straight towards my second death, and I can’t even care anymore. I don’t fucking care – because the moment you stormed out of here, I realised that pushing you away makes me feel like I am already dead.”
December 7, 2025
The Death-Made Prince is one of the few books that I refused to put down until I finished, and even then, it was hard to let go. I found the dynamic between Thraga and Durlain addicting, and I was wholeheartedly invested in their relationship. If anything is better than a complex and struggling character, it’s two. And seeing them as reluctant allies forged by a bargain was utterly riveting. They had no business making me laugh and kick my feet all giddy over every interaction. For that reason, I didn’t mind that the plot and world building felt slightly lacking in some areas.
The romance alone was five out of five stars, although the term romance feels too frolicsome to define Thraga and Durlain's relationship. Thraga’s past shapes her disposition, and although I don’t gravitate toward main characters with exes, it’s a huge focal point in her character arc and was necessary for the story to play out the way it did. It was a fantastic usage of exemplifying the depth of Thraga’s behaviors and internal thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women can relate to her in that capacity of being silenced or made to feel powerless or caged without realizing it.
Enter Durlain, who threatens those beliefs by giving her room to show her capabilities and strengths, treating her more than. Forget “she’s mine” and listen to Durlain when he says, “she’s entirely her own.”
As for Durlain’s own struggles, I will always love the characters who do bad things for good reasons, especially characters who perfected the craft of convincing the world they don’t have feelings or care about anyone until they meet their love interest and that mask starts slipping. But this trait is not without reason, and Durlain has enough trauma that explains why he built barriers around himself.
The plot is constructed around these characters' wants, as they strike a bargain to help each other achieve their goals. With a majority of the story taking place on the road, some parts felt repetitive, but there was enough action to keep me engaged. And I definitely didn’t mind spending a lot of time watching Thraga and Durlain slowly let their defenses down for each other and challenge one another.
The magic was fun but nothing remarkable. Thraga’s a witch, but because of circumstances, she refrains from using it often until toward the end. Her OCD representation was handled very well. There’s political intrigue, but I would recommend this to readers who want to see more romance than the goings-on inside of kingdoms. After the cliffhanger, I’m desperate to see what’s next for these characters. I know there’s so much more in store for them.
The romance alone was five out of five stars, although the term romance feels too frolicsome to define Thraga and Durlain's relationship. Thraga’s past shapes her disposition, and although I don’t gravitate toward main characters with exes, it’s a huge focal point in her character arc and was necessary for the story to play out the way it did. It was a fantastic usage of exemplifying the depth of Thraga’s behaviors and internal thoughts and feelings. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women can relate to her in that capacity of being silenced or made to feel powerless or caged without realizing it.
Enter Durlain, who threatens those beliefs by giving her room to show her capabilities and strengths, treating her more than. Forget “she’s mine” and listen to Durlain when he says, “she’s entirely her own.”
As for Durlain’s own struggles, I will always love the characters who do bad things for good reasons, especially characters who perfected the craft of convincing the world they don’t have feelings or care about anyone until they meet their love interest and that mask starts slipping. But this trait is not without reason, and Durlain has enough trauma that explains why he built barriers around himself.
The plot is constructed around these characters' wants, as they strike a bargain to help each other achieve their goals. With a majority of the story taking place on the road, some parts felt repetitive, but there was enough action to keep me engaged. And I definitely didn’t mind spending a lot of time watching Thraga and Durlain slowly let their defenses down for each other and challenge one another.
The magic was fun but nothing remarkable. Thraga’s a witch, but because of circumstances, she refrains from using it often until toward the end. Her OCD representation was handled very well. There’s political intrigue, but I would recommend this to readers who want to see more romance than the goings-on inside of kingdoms. After the cliffhanger, I’m desperate to see what’s next for these characters. I know there’s so much more in store for them.
October 6, 2025
Words. Grammar. (If you know, you know)
Neither of those two things are at the forefront of my mind as I process what I just read. Following a grieving rune witch and a mysterious necromancer allied by a bargain built upon the feeble foundation of mutual interest, The Death-Made Prince was unlike anything I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I was entirely hooked from start to finish. I could not begin to draw a comparison to another book to tempt you with, but I would absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend it— it delivers on everything promised in the blurb and so much more. Already, I’m itching to reread it.
Character driven with enough intrigue carried over from the looming plot to hold interest, The Death-Made Prince was expertly paced and balanced. I never imagined myself as one to be particularly enticed by a “journey” book, but with just enough world-building to make the setting feel lived-in and immersive— without falling back on mind-muddling info-dumping or relying on reader omnipotence and the stretch of imagination to fill in the gaps— I enormously enjoyed following along with these two characters as they traversed both foreign and familiar terrain, and I loved the coziness of the inns. Thraga and Durlain’s trek across kingdoms not only uncovered the world to us, but our main characters themselves as they adapted to their surroundings. Durlain, especially, was fascinating to behold through Thraga’s eyes, as he shifted masks and stolen identities as one changes clothes, leaving the reader and our MC ever-curious as to how much of the real him was retained behind closed doors. The Prince of Many Faces was a welcome and enthralling deviation from the typical burly and brooding romantasy love interest, with his elegant grace and biting wit, equal parts closed-off and cutthroat as he was unexpectedly earnest, and I would love to explore his perspective in upcoming books.
However, it was our leading lady who stole my heart. It’s rare that I feel so viscerally protective and proud of a main character as I did with Thraga. I saw so much of myself— and people I love— in her and her experiences. Her hurt was personal, and her strength was inspiring, and Lisette Marshall interweaves the two seamlessly to create a character who is wholly and utterly human. My heart ached for her, and her POV was a delight to read from. I would be remiss if I did not also make note of Marshall’s depiction of OCD through Thraga, a part of myself which I have never seen represented in such a way, least of all in a fantasy. At no point was Thraga’s OCD a disposable base for drama, nor something to be fixed by herself or the love interest, and it was present throughout the entirety of the book, not simply forgotten until convenient. She was seen, and accommodated, and it meant the world to have a character hold that part of me.
Thraga, Durlain, and their story were so brilliantly crafted, and I absolutely cannot wait to see it continue in the next three instalments of The Runewitch Saga. The wait will be nothing short of torture— but hey, a day without torture is a day wasted.
Thank you endlessly to Lisette Marshall and her PA, Sarah, for providing me with a copy to read and review ahead of release. The Death-Made Prince is certainly a new favourite of mine, and you won’t want to miss it.
Neither of those two things are at the forefront of my mind as I process what I just read. Following a grieving rune witch and a mysterious necromancer allied by a bargain built upon the feeble foundation of mutual interest, The Death-Made Prince was unlike anything I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and I was entirely hooked from start to finish. I could not begin to draw a comparison to another book to tempt you with, but I would absolutely and wholeheartedly recommend it— it delivers on everything promised in the blurb and so much more. Already, I’m itching to reread it.
Character driven with enough intrigue carried over from the looming plot to hold interest, The Death-Made Prince was expertly paced and balanced. I never imagined myself as one to be particularly enticed by a “journey” book, but with just enough world-building to make the setting feel lived-in and immersive— without falling back on mind-muddling info-dumping or relying on reader omnipotence and the stretch of imagination to fill in the gaps— I enormously enjoyed following along with these two characters as they traversed both foreign and familiar terrain, and I loved the coziness of the inns. Thraga and Durlain’s trek across kingdoms not only uncovered the world to us, but our main characters themselves as they adapted to their surroundings. Durlain, especially, was fascinating to behold through Thraga’s eyes, as he shifted masks and stolen identities as one changes clothes, leaving the reader and our MC ever-curious as to how much of the real him was retained behind closed doors. The Prince of Many Faces was a welcome and enthralling deviation from the typical burly and brooding romantasy love interest, with his elegant grace and biting wit, equal parts closed-off and cutthroat as he was unexpectedly earnest, and I would love to explore his perspective in upcoming books.
However, it was our leading lady who stole my heart. It’s rare that I feel so viscerally protective and proud of a main character as I did with Thraga. I saw so much of myself— and people I love— in her and her experiences. Her hurt was personal, and her strength was inspiring, and Lisette Marshall interweaves the two seamlessly to create a character who is wholly and utterly human. My heart ached for her, and her POV was a delight to read from. I would be remiss if I did not also make note of Marshall’s depiction of OCD through Thraga, a part of myself which I have never seen represented in such a way, least of all in a fantasy. At no point was Thraga’s OCD a disposable base for drama, nor something to be fixed by herself or the love interest, and it was present throughout the entirety of the book, not simply forgotten until convenient. She was seen, and accommodated, and it meant the world to have a character hold that part of me.
Thraga, Durlain, and their story were so brilliantly crafted, and I absolutely cannot wait to see it continue in the next three instalments of The Runewitch Saga. The wait will be nothing short of torture— but hey, a day without torture is a day wasted.
Thank you endlessly to Lisette Marshall and her PA, Sarah, for providing me with a copy to read and review ahead of release. The Death-Made Prince is certainly a new favourite of mine, and you won’t want to miss it.
October 19, 2025
4.5 🌟
"He was dangerous. Spine- chillingly, mind- numbingly dangerous, and I desperately needed some danger on my side." (Ch 9)
I think the sheer number of pages and super long chapters tripped me up, which made it seem like it took longer for me to get into it and find the hook. Once I stopped grappling with these preferential inconveniences and the hook found me — or I found it — I was locked in. And really, it wasn't as long as it seemed until I was hooked.
The style of writing is immersive, which really gives you a sense of the atmophere and world. The characters have depth. Especially Thraga's neurodivergence and compulsory traits — great representation and expression.
" ‘And you called me rational,’ he said slowly.
‘Then prove me wrong.’ Recklessness had never felt so much like power. ‘Then be irrational.’
For one frozen moment, I thought I’d pushed too far.
Then he moved." (Ch 30)
There was a lot of intrigue and danger — fleeing, "many faces", runes, traveling, and gathering intel. High-stakes journey and thrill. And all the levels of tension and Hell between Thraga and Durlain on that journey! Omgee, they either needed to end each other or reel it in and get it on. Either method would have been spectacular at any given point. They were well matched.
Then the shoe dropped. Cliffhanger.
"Prince of many faces. Prince of broken hearts." (Ch 16)
eARC courtesy of Behind the Pages LLC
"He was dangerous. Spine- chillingly, mind- numbingly dangerous, and I desperately needed some danger on my side." (Ch 9)
I think the sheer number of pages and super long chapters tripped me up, which made it seem like it took longer for me to get into it and find the hook. Once I stopped grappling with these preferential inconveniences and the hook found me — or I found it — I was locked in. And really, it wasn't as long as it seemed until I was hooked.
The style of writing is immersive, which really gives you a sense of the atmophere and world. The characters have depth. Especially Thraga's neurodivergence and compulsory traits — great representation and expression.
" ‘And you called me rational,’ he said slowly.
‘Then prove me wrong.’ Recklessness had never felt so much like power. ‘Then be irrational.’
For one frozen moment, I thought I’d pushed too far.
Then he moved." (Ch 30)
There was a lot of intrigue and danger — fleeing, "many faces", runes, traveling, and gathering intel. High-stakes journey and thrill. And all the levels of tension and Hell between Thraga and Durlain on that journey! Omgee, they either needed to end each other or reel it in and get it on. Either method would have been spectacular at any given point. They were well matched.
Then the shoe dropped. Cliffhanger.
"Prince of many faces. Prince of broken hearts." (Ch 16)
eARC courtesy of Behind the Pages LLC
October 8, 2025
It took me a long time to get into this book. I’m not sure if it was my mood or the pacing, but for the first half, I was either bored or annoyed—sometimes both at once.
Thraga, the FMC, has OCD, and I really appreciated that representation, but at the beginning, it was just too much. Every single chapter had a breakdown or spiral, and while I understood what she was going through, it started pulling me out of the story. Just as I got invested, there’d be another page-long spiral that threw me off.
The story itself has great potential, and I really liked Drulain (also, the eyepatch? Loved that detail). But Thraga’s behavior sometimes drove me crazy. She’s supposed to be 24, but she often acted like child. I get her trauma, but most of her issues came from a short, toxic relationship, and it just didn’t feel strong enough to explain how fragile she was. Drulain had to constantly reassure her that she could do things—it got repetitive after a while.
That said, around the 50–60% mark, the book shifted gears completely. The pacing picked up, the romance deepened, and I found myself actually hooked. The banter between Thraga and Drulain was a huge highlight—it was sharp, funny, and heartfelt—but sometimes the language felt too modern for the world. It’s got this medieval-style setting, but the dialogue would suddenly be more like the way we talk now, that contrast didn’t really work.
Still, once the plot picked up, I truly started to enjoy it. The ending surprised me, and now I’m curious to see where the story goes next. I’ll definitely read book two—it just took me way too long to get invested in this one.
ARC provided by the author – thank you so much for the opportunity!💜💜
Thraga, the FMC, has OCD, and I really appreciated that representation, but at the beginning, it was just too much. Every single chapter had a breakdown or spiral, and while I understood what she was going through, it started pulling me out of the story. Just as I got invested, there’d be another page-long spiral that threw me off.
The story itself has great potential, and I really liked Drulain (also, the eyepatch? Loved that detail). But Thraga’s behavior sometimes drove me crazy. She’s supposed to be 24, but she often acted like child. I get her trauma, but most of her issues came from a short, toxic relationship, and it just didn’t feel strong enough to explain how fragile she was. Drulain had to constantly reassure her that she could do things—it got repetitive after a while.
That said, around the 50–60% mark, the book shifted gears completely. The pacing picked up, the romance deepened, and I found myself actually hooked. The banter between Thraga and Drulain was a huge highlight—it was sharp, funny, and heartfelt—but sometimes the language felt too modern for the world. It’s got this medieval-style setting, but the dialogue would suddenly be more like the way we talk now, that contrast didn’t really work.
Still, once the plot picked up, I truly started to enjoy it. The ending surprised me, and now I’m curious to see where the story goes next. I’ll definitely read book two—it just took me way too long to get invested in this one.
ARC provided by the author – thank you so much for the opportunity!💜💜
January 4, 2026
4.25⭐️ not me thinking I guessed the plot twist.. yeah I did not see that coming at all!!
This book was so much fun!! A runewitch and a necromancer who meet in a prison cell and become reluctant allies. Great banter, forced proximity, yearning, ocd rep, he braids her hair?!
My favorite part was all the names our fmc called the mmc my personal favorite: shit stained rat face fucker.
- book 1 in incomplete duology
- dark fantasy romance
- forced proximity (like they are together the entire book)
- slow burn
This book was so much fun!! A runewitch and a necromancer who meet in a prison cell and become reluctant allies. Great banter, forced proximity, yearning, ocd rep, he braids her hair?!
My favorite part was all the names our fmc called the mmc my personal favorite: shit stained rat face fucker.
- book 1 in incomplete duology
- dark fantasy romance
- forced proximity (like they are together the entire book)
- slow burn
December 23, 2025
I AM SO UTTERLY GAGGED! THE PLOT TWISTS AT THE END??? oh my god.
—
this book delivered in so many ways! such a delicious slow burn that had me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure. the banter? everything. a sexy one eyed necromancer with horns? smash.
i need the next book ASAP! i’m spiraling over that ending send help.
‘oh, don’t you dare beg, thorn of mine.’
—
this book delivered in so many ways! such a delicious slow burn that had me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure. the banter? everything. a sexy one eyed necromancer with horns? smash.
i need the next book ASAP! i’m spiraling over that ending send help.
‘oh, don’t you dare beg, thorn of mine.’
November 3, 2025
An exquisite punch to the gut. This book presents itself as a hooky forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romp through a volcano-strewn tundra—then sneaks up on you with an aching exploration of trauma, healing, and betrayal. Absolutely gorgeous. Fair warning you'll be left on an absolutely brutal cliffhanger, but I'm first in line for the rest of the story.
October 14, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Lisette Marshall for this eARC.
Genre: Dark Romantasy
⭐️ 4.5/5
🌶 2/5
🧠 4/10
Cliffhanger 7/10 (My heart!)
Noteworthy: Book 1 of an incomplete series. Single first-person POV until near the end when we get an additional POV. Publication date 10/21/2025.
A bargain struck in desperation followed by a roadtrip from hell. A tortured, resurrected necromancer prince with an eye patch and an incredibly sassy attitude. The prince of broken hearts. The prince of many faces. And amazingly enough, an incredible therapist! This MMC is everything I never knew I needed in my life! Durlain is one of those singularly focused characters whose mind is always working through things. He's such a complicated and complex character who doesn't fit into a neat box. The relationship he develops with the FMC Thraga is fun to watch evolve. Sweet sweet Thraga, who just wants to live and bring back her love after his tragic death. Tormented Thraga who battles personal demons, extreme anxiety and OCD. The writing for both of these characters is so good! Runewitch vs. fireborn prince. The fact that there isn't insta lust, coupled with their opposing personalities that mesh perfectly, makes the journey from reluctant allies to friends to lovers very enjoyable. Their verbal sparing will keep a smile on your face. Not to mention the sexiest handshake ever!
Genre: Dark Romantasy
⭐️ 4.5/5
🌶 2/5
🧠 4/10
Cliffhanger 7/10 (My heart!)
Noteworthy: Book 1 of an incomplete series. Single first-person POV until near the end when we get an additional POV. Publication date 10/21/2025.
A bargain struck in desperation followed by a roadtrip from hell. A tortured, resurrected necromancer prince with an eye patch and an incredibly sassy attitude. The prince of broken hearts. The prince of many faces. And amazingly enough, an incredible therapist! This MMC is everything I never knew I needed in my life! Durlain is one of those singularly focused characters whose mind is always working through things. He's such a complicated and complex character who doesn't fit into a neat box. The relationship he develops with the FMC Thraga is fun to watch evolve. Sweet sweet Thraga, who just wants to live and bring back her love after his tragic death. Tormented Thraga who battles personal demons, extreme anxiety and OCD. The writing for both of these characters is so good! Runewitch vs. fireborn prince. The fact that there isn't insta lust, coupled with their opposing personalities that mesh perfectly, makes the journey from reluctant allies to friends to lovers very enjoyable. Their verbal sparing will keep a smile on your face. Not to mention the sexiest handshake ever!
October 27, 2025
Enemies to lovers? ✅
Slow burn? ✅
Reluctant allies? ✅
Morally grey MMC? ✅
Mental health rep? ✅
This was the kind of those books that you read and didn’t know you needed.
In a world where runewitches are hunted and killed for a war that happened years ago, Thraga is in the gallows, awaiting her execution. Mere hours before her impeding d*ath, a new prisoner is thrown into her cell, and no ordinary prisoner at that. Not only is Durlain a fireborn noble, but also a dead/revived prince of a kingdom that hunts Thraga’s kind and killed her closed ones. They reluctantly form an alliance that mutually benefits them and are set in a journey to free Durlain’s sister, Cimmura who is held captive by king Lesceron Garnot….
I had such a great time reading this book! I really love the OCD representation, I believe it was the first time I have seen it in a book and watching Thraga grow as a character was the highlight of the story.
Durlain too, the prince of many faces and of broken hearts who learned to let Thraga in as the pages went and though both the main characters were flawed, they learned so much from each other and the banter was so good! Oh, and have I mentioned that he braids her hair? 😍
Thank you so much Lisette Marshall and NetGalley for this ARC!
Slow burn? ✅
Reluctant allies? ✅
Morally grey MMC? ✅
Mental health rep? ✅
This was the kind of those books that you read and didn’t know you needed.
In a world where runewitches are hunted and killed for a war that happened years ago, Thraga is in the gallows, awaiting her execution. Mere hours before her impeding d*ath, a new prisoner is thrown into her cell, and no ordinary prisoner at that. Not only is Durlain a fireborn noble, but also a dead/revived prince of a kingdom that hunts Thraga’s kind and killed her closed ones. They reluctantly form an alliance that mutually benefits them and are set in a journey to free Durlain’s sister, Cimmura who is held captive by king Lesceron Garnot….
I had such a great time reading this book! I really love the OCD representation, I believe it was the first time I have seen it in a book and watching Thraga grow as a character was the highlight of the story.
Durlain too, the prince of many faces and of broken hearts who learned to let Thraga in as the pages went and though both the main characters were flawed, they learned so much from each other and the banter was so good! Oh, and have I mentioned that he braids her hair? 😍
Thank you so much Lisette Marshall and NetGalley for this ARC!
December 20, 2025
This was exquisite. Absolutely no notes.
With that said, here are my notes!! 🤪
Okay so I absolutely LOVED the prose. Beautifully eloquent and elegantly descriptive, while still managing to be so full of personality. Excellent. The way the characters were written was perfect. We had so much time with them, they were written in such a detailed and intricate way that I felt a bit like they were real and hanging out in my room with me. The OCD rep?? Fucking chefs kiss. I don’t even have OCD and even I feel seen. That was such a fantastic way to portray what having OCD is like to someone who doesn’t necessarily know. I admit that it actually annoyed me at first, I think maybe it was chapter 2 or 3, somewhere super early in the story. They were breaking out of prison and she kept checking for her knives and it was grating just a little bit, but then Durlain commented on it (nicely, or maybe not nicely but neutrally, I might add) and her response was such helpless guilt that it immediately cleared away any lingering frustration I felt for this woman like dust on the wind. Just gone, never to be seen again. I decided then that I would kill to protect her. She probably wouldn’t need me to, but I’d do it anyway.
And Durlain?? Oh man. Oh MAN. He is like Keris Veliant if he were taller and a bit more jaded. This man had me on my knees laughing and then unhinging my jaw in the same damn chapter. I love him. I LOVE HIM. He’s so smart, so politically minded. So sharp. Witty, sarcastic and almost childish in his humour. I read his cheeky little bonus chapter where he mentioned offhandedly about insulting the prison guards’ mothers. He’s such a scream. Even though he’s a massively flawed individual, you can just tell he tries so hard and he’s reached the point where it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t care anymore. But he still cares!!! And he keeps trying to push Thraga away because of plot reasons, and she’s just not having it. Then they get naked and fuck in a hot spring and it was GLORIOUS!! He’s not a classic alpha male who makes your undies disintegrate under the weight of your own arousal, he’s actually quite silly. But he’s so REAL!! He reminded me of like… every real life sexual encounter I’ve ever had, but in a good way. I love him, your honour.
The plot was honestly super fun. Most of it was travelling to destinations that are far away enough for us to just get time with the characters building their romance, and I was more than fine with that. That’s actually my favourite. But we also weren’t deprived of action stuff happening either, it was just accompanied by the most deliciously agonising slow burn of all time. THAT is the kind of slow burn I want. It HURTS, but there’s enough to make it not hurt. The tension is there. The yearning. She’s horny as fuck for so much of it. God I just love them.
And then the ending, FUCK!! That reveal, call me stupid but I didn’t see it coming at all. This whole book was just masterfully crafted. And maybe it only feels that way because so many of my boxes were ticked, but I just feel like the fantastic writing, the super painful and drool-inducing slow burn romance and the action-packed plot were all things that work for most of us right?? Idk. God this was just… fuck. I need to inject it into my bloodstream. The bars of my enclosure have been gnawed clean. My mouth is straight up frothing. My barking could wake the dead. Oh yeah and the world building was stunning and the magic system was so fun. Very Witcher-esque. And I absolutely LOVE the fact that we got an fmc who not only is a super powerful magic wielder, but also one who has studied and trained for years prior to the events of this book to make her into a master. The story isn’t just the standard ‘young girl finds out she has powers and learns to use them but she’s immediately better than anyone else’ crap. Nah Thraggy put in the WORK. She has an almost autistic obsession with runes and rune theory, enough for her ex man to tell her to stop wittering on about it. Dur was NOT happy about that. The character growth was spot on as well, obsessed.
Just… I want to read this for the first time again. Please, I want it so bad. It hurts that that’s no longer possible, but I will remember how this made me feel forever.
With that said, here are my notes!! 🤪
Okay so I absolutely LOVED the prose. Beautifully eloquent and elegantly descriptive, while still managing to be so full of personality. Excellent. The way the characters were written was perfect. We had so much time with them, they were written in such a detailed and intricate way that I felt a bit like they were real and hanging out in my room with me. The OCD rep?? Fucking chefs kiss. I don’t even have OCD and even I feel seen. That was such a fantastic way to portray what having OCD is like to someone who doesn’t necessarily know. I admit that it actually annoyed me at first, I think maybe it was chapter 2 or 3, somewhere super early in the story. They were breaking out of prison and she kept checking for her knives and it was grating just a little bit, but then Durlain commented on it (nicely, or maybe not nicely but neutrally, I might add) and her response was such helpless guilt that it immediately cleared away any lingering frustration I felt for this woman like dust on the wind. Just gone, never to be seen again. I decided then that I would kill to protect her. She probably wouldn’t need me to, but I’d do it anyway.
And Durlain?? Oh man. Oh MAN. He is like Keris Veliant if he were taller and a bit more jaded. This man had me on my knees laughing and then unhinging my jaw in the same damn chapter. I love him. I LOVE HIM. He’s so smart, so politically minded. So sharp. Witty, sarcastic and almost childish in his humour. I read his cheeky little bonus chapter where he mentioned offhandedly about insulting the prison guards’ mothers. He’s such a scream. Even though he’s a massively flawed individual, you can just tell he tries so hard and he’s reached the point where it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t care anymore. But he still cares!!! And he keeps trying to push Thraga away because of plot reasons, and she’s just not having it. Then they get naked and fuck in a hot spring and it was GLORIOUS!! He’s not a classic alpha male who makes your undies disintegrate under the weight of your own arousal, he’s actually quite silly. But he’s so REAL!! He reminded me of like… every real life sexual encounter I’ve ever had, but in a good way. I love him, your honour.
The plot was honestly super fun. Most of it was travelling to destinations that are far away enough for us to just get time with the characters building their romance, and I was more than fine with that. That’s actually my favourite. But we also weren’t deprived of action stuff happening either, it was just accompanied by the most deliciously agonising slow burn of all time. THAT is the kind of slow burn I want. It HURTS, but there’s enough to make it not hurt. The tension is there. The yearning. She’s horny as fuck for so much of it. God I just love them.
And then the ending, FUCK!! That reveal, call me stupid but I didn’t see it coming at all. This whole book was just masterfully crafted. And maybe it only feels that way because so many of my boxes were ticked, but I just feel like the fantastic writing, the super painful and drool-inducing slow burn romance and the action-packed plot were all things that work for most of us right?? Idk. God this was just… fuck. I need to inject it into my bloodstream. The bars of my enclosure have been gnawed clean. My mouth is straight up frothing. My barking could wake the dead. Oh yeah and the world building was stunning and the magic system was so fun. Very Witcher-esque. And I absolutely LOVE the fact that we got an fmc who not only is a super powerful magic wielder, but also one who has studied and trained for years prior to the events of this book to make her into a master. The story isn’t just the standard ‘young girl finds out she has powers and learns to use them but she’s immediately better than anyone else’ crap. Nah Thraggy put in the WORK. She has an almost autistic obsession with runes and rune theory, enough for her ex man to tell her to stop wittering on about it. Dur was NOT happy about that. The character growth was spot on as well, obsessed.
Just… I want to read this for the first time again. Please, I want it so bad. It hurts that that’s no longer possible, but I will remember how this made me feel forever.
December 29, 2025
The kind of book where you know you’re going to DNF the next five because they don’t hit the same.
September 26, 2025
I was completely enthralled by The Death-Made Prince! Thraga and Durlain's banter is sharp and witty, with a deliciously toxic dynamic. The world-building is excellent and had me captivated. I love the introduction of Durlain, a fire mage, the long dead prince!! The rune witch Thraga is so real with her OCD and traumatic violent past. They are both morally grey and I’m here for it!!The plot is fantastic with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. And that ending? I'm still reeling from the cliffhanger! I'm desperate for the next installment to see where Thraga and Durlain's journey takes them. If you enjoy epic fantasy with morally grey leads and a healthy dose of sarcasm, you'll love this series. Can't wait for the next book!
October 16, 2025
Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review. As someone who loves supporting indie authors, I always aim to share thoughtful, fair feedback. While I have personal reading preferences like a love for fantasy, horses, or specific tropes, I never let that impact my rating unless it is relevant to the book’s intent or audience. I review with the genre and readership in mind.
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice rating:🌶️
Darkness/Bloodiness: 🩸Please check content warning!
Holy smokes reader, this was such an amazing book but I am still spicy of that cliffhanger, I don't know how to survive until the next book in the series. You are in for a ride so buckle up!
Both the characters are fun, but I specially loved their power. The mmc is a necromancer with a well balanced power, he can visit the otherworld and has pros and cons with his power. I could absolutely relate to his love for hot baths, why would that be a weakness? Joking aside, he really had some amazing things he could do... He definitely used those for some shenanigans, like stealing Death's pet...and bringing back a bad guy to beat him a second time...?! Amazing!
The fmc is a runewitch, I loved the vast history behind her kind and I loved how she mastered her power. She is incredibly complex, there is just so much about her that I could relate to or find incredibly interesting. I even loved her fixations. The mmcs attitude to them really made me love him even if I feel quite different now that I am through that huge plot twist. I don't even know how to warn you, I felt like a train went through me, so be ready.
The side characters were really great, I loved the "bad guys" the little bird team that seemed absolutely badass, I definitely want to see some more of them, there are some pure bad and some more morally grey.
The buildup of the plot is slow paced and that really helps not feeling lost, this is a big world with lots of new magic, systems and communities, there is a ton of information that trickles slowly to the reader so it definitely didn't feel overwhelming. I can't wait for the next book to see where this conflict goes!
Some tropes:
-Dark Fantasy world
-Survival and a quest
-Slow burn Romance
-One Horse
-Bickering and Banter
-Badass FMC
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice rating:🌶️
Darkness/Bloodiness: 🩸Please check content warning!
Holy smokes reader, this was such an amazing book but I am still spicy of that cliffhanger, I don't know how to survive until the next book in the series. You are in for a ride so buckle up!
Both the characters are fun, but I specially loved their power. The mmc is a necromancer with a well balanced power, he can visit the otherworld and has pros and cons with his power. I could absolutely relate to his love for hot baths, why would that be a weakness? Joking aside, he really had some amazing things he could do... He definitely used those for some shenanigans, like stealing Death's pet...and bringing back a bad guy to beat him a second time...?! Amazing!
The fmc is a runewitch, I loved the vast history behind her kind and I loved how she mastered her power. She is incredibly complex, there is just so much about her that I could relate to or find incredibly interesting. I even loved her fixations. The mmcs attitude to them really made me love him even if I feel quite different now that I am through that huge plot twist. I don't even know how to warn you, I felt like a train went through me, so be ready.
The side characters were really great, I loved the "bad guys" the little bird team that seemed absolutely badass, I definitely want to see some more of them, there are some pure bad and some more morally grey.
The buildup of the plot is slow paced and that really helps not feeling lost, this is a big world with lots of new magic, systems and communities, there is a ton of information that trickles slowly to the reader so it definitely didn't feel overwhelming. I can't wait for the next book to see where this conflict goes!
Some tropes:
-Dark Fantasy world
-Survival and a quest
-Slow burn Romance
-One Horse
-Bickering and Banter
-Badass FMC
January 31, 2026
4⭐️s
This was such a fun fantasy read—exactly what I needed after the intensity of the House of Devils series. The banter between Durlain and Thraga was a highlight for me, bringing humor and warmth to the story, and the magic system felt fresh and engaging.
The OCD representation was handled with real care. The author conveyed the FMC’s struggles with honesty and empathy, and it added meaningful depth to her character and motivations.
There were a few moments where the grammar and sentence flow pulled me out of the story, but overall this was a fast‑paced, enjoyable read with a twist ending that genuinely surprised me.
A solid and entertaining fantasy!
This was such a fun fantasy read—exactly what I needed after the intensity of the House of Devils series. The banter between Durlain and Thraga was a highlight for me, bringing humor and warmth to the story, and the magic system felt fresh and engaging.
The OCD representation was handled with real care. The author conveyed the FMC’s struggles with honesty and empathy, and it added meaningful depth to her character and motivations.
There were a few moments where the grammar and sentence flow pulled me out of the story, but overall this was a fast‑paced, enjoyable read with a twist ending that genuinely surprised me.
A solid and entertaining fantasy!
January 12, 2026
Now this is what I call a slow burn fantasy romance!! Wow. The fantasy world was epic and the main characters were amazing. I don’t even know what else to say but wow. Can’t wait for the second book.
October 12, 2025
I already knew I would love this book before I even started because Lisette Marshall wrote it. If you haven’t read her Fae Isle series yet, please do yourself a favor and pick it up. It’s complete, it’s brilliant, and it’s everything.
The Death-Made Prince follows a rune witch who makes a deal with a necromancer. He agrees to resurrect her dead lover in exchange for her help on a deadly quest. This is a true enemies to lovers story. The book is told entirely from her point of view, and she genuinely hates him, with good reason. The slow burn of them learning to trust and rely on each other was incredible to read.
The OCD representation is done with care and respect, and I loved seeing that depth in the heroine.
I also appreciated that both main characters are already powerful and know exactly how to use it. There is no miraculous training montage here. They have both honed their skills over years, and it shows.
The twists and turns were amazing. I usually catch on to plot twists early, but this one completely surprised me. That last sentence changed me. I am begging Lisette Marshall for book two immediately.
The Death-Made Prince follows a rune witch who makes a deal with a necromancer. He agrees to resurrect her dead lover in exchange for her help on a deadly quest. This is a true enemies to lovers story. The book is told entirely from her point of view, and she genuinely hates him, with good reason. The slow burn of them learning to trust and rely on each other was incredible to read.
The OCD representation is done with care and respect, and I loved seeing that depth in the heroine.
I also appreciated that both main characters are already powerful and know exactly how to use it. There is no miraculous training montage here. They have both honed their skills over years, and it shows.
The twists and turns were amazing. I usually catch on to plot twists early, but this one completely surprised me. That last sentence changed me. I am begging Lisette Marshall for book two immediately.
December 8, 2025
you’d think a man with horns and an eyepatch would struggle having so many fake identities
September 25, 2025
Death-Made Prince is so excellent, I can’t wait to watch the rest of the book world lose their minds over it. It’s a must read.
October 30, 2025
would write a longer review, but currently going through some shit.
this was five stars.
this was five stars.
November 29, 2025
I have so many good books sitting on my kindle begging for my attention and I keep picking dnf-worthy romantasy. why am I like this.
Between this and Phantasma, I just don’t think putting literal OCD thought patterns on the page makes for a good book, at least outside of something like litfic. I am intimately familiar with the reality of how debilitating OCD rumination and compulsions can be in real life. I understand what these authors are going for. I still don’t agree that it makes for a good reading experience to have plot progression interrupted every chapter with a page-long spiraling repetitive inner monologue.
The opening chapters of them escaping the prison seemed to promise an interesting plot and decent world building, only for it to turn out to be a snooze fest. Even as a fan of character driven stories and unlikable protagonists, this was a slog. It’s really rough to be in Thraga’s head, and perhaps that’s the point, but we have to listen to her go on and on (and on and on) about her dead gaslighting ex, and being stuck in her POV is exhausting. I spent most of the book wishing Durlain were paired with someone who matched his chessmaster “prince of many faces” energy.
This book is too long, too slow, and too repetitive for me to find the fun in what is basically just bog-standard indie romantasy with a little first book betrayal for flavor. Maybe if Marshall had done some brutal self-editing and trimmed like two hundred pages I would feel more charitably.
Between this and Phantasma, I just don’t think putting literal OCD thought patterns on the page makes for a good book, at least outside of something like litfic. I am intimately familiar with the reality of how debilitating OCD rumination and compulsions can be in real life. I understand what these authors are going for. I still don’t agree that it makes for a good reading experience to have plot progression interrupted every chapter with a page-long spiraling repetitive inner monologue.
The opening chapters of them escaping the prison seemed to promise an interesting plot and decent world building, only for it to turn out to be a snooze fest. Even as a fan of character driven stories and unlikable protagonists, this was a slog. It’s really rough to be in Thraga’s head, and perhaps that’s the point, but we have to listen to her go on and on (and on and on) about her dead gaslighting ex, and being stuck in her POV is exhausting. I spent most of the book wishing Durlain were paired with someone who matched his chessmaster “prince of many faces” energy.
This book is too long, too slow, and too repetitive for me to find the fun in what is basically just bog-standard indie romantasy with a little first book betrayal for flavor. Maybe if Marshall had done some brutal self-editing and trimmed like two hundred pages I would feel more charitably.
October 6, 2025
DNF Review – 25% Read
Unfortunately, I decided to put this book down after reaching the 25% mark. The "reluctant allies to lovers" trope just isn't my cup of tea, and I struggled to feel any real tension or chemistry between the main characters. It honestly felt like I had jumped into book two of a series — like I was missing key emotional buildup or context. While the premise had potential, it just didn’t click for me 🤷🏼♀️
Unfortunately, I decided to put this book down after reaching the 25% mark. The "reluctant allies to lovers" trope just isn't my cup of tea, and I struggled to feel any real tension or chemistry between the main characters. It honestly felt like I had jumped into book two of a series — like I was missing key emotional buildup or context. While the premise had potential, it just didn’t click for me 🤷🏼♀️
January 14, 2026
I ate this book up! It was a true slow burn, enemies (but more like reluctant allies) to lovers. The FMC Thraga really fucking loathed MMC Durlain. I like the banter and bickering. I found the morally grey Durlain to be quite funny and charming. At the beginning of the story, I found Thraga’s lack of confidence and her constant self-doubt to be annoying but she very quickly grew on me. Coping with her past trauma through obsessive compulsions was so relatable 😭 Fuck you, Lark!
You really need to pay attention to who’s who- there are a bunch of kings and queens and princes to keep track of and their significance to the story.
This is a fast-paced book but it really picks up the last 30%. The ending was a throw-my-kindle-at-the-wall moment for me. Just wrecked me.
You really need to pay attention to who’s who- there are a bunch of kings and queens and princes to keep track of and their significance to the story.
This is a fast-paced book but it really picks up the last 30%. The ending was a throw-my-kindle-at-the-wall moment for me. Just wrecked me.
October 23, 2025
“But if you want the truth, I could watch you for days and still not see enough of you.” OH MY HEART. I absolutely devoured this book to the point I read it as an ARC and then immediately ordered a physical copy. I’m a sucker for Norse mythology and some TRUE enemies to lovers action. This delivered both of those and sooo much more. A huge part of the story is also OCD representation which is beautiful and so well done. Grammar Thraga! 😭❤️ The cliff hanger has me on the edge of my seat and I can not wait to see where some of our side characters come into play. I can see this shaping up to be such an intricate story and I am absolutely SAT for it. The Death Made Prince is officially in the top 3 of books I’ve read this year and I will think of these characters everyday until I get my hands on the next book!
Thank you so much NetGalley and Lisette Marshall for the ARC!
Thank you so much NetGalley and Lisette Marshall for the ARC!
Read
February 1, 2026Soft dnfing at 40%
Idk maybe this is the right book at the wrong time, but I just couldn’t get into it. I felt like I was missing so much context?? Hoping to pick this back up eventually
Idk maybe this is the right book at the wrong time, but I just couldn’t get into it. I felt like I was missing so much context?? Hoping to pick this back up eventually
January 23, 2026
This is the fantasy book I've been waiting for, searching for, yearning for. While the traditional structure of a fantasy novel is intact, here, the author manages to make the story fresh and clear, and engaging without playing directly into the most common "tropes" that plague modern fantasy books today. Some examples:
Derivative fantasy: "Touch her and you die!" followed by the heroine collapsing daintily into her hero's arms.
The Death-Made Prince: "The cardinal mistake you made," Durlain continued in the sudden silence, his voice almost intimately soft, his face a study in ragged edges, "was laying even a single finger on a woman whose boots you aren't worthy of crawling beneath." And then he kills him, brutally, savagely, ruthlessly while our FMC looks on in admiration. .
Derivative fantasy: MMC is a "shadow daddy" who is really just an asshole who needs his manic pixie FMC to bring light into his life.
The Death-Made Prince: Durlain is effed up, man. He has like 7 different kinds of PTSD, he has literally been dead and then resurrected. He has a clear, noble goal in life (to rescue his sister), but he does not care one single bit about who he has to trample on to achieve that goal. And here's the key: he is caustic, but not cruel. He does not deliberately tear Thraga down to achieve his own ends. He doesn't hide who he is, but he also expects that (and helps) Thraga be herself. Without getting into too many spoilers, Thraga and Durlain are both excellent examples of true morally grey characters, and that's refreshing to see.
Derivative fantasy: Enemies-to-lovers who exclusively use "banter" as foreplay.
The Death-Made Prince: Reluctant allies-to-lovers who have adult conversations that slowly build in theme from indifference to genuine interest to caring. Some people find the middle of this book slow, and I agree that little action happens for several hundred pages. But the character development! I haven't genuinely bought a romance in a fantasy for a long time, but I was sold on Thraga and Durlain. They push each other to their respective breaking points time and time again, and in doing so slowly chip away at emotional walls that have kept them both from truly living for years. The central metaphor of being caged works very well here, and each interaction between the two leads removes one more bar until, briefly, they are both free. It's absolutely gorgeous.
Derivative fantasy: One bed, so of course we have to sleep together! Or, Arranged marriage! So of course we have to sleep together!
The Death-Made Prince: Necessary proximity for the entire novel that means absolutely nothing romantic or sexual until the characters have grown enough to be able to even process emotions or physical desires. The two MCs become friends long before they are lovers and that friendship is extremely hard-won on both of their parts. They enter their romantic relationship with clear eyes and hearts, such that it feels natural and real in a way that a quick shag in a forced-proximity scenario rarely does.
Derivative fantasy: I have OCD so I have panic attacks when it's convenient for the plot, and these panic attacks are easily relieved when my ~lover tells me to "breathe."
The Death-Made Prince: I do not have Thraga's particular type of OCD, so it took me a while to appreciate the rep. That said, the scene where Durlain asked her to explain what was going through her head to interrupt a cycle of compulsive checking hit me hard. SO hard. This OCD rep resonated so well and is an excellent example of why we need more true representation in literature. And by the way, Durlain's response to Thraga's OCD is what we need more of IRL, as well.
A final note on this:
Warning Some major spoilers in my last note:
To summarize: This was the book I've been waiting for, and my only regret is that I now have to wait until October to read more in this world.
Derivative fantasy: "Touch her and you die!" followed by the heroine collapsing daintily into her hero's arms.
The Death-Made Prince: "The cardinal mistake you made," Durlain continued in the sudden silence, his voice almost intimately soft, his face a study in ragged edges, "was laying even a single finger on a woman whose boots you aren't worthy of crawling beneath." And then he kills him, brutally, savagely, ruthlessly while our FMC looks on in admiration. .
Derivative fantasy: MMC is a "shadow daddy" who is really just an asshole who needs his manic pixie FMC to bring light into his life.
The Death-Made Prince: Durlain is effed up, man. He has like 7 different kinds of PTSD, he has literally been dead and then resurrected. He has a clear, noble goal in life (to rescue his sister), but he does not care one single bit about who he has to trample on to achieve that goal. And here's the key: he is caustic, but not cruel. He does not deliberately tear Thraga down to achieve his own ends. He doesn't hide who he is, but he also expects that (and helps) Thraga be herself. Without getting into too many spoilers, Thraga and Durlain are both excellent examples of true morally grey characters, and that's refreshing to see.
Derivative fantasy: Enemies-to-lovers who exclusively use "banter" as foreplay.
The Death-Made Prince: Reluctant allies-to-lovers who have adult conversations that slowly build in theme from indifference to genuine interest to caring. Some people find the middle of this book slow, and I agree that little action happens for several hundred pages. But the character development! I haven't genuinely bought a romance in a fantasy for a long time, but I was sold on Thraga and Durlain. They push each other to their respective breaking points time and time again, and in doing so slowly chip away at emotional walls that have kept them both from truly living for years. The central metaphor of being caged works very well here, and each interaction between the two leads removes one more bar until, briefly, they are both free. It's absolutely gorgeous.
Derivative fantasy: One bed, so of course we have to sleep together! Or, Arranged marriage! So of course we have to sleep together!
The Death-Made Prince: Necessary proximity for the entire novel that means absolutely nothing romantic or sexual until the characters have grown enough to be able to even process emotions or physical desires. The two MCs become friends long before they are lovers and that friendship is extremely hard-won on both of their parts. They enter their romantic relationship with clear eyes and hearts, such that it feels natural and real in a way that a quick shag in a forced-proximity scenario rarely does.
Derivative fantasy: I have OCD so I have panic attacks when it's convenient for the plot, and these panic attacks are easily relieved when my ~lover tells me to "breathe."
The Death-Made Prince: I do not have Thraga's particular type of OCD, so it took me a while to appreciate the rep. That said, the scene where Durlain asked her to explain what was going through her head to interrupt a cycle of compulsive checking hit me hard. SO hard. This OCD rep resonated so well and is an excellent example of why we need more true representation in literature. And by the way, Durlain's response to Thraga's OCD is what we need more of IRL, as well.
A final note on this:
Warning Some major spoilers in my last note:
To summarize: This was the book I've been waiting for, and my only regret is that I now have to wait until October to read more in this world.
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