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Silk & Iron: A slow burn, enemies to lovers fantasy romance with court intrigue and secret identities.
The emperor. The prince. The enforcer.
I want them all dead. Until I fall for one of them.
After losing all my family to the rebellion, I lost hope. When my ex-boyfriend begs me to pose as the prince’s betrothed, I know it’s an opportunity the rebellion won’t ever get again.
I'm sent with the goal of finding out how to kill an immortal emperor, but I don’t want to wait on someone else to get my revenge. I want the emperor, the prince, and the enforcer all dead.
But the palace is full of secrets. And I’m not the only one playing a game of life and death; lies and betrayals. The closer I get to my goal, the closer I get to one of the men I vowed to kill.
And I’m not sure I can bring myself to harm him. But there’s nothing stopping him from killing me as soon as he finds out who I really am.
I’m playing with fire and I want this whole empire to burn.
But nothing is as it seems.
Just when I think I have nothing left to lose, I find out how much I have to live for.
And when faced with losing the only hope I have left, I must decide how far I’m willing to go to watch this empire burn.
Silk & Iron is a slow burn, spicy enemies-to-lovers romantasy full of court intrigue, betrayal, and deception. Mind the cliff.
I want them all dead. Until I fall for one of them.
After losing all my family to the rebellion, I lost hope. When my ex-boyfriend begs me to pose as the prince’s betrothed, I know it’s an opportunity the rebellion won’t ever get again.
I'm sent with the goal of finding out how to kill an immortal emperor, but I don’t want to wait on someone else to get my revenge. I want the emperor, the prince, and the enforcer all dead.
But the palace is full of secrets. And I’m not the only one playing a game of life and death; lies and betrayals. The closer I get to my goal, the closer I get to one of the men I vowed to kill.
And I’m not sure I can bring myself to harm him. But there’s nothing stopping him from killing me as soon as he finds out who I really am.
I’m playing with fire and I want this whole empire to burn.
But nothing is as it seems.
Just when I think I have nothing left to lose, I find out how much I have to live for.
And when faced with losing the only hope I have left, I must decide how far I’m willing to go to watch this empire burn.
Silk & Iron is a slow burn, spicy enemies-to-lovers romantasy full of court intrigue, betrayal, and deception. Mind the cliff.
385 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2026
132 people are currently reading
2984 people want to read
About the author
Alexis Calder
36 books1,094 followersAlexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
February 19, 2026
The slow burn, tension filled Romantasy I’ve been craving! This one hooked me right from the start with Taylan, our FMC, going undercover as the Princess of Iskvaland to enter into an arranged marriage with Caiden, the Emperor’s son, while secretly working with a rebel group looking to overthrow the immortal Emperor. Enter Brevan - the broody, Emperor’s Enforcer who’s been assigned as the head of her protection detail. Their tension is palpable and slowly blurs the line between duty and desire.
The world building was well done and easily digestible, especially the magic system and the lore. I was totally unprepared for some of the plot twists in this book! It kept me on my toes, and I’m absolutely desperate for book two!
Thank you Alexis Calder for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
The world building was well done and easily digestible, especially the magic system and the lore. I was totally unprepared for some of the plot twists in this book! It kept me on my toes, and I’m absolutely desperate for book two!
Thank you Alexis Calder for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
January 31, 2026
4.5 stars!
This was an addictive, slow-burn romantasy that had me constantly saying “just one more chapter.” The story pulls you into a dangerous world of political intrigue, hidden identities, rebellion, and magic, with enemies-to-lovers tension and forced proximity woven throughout.
The FMC is a compelling character, living a double life. And the twists genuinely kept me guessing. The stakes stay high, the plot is easy to binge, and when the slow burn finally ignites, it delivers!!
That said, I did want a bit more character development, stronger romance chemistry, and deeper world building…though I’m hopeful a lot of that is coming in book two based on how this ends!
Overall, an excellent start to a dark romantasy series, and I absolutely need book two asap.
This was an addictive, slow-burn romantasy that had me constantly saying “just one more chapter.” The story pulls you into a dangerous world of political intrigue, hidden identities, rebellion, and magic, with enemies-to-lovers tension and forced proximity woven throughout.
The FMC is a compelling character, living a double life. And the twists genuinely kept me guessing. The stakes stay high, the plot is easy to binge, and when the slow burn finally ignites, it delivers!!
That said, I did want a bit more character development, stronger romance chemistry, and deeper world building…though I’m hopeful a lot of that is coming in book two based on how this ends!
Overall, an excellent start to a dark romantasy series, and I absolutely need book two asap.
March 11, 2026
Rating
5 💎
1.5 🌶️
Quick Summary
I was drawn in by the hidden identity, steady tension, and unfolding secrets, with Sabina’s strength and determination weaved through the story. Caiden’s unexpected moments surprised me. Brevan’s reserved presence added such a great layer. I loved the build-up of tension with Sabina and Brevan - those 2 had the best chemistry.
While Reading Thoughts
📓I absolutely loved the hidden identity and the thrill of her being caught.
📓Sabina is the reason I am addicted to this series, she was so fierce and willing to sacrifice it all…wow this woman!
📓Caiden surprised me in this book and I gasped at Sabina’s reactions to him
📓Brevan was the stoic bodyguard I didn’t see coming and I need more of him
📓This work was building and there are so many hidden secrets what I was just dieting to uncover.
📓My heart is breaking for Sabina and Brevan
Words that linger
🍷“But I’ve never given up when I see something I want.”
🍷“If I ever find out who he is, I will hunt him down.”
🍷 'It's selfish and wrong. I want another mans betrothed. But you're not mine."
🍷"Never apologize for seeing what's wrong with the world."
Tropes
🖤 Secret Identity
🖤 Court Intrigue
🖤 Lies & Betrayal
🖤 Mutual Pining
🖤 Fake Princess
5 💎
1.5 🌶️
Quick Summary
I was drawn in by the hidden identity, steady tension, and unfolding secrets, with Sabina’s strength and determination weaved through the story. Caiden’s unexpected moments surprised me. Brevan’s reserved presence added such a great layer. I loved the build-up of tension with Sabina and Brevan - those 2 had the best chemistry.
While Reading Thoughts
📓I absolutely loved the hidden identity and the thrill of her being caught.
📓Sabina is the reason I am addicted to this series, she was so fierce and willing to sacrifice it all…wow this woman!
📓Caiden surprised me in this book and I gasped at Sabina’s reactions to him
📓Brevan was the stoic bodyguard I didn’t see coming and I need more of him
📓This work was building and there are so many hidden secrets what I was just dieting to uncover.
📓My heart is breaking for Sabina and Brevan
Words that linger
🍷“But I’ve never given up when I see something I want.”
🍷“If I ever find out who he is, I will hunt him down.”
🍷 'It's selfish and wrong. I want another mans betrothed. But you're not mine."
🍷"Never apologize for seeing what's wrong with the world."
Tropes
🖤 Secret Identity
🖤 Court Intrigue
🖤 Lies & Betrayal
🖤 Mutual Pining
🖤 Fake Princess
February 6, 2026
A fake princess undercover seeking for revenge in a dangerous world full of rebellions!? Say less this was absolutely amazing!
Right from the beginning and unexpected twist off the bat caught me off guard but invested! I told myself ok we are in it for a ride!
Silk & Iron brings you a balance between the romance and plot. Easy to read and fast paced which I loved. It’s one of those books that would feel like a refreshing palette cleanser to get you back into Romantasy reading. This one will deliver that.
This story felt richly layered, promising and a slow burn tension that you will eat up! Everything weaved together nicely and I very much look forward what we will get into book 2 🖤
Right from the beginning and unexpected twist off the bat caught me off guard but invested! I told myself ok we are in it for a ride!
Silk & Iron brings you a balance between the romance and plot. Easy to read and fast paced which I loved. It’s one of those books that would feel like a refreshing palette cleanser to get you back into Romantasy reading. This one will deliver that.
This story felt richly layered, promising and a slow burn tension that you will eat up! Everything weaved together nicely and I very much look forward what we will get into book 2 🖤
February 2, 2026
The fmc is a rebel, spy, fake princess and smart, need I say more?
This was such a wonderful romance fantasy.🥹 I LOVED the politics in this one and the world building was so easy to follow. This was just SO FUN. I haven’t felt excited to read a romantasy like this in forever. The enemies to lovers was perfection. I found myself rooting/ invested in most of the side characters as well. SO. MANY. PLOT TIWSTS. I was clutching my pearls for more the whole story. This was the perfect story that set the series up. I CANNOT wait for the 2nd book and I can’t wait to read more books from this author!!🖤😍
This was such a wonderful romance fantasy.🥹 I LOVED the politics in this one and the world building was so easy to follow. This was just SO FUN. I haven’t felt excited to read a romantasy like this in forever. The enemies to lovers was perfection. I found myself rooting/ invested in most of the side characters as well. SO. MANY. PLOT TIWSTS. I was clutching my pearls for more the whole story. This was the perfect story that set the series up. I CANNOT wait for the 2nd book and I can’t wait to read more books from this author!!🖤😍
February 23, 2026
I did NOT see that plot twist coming!! This feels like the classic romantasy that got me into the genre. It also wasn’t full of the typical tropes, minus one small who did this to you, which made me love it all the more. This was incredible. Can’t wait for the next!!!
January 12, 2026
"And I am the angel of death who took her place."
Thank you so much Alexis Calder for allowing me to read and review Silk & Iron in advanced and being apart of your amazing street team! I went absolutely feral over this book and I know everyone else will too!
This book was captivating, addictive and I could not put it down. From start to finish my motto was just one more chapter; I just needed to know what was coming next.
Sabina the FMC is the princess of Iskvaland. She has come to the Pendralian Empire to wed prince Caiden; who is also the heir. Sabina, is actually Taylan. Taylan is a peasant, who has lost her whole family by the emperor's commands. Taylan ex boyfriend Lee, also the leader of the rebellion after her mother passed convinced her to take princess Sabina's place as they look eerily alike. Sabina/Tay go undercover and are set on seeking revenge for her families death... but at what cost?
There was so many twists and turns in this book, I truly couldn't predict a single thing. The supporting characters held so much value to the plot and were incorporated seamlessly! The storyline was flawless. I ATE this up in no time!
I am so eager to see what comes next! Come on book two!
Also always, Team Brevan ✊🤍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Thank you so much Alexis Calder for allowing me to read and review Silk & Iron in advanced and being apart of your amazing street team! I went absolutely feral over this book and I know everyone else will too!
This book was captivating, addictive and I could not put it down. From start to finish my motto was just one more chapter; I just needed to know what was coming next.
Sabina the FMC is the princess of Iskvaland. She has come to the Pendralian Empire to wed prince Caiden; who is also the heir. Sabina, is actually Taylan. Taylan is a peasant, who has lost her whole family by the emperor's commands. Taylan ex boyfriend Lee, also the leader of the rebellion after her mother passed convinced her to take princess Sabina's place as they look eerily alike. Sabina/Tay go undercover and are set on seeking revenge for her families death... but at what cost?
There was so many twists and turns in this book, I truly couldn't predict a single thing. The supporting characters held so much value to the plot and were incorporated seamlessly! The storyline was flawless. I ATE this up in no time!
I am so eager to see what comes next! Come on book two!
Also always, Team Brevan ✊🤍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Review of advance copy received from Author
Omg! What did you do to me Alexis Calder??? Ma'am I need book 2 now!! My heart!!
I loved this book so much! Everything about it was AMAZING! The characters, their growth, the plot, the plot twist and the absolutely epic slow burn (and when the slow-burn ignites, OMG it's HAWT 🥵)! This book had everything from forced proximity (but not with who you'd think), enemies to lovers, found family and touch her and die. Y'all you absolutely do not want to miss this absolutely amazing book. It was EVERYTHING!
I loved this book so much! Everything about it was AMAZING! The characters, their growth, the plot, the plot twist and the absolutely epic slow burn (and when the slow-burn ignites, OMG it's HAWT 🥵)! This book had everything from forced proximity (but not with who you'd think), enemies to lovers, found family and touch her and die. Y'all you absolutely do not want to miss this absolutely amazing book. It was EVERYTHING!
February 1, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
If you’ve ever wondered what romantasy looks like on autopilot, Silk & Iron is a solid example.
This book is one of those romantasy reads that’s easy enough to finish, and has all the familiar tropes…It’s not terrible. It’s just painfully hollow.
The worldbuilding feels thin and pre-packaged, like the setting exists purely because the plot needs somewhere to happen. There are mentions of magic, gods, history, court politics, but none of it ever settles into something vivid or cohesive. It’s less immersive fantasy realm and more vague fantasy atmosphere.
The FMC (Taylan) is an example of the genre’s obsession with underprepared heroines. She’s impersonating royalty while knowing basically nothing about the kingdom, the court, or how to convincingly survive in this role, and somehow no one clocks it. The book treats her cluelessness like it’s endearing, but it mostly just makes the entire premise harder to buy.
At a certain point, naïveté stops being a character trait and becomes a narrative crutch.
She isn’t completely unlikable. She has a few moments of backbone where I almost started rooting for her. But overall she feels generic, like she was designed to fill the role rather than stand out as an actual person.
The writing leans very YA, especially in the dialogue. A lot of it feels immature and oddly flat, like everyone is speaking in scripted banter instead of real emotion. The relationships never deepen beyond surface-level attraction, so the romance ends up feeling more so obligatory for relationship-developmental plot points than convincing.
And speaking of plot…it’s messy.
Beyond the logic gaps, it genuinely started to feel like the author would forget what she’d established from one scene to the next. Information gets introduced, then slightly overwritten or altered later when it becomes relevant again, like the story is improvising its own canon in real time. It creates this constant low-level confusion where you’re not immersed, you’re just quietly trying to track what the book thinks is true….people wander in and out of the palace like it’s a public park, the spy elements are mostly decorative, and we’re expected to believe Taylan can take on powerful, trained men while openly lacking the skills or knowledge to survive in this world. The suspension of disbelief required is doing a lot of unpaid labor.
The transitions don’t help either. Scene-to-scene movement is abrupt, and even within scenes, actions jump forward in a way that feels choppy, like connective tissue is missing. Moments that should unfold smoothly instead snap into the next beat with almost no buildup (this is really prominent in the spicy 🌶️ moments).
Structurally, it desperately needed a stronger edit. The pacing drags hard about 70% through with repetitive inner monologues and conversations that loop the same points over and over. Entire chapters feel like the book is stalling.
The romance didn’t land for me either. The prince’s feelings develop at hyperspeed despite their limited connection, and Braven is…fine…as our main love interest. The book wants him to feel dark and dangerous, but mostly he reads as a standard issue love interest with occasional brooding. Any attempt at depth gets reduced to vague lines about him being “bad” without the narrative actually showing it.
✔️Humans x God-Blessed Aristocracy
✔️Gods & A Prophecy
✔️ Arranged Marriage
✔️ 2 MMCs (Prince x Guard)
✔️ Spy / Assassin FMC
✔️ Mysterious Magic, Court Politics, Rebellion
✔️ Some Spice 🌶️
❌ Immature Relationships, Dialogue, Narration
❌Had more of a YA feel
❌Needs Editing
❌ Plot feels like it “just skims the surface” throughout
If you’ve ever wondered what romantasy looks like on autopilot, Silk & Iron is a solid example.
This book is one of those romantasy reads that’s easy enough to finish, and has all the familiar tropes…It’s not terrible. It’s just painfully hollow.
The worldbuilding feels thin and pre-packaged, like the setting exists purely because the plot needs somewhere to happen. There are mentions of magic, gods, history, court politics, but none of it ever settles into something vivid or cohesive. It’s less immersive fantasy realm and more vague fantasy atmosphere.
The FMC (Taylan) is an example of the genre’s obsession with underprepared heroines. She’s impersonating royalty while knowing basically nothing about the kingdom, the court, or how to convincingly survive in this role, and somehow no one clocks it. The book treats her cluelessness like it’s endearing, but it mostly just makes the entire premise harder to buy.
At a certain point, naïveté stops being a character trait and becomes a narrative crutch.
She isn’t completely unlikable. She has a few moments of backbone where I almost started rooting for her. But overall she feels generic, like she was designed to fill the role rather than stand out as an actual person.
The writing leans very YA, especially in the dialogue. A lot of it feels immature and oddly flat, like everyone is speaking in scripted banter instead of real emotion. The relationships never deepen beyond surface-level attraction, so the romance ends up feeling more so obligatory for relationship-developmental plot points than convincing.
And speaking of plot…it’s messy.
Beyond the logic gaps, it genuinely started to feel like the author would forget what she’d established from one scene to the next. Information gets introduced, then slightly overwritten or altered later when it becomes relevant again, like the story is improvising its own canon in real time. It creates this constant low-level confusion where you’re not immersed, you’re just quietly trying to track what the book thinks is true….people wander in and out of the palace like it’s a public park, the spy elements are mostly decorative, and we’re expected to believe Taylan can take on powerful, trained men while openly lacking the skills or knowledge to survive in this world. The suspension of disbelief required is doing a lot of unpaid labor.
The transitions don’t help either. Scene-to-scene movement is abrupt, and even within scenes, actions jump forward in a way that feels choppy, like connective tissue is missing. Moments that should unfold smoothly instead snap into the next beat with almost no buildup (this is really prominent in the spicy 🌶️ moments).
Structurally, it desperately needed a stronger edit. The pacing drags hard about 70% through with repetitive inner monologues and conversations that loop the same points over and over. Entire chapters feel like the book is stalling.
The romance didn’t land for me either. The prince’s feelings develop at hyperspeed despite their limited connection, and Braven is…fine…as our main love interest. The book wants him to feel dark and dangerous, but mostly he reads as a standard issue love interest with occasional brooding. Any attempt at depth gets reduced to vague lines about him being “bad” without the narrative actually showing it.
✔️Humans x God-Blessed Aristocracy
✔️Gods & A Prophecy
✔️ Arranged Marriage
✔️ 2 MMCs (Prince x Guard)
✔️ Spy / Assassin FMC
✔️ Mysterious Magic, Court Politics, Rebellion
✔️ Some Spice 🌶️
❌ Immature Relationships, Dialogue, Narration
❌Had more of a YA feel
❌Needs Editing
❌ Plot feels like it “just skims the surface” throughout
January 20, 2026
Taylan is a rebel that wants to take down the emperor and the entire empire all together, to make them all pay for what happened to her family and the people that she loves. How you make ask? By deceiving the emperor and the prince, Caiden, that she is the Princess Sabina of Iskvaland and is there to marry him in exchange for both families to be political allies. However, she becomes engrossed with a certain someone, one who killed her brothers. There is a ceremony that will be placed to see if the Gods will provide her a gift and make the emperor and Caiden happy. It’s either you get a gift or you die. Will she be able to survive? Will she be able to take down the emperor? Who does she love?
This was AMAZING! I genuinely need book two to come out immediately. This book had the yearning, the slow burn, the hatred, the conflicts, UGH it had it all. The plot twist at the end was truly incredible. I always knew that the special character was bad, HOWEVER, I wasn’t expecting that ending to happen and make way to book two. This book also had female rage and was fast paced. The way that everything made sense, the scenery was perfect, it felt like I was watching a movie in my head. Everyone, please read this book, also it’s on Kindle Unlimited!
Thank you to Alexis Calder for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.
This was AMAZING! I genuinely need book two to come out immediately. This book had the yearning, the slow burn, the hatred, the conflicts, UGH it had it all. The plot twist at the end was truly incredible. I always knew that the special character was bad, HOWEVER, I wasn’t expecting that ending to happen and make way to book two. This book also had female rage and was fast paced. The way that everything made sense, the scenery was perfect, it felt like I was watching a movie in my head. Everyone, please read this book, also it’s on Kindle Unlimited!
Thank you to Alexis Calder for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 2, 2026
I gave this book a well deserved five stars, I would 100% recommend it to anyone that loves a great fast romantasy read. I love discovering new indie authors and their incredible books and this authors book was no exception.
I absolutely devoured this book in 24hrs I couldn't put it down It had everything that I love from my romantasy reads, it was a fast paced story with plenty of twists and turns with some of my favourite tropes included such as:
• Delicious Slow burn (had me turning the pages again and again)
• Enemies to lovers
• Forbidden relationships
• Betrayal
• Morally Grey
• Forced marriage
• Court politics
• Rebellion/revenge
I dont want to tell you too much about the story but, let's just say we have a strong fiesty FMC that sets off on a journey of revenge, with a hidden identity and a whole bunch of secrets she's keeping, can she achieve what she needs to?.... Well you are just going to have to read it for yourself.
I can't wait for book 2.
Thank you to Alexis Calder for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
I absolutely devoured this book in 24hrs I couldn't put it down It had everything that I love from my romantasy reads, it was a fast paced story with plenty of twists and turns with some of my favourite tropes included such as:
• Delicious Slow burn (had me turning the pages again and again)
• Enemies to lovers
• Forbidden relationships
• Betrayal
• Morally Grey
• Forced marriage
• Court politics
• Rebellion/revenge
I dont want to tell you too much about the story but, let's just say we have a strong fiesty FMC that sets off on a journey of revenge, with a hidden identity and a whole bunch of secrets she's keeping, can she achieve what she needs to?.... Well you are just going to have to read it for yourself.
I can't wait for book 2.
Thank you to Alexis Calder for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
January 20, 2026
Thank you so much to Alexis for the book early!! I really enjoyed this book! The writing was really good, the characters were intriguing I loved the “princess” and her ladies. And a special male character I won’t spoil 👀there were a few “oh damn” scenes and I absolutely did not see the ending coming! This was a slow burn for sure but I ate it up!
February 13, 2026
Ahh this was such a fun read! I devoured this book in less than 24 hours (very fast for me!) - I picked it up after work and before I knew it, I was reading it before bed, first thing in the morning, during my lunch break, and now I've just finished it...WOW...that ending.
I love our FMC Taylan - she's caring, outspoken, and does what she feels is right, even though it might sabotage her mission. She's found herself severely ill-prepared by the rebellion to take the place of the Iskvaland princess under the guise of securing a treaty and alliance with the Pendralian Empire...but she's really trying to exact her revenge on the emperor and his son (the princess's betrothed). Watching her navigate the Pendralian court and Prince Caiden was fun to watch... and don't even get me started on the growing romantic tension between her and Brevan! I ate it all up! I'm here to start a petition for everyone to have a Brevan in their life - he trains her, makes her food, gifts her blades, defends her honor, saves her, convinces the prince to allow her a lady from her home so she'd be more comfortable... oh, did I also mention he's a deadly enforcer with badass magic?
The ending was unexpected in multiple ways and makes me SO excited for the next book! I think romantasy lovers, especially those who love a slow burn, forbidden love, and court politics will eat this one up! I'd rate this 4.5 stars!
Read if you love:
- Forbidden Love
- Arranged Marriage
- Feminine Rage
- A deadly MMC who is only soft for her
- Betrayal
- Bestowed Magic
- Rebel Spy
I love our FMC Taylan - she's caring, outspoken, and does what she feels is right, even though it might sabotage her mission. She's found herself severely ill-prepared by the rebellion to take the place of the Iskvaland princess under the guise of securing a treaty and alliance with the Pendralian Empire...but she's really trying to exact her revenge on the emperor and his son (the princess's betrothed). Watching her navigate the Pendralian court and Prince Caiden was fun to watch... and don't even get me started on the growing romantic tension between her and Brevan! I ate it all up! I'm here to start a petition for everyone to have a Brevan in their life - he trains her, makes her food, gifts her blades, defends her honor, saves her, convinces the prince to allow her a lady from her home so she'd be more comfortable... oh, did I also mention he's a deadly enforcer with badass magic?
The ending was unexpected in multiple ways and makes me SO excited for the next book! I think romantasy lovers, especially those who love a slow burn, forbidden love, and court politics will eat this one up! I'd rate this 4.5 stars!
Read if you love:
- Forbidden Love
- Arranged Marriage
- Feminine Rage
- A deadly MMC who is only soft for her
- Betrayal
- Bestowed Magic
- Rebel Spy
January 12, 2026
SILK & IRON
By: Alexis Calder
Book 1
ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Star Review
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5 Spiciness Level
RELEASE INFO FOR ARC/ALC BOOKS:
Releasing January 20, 2026
The emperor. The prince. The enforcer. I want them all dead…Until I fall for one of them.
RECOMMENDATION:
MUST READ ROMANTASY!!!
“Silk & Iron is a slow burn, spicy enemies-to-lovers romantasy full of court intrigue, betrayal, and deception. Mind the cliff.”
Deception.
This book had me hooked from the first page all the way through to the brutal cliffhanger on the last page. I stayed up all night to finish it in one go. There are twists and turns you don’t see coming. There is tummy-butterflying tension and toe-curling spice. It hasn’t released yet and I’m already begging for book 2!
FAVORITE QUOTE(S):
“‘You came here in silk, but you’ll leave here in irons.’” -The Emperor
&
“‘It is done. I accept the betrothal. She is as expected.’” -Prince Caiden
&
“‘Maybe nobody gets to choose. There’s an illusion of options when we’re young, but I don’t think it even existed then.’” -Princess Sabina
&
“I want to memorize the way his body feels against mine. The way his tongue teases, the way he tastes, the way he kisses me like he would burn the whole world for me.” -Princess Sabina
&
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to stay away from you.” “Then don’t.” -😋
TROPES:
All the best tropes!
Slooooow burn! 🔥
Enemies-to-lovers
Forbidden romance
Morally gray
Deception
Court intrigue
Hidden agendas
2 love interests… or just 1?
Evil immortal emperor
Unique, secretive & mysterious magic
Cliffhanger!
GENRE, POV, PAGE COUNT:
Genre is Dark Romantasy.
POV is of FMC in the first-person.
Page Count is approx 400 pages.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW & TIME LENGTH:
No audiobook at the time of this review.
FMC:
Princess Sabina Volkov: 23 years old, Princess of Iskvaland, sneaky, devious, sly and stealthy. She is not who she seems. Deception is rampant.
MMC:
Prince Caiden Pendral: approx 26, Prince of Pendralia, powerful magic, wicked, depraved and malicious.
Brevan: the emperor’s Enforcer, not from Pendralia, forced to stay, powerful magic, cinnamon roll vibes with violent past.
STORYLINE/PLOT:
It’s hard to know how to explain the storyline. If you read the blurb it tells a lot. It’s best to go in blind. If you choose to go in blind as I did, don’t read on. Though, I will not reveal anything important that’s not already mentioned in the book description.
Iskvaland’s princess has been sent to Pendralia for a political alliance marriage to the prince.
The princess has secrets. The prince has secrets. Pendralia has secrets. Deception and court intrigue play a huge part in this story.
Pendralia is responsible for starving its people in Iskvaland, leaving them to freeze to death in the winter. When the people created a rebellion or stood against the emperor, they were killed with whole villages burned to the ground in one go. When Taylan’s last remaining family is slaughtered, she is eager to kill everyone responsible. When the opportunity arises, the rebellion sends her in to pose as Princess Sabina Volkov and she walks right into the home of her enemy to marry their prince.
What she doesn’t expect is to catch feelings for anyone while she is there, especially not one of the ones she wants dead. No matter what, the emperor must die and she has to figure out how to do it. Nobody knows how to end an immortal and it is up to her to learn how it can be done.
What does she do? How far will she push to see this through? Can she be the one to kill those she set out to? Nothing and no one is what they seem.
SPICY CONTENT (Scale X-XXX):
The spice in this book is a chef’s kiss after all that forbidden tension and yearning! So well written and so fun to read!
Chapter 31: X
Chapter 34: X
Chapter 42: XXX
Chapter 43: XXX
NOTE:
Not all is revealed in this book. There are several questions I still have about a few things (like the magic, Caiden, Brevan & Brevan’s sister, and Lee) that I’m sure will get answered in future books. I love that it’s so intriguing and mysterious!!
THANKS:
Thank you to Author Alexis Calder for this amazing ebook! I loved reading it, look forward to the next book in this series and look forward to reading your future books! Thank you!
Happy Reading! ♥🙂
By: Alexis Calder
Book 1
ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Star Review
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5 Spiciness Level
RELEASE INFO FOR ARC/ALC BOOKS:
Releasing January 20, 2026
The emperor. The prince. The enforcer. I want them all dead…Until I fall for one of them.
RECOMMENDATION:
MUST READ ROMANTASY!!!
“Silk & Iron is a slow burn, spicy enemies-to-lovers romantasy full of court intrigue, betrayal, and deception. Mind the cliff.”
Deception.
This book had me hooked from the first page all the way through to the brutal cliffhanger on the last page. I stayed up all night to finish it in one go. There are twists and turns you don’t see coming. There is tummy-butterflying tension and toe-curling spice. It hasn’t released yet and I’m already begging for book 2!
FAVORITE QUOTE(S):
“‘You came here in silk, but you’ll leave here in irons.’” -The Emperor
&
“‘It is done. I accept the betrothal. She is as expected.’” -Prince Caiden
&
“‘Maybe nobody gets to choose. There’s an illusion of options when we’re young, but I don’t think it even existed then.’” -Princess Sabina
&
“I want to memorize the way his body feels against mine. The way his tongue teases, the way he tastes, the way he kisses me like he would burn the whole world for me.” -Princess Sabina
&
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to stay away from you.” “Then don’t.” -😋
TROPES:
All the best tropes!
Slooooow burn! 🔥
Enemies-to-lovers
Forbidden romance
Morally gray
Deception
Court intrigue
Hidden agendas
2 love interests… or just 1?
Evil immortal emperor
Unique, secretive & mysterious magic
Cliffhanger!
GENRE, POV, PAGE COUNT:
Genre is Dark Romantasy.
POV is of FMC in the first-person.
Page Count is approx 400 pages.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW & TIME LENGTH:
No audiobook at the time of this review.
FMC:
Princess Sabina Volkov: 23 years old, Princess of Iskvaland, sneaky, devious, sly and stealthy. She is not who she seems. Deception is rampant.
MMC:
Prince Caiden Pendral: approx 26, Prince of Pendralia, powerful magic, wicked, depraved and malicious.
Brevan: the emperor’s Enforcer, not from Pendralia, forced to stay, powerful magic, cinnamon roll vibes with violent past.
STORYLINE/PLOT:
It’s hard to know how to explain the storyline. If you read the blurb it tells a lot. It’s best to go in blind. If you choose to go in blind as I did, don’t read on. Though, I will not reveal anything important that’s not already mentioned in the book description.
Iskvaland’s princess has been sent to Pendralia for a political alliance marriage to the prince.
The princess has secrets. The prince has secrets. Pendralia has secrets. Deception and court intrigue play a huge part in this story.
Pendralia is responsible for starving its people in Iskvaland, leaving them to freeze to death in the winter. When the people created a rebellion or stood against the emperor, they were killed with whole villages burned to the ground in one go. When Taylan’s last remaining family is slaughtered, she is eager to kill everyone responsible. When the opportunity arises, the rebellion sends her in to pose as Princess Sabina Volkov and she walks right into the home of her enemy to marry their prince.
What she doesn’t expect is to catch feelings for anyone while she is there, especially not one of the ones she wants dead. No matter what, the emperor must die and she has to figure out how to do it. Nobody knows how to end an immortal and it is up to her to learn how it can be done.
What does she do? How far will she push to see this through? Can she be the one to kill those she set out to? Nothing and no one is what they seem.
SPICY CONTENT (Scale X-XXX):
The spice in this book is a chef’s kiss after all that forbidden tension and yearning! So well written and so fun to read!
Chapter 31: X
Chapter 34: X
Chapter 42: XXX
Chapter 43: XXX
NOTE:
Not all is revealed in this book. There are several questions I still have about a few things (like the magic, Caiden, Brevan & Brevan’s sister, and Lee) that I’m sure will get answered in future books. I love that it’s so intriguing and mysterious!!
THANKS:
Thank you to Author Alexis Calder for this amazing ebook! I loved reading it, look forward to the next book in this series and look forward to reading your future books! Thank you!
Happy Reading! ♥🙂
February 2, 2026
Okay, hello FIVE star book. FULL FIVE STAR book - maybe even give it an extra star. The way I wanted to jump into the pages of this book. I'm SOOOOOO glad that I got a physical copy of this one. First off, Alexis is SO KIND. The attention to details with the little goodies in the box, I can't even. I am pretty sure I have multiple tabs in every single chapter. I gasped audibly over and over. There was a point when I screamed "NO!" and immediately went unhinged with my buddy read partner and in the author's DMs. Do you choose the prince or his bodyguard? Which one is the villain? Or is the FMC the villain?! You have to immediately put this on your TBR. I am stuck in a puddle on the floor and need the next book in this series like yesterday. I know you know my e-mail, Alexis. *insert giggle here* But seriously, THIS WAS SOOOOO GOOD! It's in my top 5 books for the year (and I've read 22 so far). A true enemies to lovers romantasy. She hates him. She hates all of them. Sabina is a loveable FMC, she cares (proabably too much). Prince Caiden, "the Enforcer" aka Brevan .. she is forced to marry the prince but her heart is slowly reaching out for the bodyguard.
January 22, 2026
ARC Read
Can we got book 2 asap!!!!
This is book 1 in a dark Romantasy series.
I absolutely loved this book. This book has lots of secrets, magic, hidden identity and a slow-burn, enemies to lovers .
Sabina is a Princess from Iskvaland. She is really Taylan a rebel who seek justice for her brothers. She believes the emperor, the prince and there enforcer are responsible for their deaths.
Caiden is the prince of the Pendrailian Empire and is to wed Sabina.
Brevan the emperor’s enforcer. He has powerful magic. He was found and raised by the emperor when he was young.
Brevan and Sabina dislike each other when they first meet. Throughout the book those feelings change.
Can we got book 2 asap!!!!
This is book 1 in a dark Romantasy series.
I absolutely loved this book. This book has lots of secrets, magic, hidden identity and a slow-burn, enemies to lovers .
Sabina is a Princess from Iskvaland. She is really Taylan a rebel who seek justice for her brothers. She believes the emperor, the prince and there enforcer are responsible for their deaths.
Caiden is the prince of the Pendrailian Empire and is to wed Sabina.
Brevan the emperor’s enforcer. He has powerful magic. He was found and raised by the emperor when he was young.
Brevan and Sabina dislike each other when they first meet. Throughout the book those feelings change.
January 27, 2026
*I was given this book as an eArc but my review is based solely on my own thoughts and opinions*
I devoured this book. I loved it. I usually write down a bunch of what I liked and didn’t like but I was so invested I forgot to do that haha. My bad. I enjoyed it, okay! Read it. lol
"Stop saying that," he says.
"What, breasts? Does that bother you?"
"Seriously, stop it." His face is red. This is getting to him.
I lean down and whisper, "Do my breasts bother you?" He grabs me and pulls me into the mud with him. I gasp, then throw a handful of mud at him. He catches my wrist and I freeze.
The way he's looking at me is different than usual.
There's something almost feral about it. Dangerous.
I devoured this book. I loved it. I usually write down a bunch of what I liked and didn’t like but I was so invested I forgot to do that haha. My bad. I enjoyed it, okay! Read it. lol
"Stop saying that," he says.
"What, breasts? Does that bother you?"
"Seriously, stop it." His face is red. This is getting to him.
I lean down and whisper, "Do my breasts bother you?" He grabs me and pulls me into the mud with him. I gasp, then throw a handful of mud at him. He catches my wrist and I freeze.
The way he's looking at me is different than usual.
There's something almost feral about it. Dangerous.
January 23, 2026
I got an arc, but my rating/review are my own!
review coming soon...
review coming soon...
February 24, 2026
If you don’t feel like reading a large review, I’ll leave this at the top to make it easy for you. This book made me add every single thing Alexis has written onto my TBR so fast the flash would’ve been jealous.
Seriously, Alexis Calder books hit my brain the way I imagine hard drugs would. Reality fades away, and they’re addicting asf.
From feminine rage, a slowww aching burn, falling for the enemy, to an ending that has you wanting to smash the book against a rock like a cave man (only because book two isn’t out yet). It has a bit of everything you could ever want in a dark romantasy.
With astonishing world building, beautifully written characters, and so many deliciously blended tropes. I was sat until it was done, and I was left wondering, “sooooo, what now?”. Seriously, it took me a day, because when the book gets good, I have a problem with putting it down.
Thank you so so much Alexis for this beyond amazing ARC, I cannot wait for book #2!😮💨
Seriously, Alexis Calder books hit my brain the way I imagine hard drugs would. Reality fades away, and they’re addicting asf.
From feminine rage, a slowww aching burn, falling for the enemy, to an ending that has you wanting to smash the book against a rock like a cave man (only because book two isn’t out yet). It has a bit of everything you could ever want in a dark romantasy.
With astonishing world building, beautifully written characters, and so many deliciously blended tropes. I was sat until it was done, and I was left wondering, “sooooo, what now?”. Seriously, it took me a day, because when the book gets good, I have a problem with putting it down.
Thank you so so much Alexis for this beyond amazing ARC, I cannot wait for book #2!😮💨
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thanks to MTMC Tours for providing the eARC. This is my honest opinion.
Trapped Between Power and Desire
In the fantasy novel ‘Silk & Iron,’ Taylan is forced to play a role that could cost her life. Within the walls of the palace of Iskavaland, she assumes the identity of the murdered princess, while no one must suspect who she truly is. Driven by revenge, she risks everything to bring down the emperor and his heir. But the longer she maintains her role, the clearer it becomes that secrets are piling up and trust is a luxury she cannot afford. This first installment marks the beginning of a series that is intense and difficult to put down.
Alexis Calder’s writing style is smooth and flowing. She makes frequent use of short sentences and dialogues that feel natural and true to life. Calder pays careful attention to the development of her characters. Taylan evolves convincingly in her role as princess, but also as a young woman forced to stand her ground in a world dominated by power and suspicion. Her motivation for revenge adds extra emotional depth and makes her inner struggle palpable.
The story is told entirely from Taylan’s perspective. This provides a strong focus on her thoughts and doubts, though a brief perspective from Brevan could have added even more depth to the dynamic. At the same time, this choice intensifies the story, as the reader knows no more than Taylan herself and shares her sense of uncertainty.
Most of the story unfolds within the walls of a single palace. This confined setting amplifies the psychological tension. Intrigue, political maneuvering, and hidden agendas make every interaction feel charged. The tension between the main characters is well developed, fueled by distrust, power struggles, and suppressed emotions. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is layered and believable, gradually building throughout the story.
‘Silk & Iron’ closes the circle of mystery and danger seamlessly. The palace remains a nest of secrets, the intrigues are far from resolved, and Taylan’s choices are only the beginning of a dangerous game. Dark, intense, and captivating, this is a story that grips the reader and constantly leaves them questioning whom they can trust.
enemies-to-lovers | revenge | political intrigue | single palace setting | secret identity | forbidden romance | slow burn romance | magical elements
Trapped Between Power and Desire
In the fantasy novel ‘Silk & Iron,’ Taylan is forced to play a role that could cost her life. Within the walls of the palace of Iskavaland, she assumes the identity of the murdered princess, while no one must suspect who she truly is. Driven by revenge, she risks everything to bring down the emperor and his heir. But the longer she maintains her role, the clearer it becomes that secrets are piling up and trust is a luxury she cannot afford. This first installment marks the beginning of a series that is intense and difficult to put down.
Alexis Calder’s writing style is smooth and flowing. She makes frequent use of short sentences and dialogues that feel natural and true to life. Calder pays careful attention to the development of her characters. Taylan evolves convincingly in her role as princess, but also as a young woman forced to stand her ground in a world dominated by power and suspicion. Her motivation for revenge adds extra emotional depth and makes her inner struggle palpable.
The story is told entirely from Taylan’s perspective. This provides a strong focus on her thoughts and doubts, though a brief perspective from Brevan could have added even more depth to the dynamic. At the same time, this choice intensifies the story, as the reader knows no more than Taylan herself and shares her sense of uncertainty.
Most of the story unfolds within the walls of a single palace. This confined setting amplifies the psychological tension. Intrigue, political maneuvering, and hidden agendas make every interaction feel charged. The tension between the main characters is well developed, fueled by distrust, power struggles, and suppressed emotions. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic is layered and believable, gradually building throughout the story.
‘Silk & Iron’ closes the circle of mystery and danger seamlessly. The palace remains a nest of secrets, the intrigues are far from resolved, and Taylan’s choices are only the beginning of a dangerous game. Dark, intense, and captivating, this is a story that grips the reader and constantly leaves them questioning whom they can trust.
enemies-to-lovers | revenge | political intrigue | single palace setting | secret identity | forbidden romance | slow burn romance | magical elements
January 14, 2026
3.25⭐️
Taylan is part of the rebellion and agrees to pretend to be the princess so she can get revenge on the emperor, the prince, and the enforcer.
Very easy to read, and super fast paced. I like the story I just wish there was more to it.
All the pieces were there but it needs more depth. Because this was very surface level I didn’t connect with the characters. It just needed more umph 😂
*Thank you to Alexis Calder for this gifted EARC in exchange for an honest review*
Taylan is part of the rebellion and agrees to pretend to be the princess so she can get revenge on the emperor, the prince, and the enforcer.
Very easy to read, and super fast paced. I like the story I just wish there was more to it.
All the pieces were there but it needs more depth. Because this was very surface level I didn’t connect with the characters. It just needed more umph 😂
*Thank you to Alexis Calder for this gifted EARC in exchange for an honest review*
January 21, 2026
Omg where do I even start!?
If you’re looking for:
- Female Spy
- Plot twist from the beginning
- High Stakes
- Touch her & d!e
- Slow burn
- Powers bestowed by gods
- Forbidden Romance
- Betrayal and Deception
Then This. Is. The. Book.
Our FMC Sabina has vengeance in her blood and the stakes are high as she takes on her role to fulfill her vengeance. I immediately loved her character from the beginning until about the middle where her decisions made me mad lol but she redeemed herself and man I CANNOT wait for the rest of this series!
Our MMC, the enforcer. Dark, grumpy brooding. We all love him. The tension between them was just chefs kiss.
Thank you to the author, Alexis Calder and her team for allowing me to be part of her Advance Readers! These are my own opinions and thought on the book! I loved every minute of it and I literally made myself slow down to continue enjoying this world!
If you’re looking for:
- Female Spy
- Plot twist from the beginning
- High Stakes
- Touch her & d!e
- Slow burn
- Powers bestowed by gods
- Forbidden Romance
- Betrayal and Deception
Then This. Is. The. Book.
Our FMC Sabina has vengeance in her blood and the stakes are high as she takes on her role to fulfill her vengeance. I immediately loved her character from the beginning until about the middle where her decisions made me mad lol but she redeemed herself and man I CANNOT wait for the rest of this series!
Our MMC, the enforcer. Dark, grumpy brooding. We all love him. The tension between them was just chefs kiss.
Thank you to the author, Alexis Calder and her team for allowing me to be part of her Advance Readers! These are my own opinions and thought on the book! I loved every minute of it and I literally made myself slow down to continue enjoying this world!
March 11, 2026
Alexis!!! That ending!! 🫠🫠 I need book 2!!!
Full review to come!
-------------
Thank you to Alexis for entrusting me with a beautiful early copy!
Silk & Iron by Alexis Calder
Romantasy
Slow burn, feminine rage, enemies to lovers, body guard, forced proximity, secret identity, sassy FMC sent to spy, arranged marriage, banter, rebellion, betrayal, political intrigue, prophecy, revenge, yearning and tension, love triangle, who did this to you, vampires/witches/fae
Taylan is talked into going undercover as a princess betrothed to the emperor's son. To find out how to kill the immortal emperor. An impossible task, but she is driven by revenge for her family. But what happens when there may be more to her assigned body guard and fake betrothed?
I was immediately enthralled with this story and absolutely devoured it! I enjoyed Taylan's sassiness and I definitely picked a team, but will avoid saying here to avoid swaying anyone. 😆 And the end!Alexissssss!! That cliffhanger! I'm a puddle. PUDDLE! I NEED book 2!!
Full review to come!
-------------
Thank you to Alexis for entrusting me with a beautiful early copy!
Silk & Iron by Alexis Calder
Romantasy
Slow burn, feminine rage, enemies to lovers, body guard, forced proximity, secret identity, sassy FMC sent to spy, arranged marriage, banter, rebellion, betrayal, political intrigue, prophecy, revenge, yearning and tension, love triangle, who did this to you, vampires/witches/fae
Taylan is talked into going undercover as a princess betrothed to the emperor's son. To find out how to kill the immortal emperor. An impossible task, but she is driven by revenge for her family. But what happens when there may be more to her assigned body guard and fake betrothed?
I was immediately enthralled with this story and absolutely devoured it! I enjoyed Taylan's sassiness and I definitely picked a team, but will avoid saying here to avoid swaying anyone. 😆 And the end!Alexissssss!! That cliffhanger! I'm a puddle. PUDDLE! I NEED book 2!!
January 28, 2026
Yep, this book is going on my top reads of 2026 list. 🙌🏻
I was immediately hooked and would have devoured this in one day if I had started it on a different day. The banter had me kicking my feet! The mystery had me questioning everyone and their motives! I laughed, I teared up, I swooned and ignored all my responsibilities. I even felt the outrage from the female injustices present in this story…like it actually had me gasping and wanting to clock characters in the face as much as the FMC. Talk about a badass! A woman’s woman! 💪 I loved her spirit!
No one’s intentions are immediately clear and you will drive yourself mad trying to figure out who to trust. The FMC did a hell of lot better conducting herself than I ever could in an insane situation like this! 😮💨
Excuse me while I go wipe the drool off my face after salivating for like 300 pages over a certain tousled haired Enforcer with wild powers and a soft spot for a certain Prince’s betrothed. When I tell you this slow burn was worth the wait…IT WAS THE WORTH THE WAIT! The tension was thhhhhiiiiiiccccck, like you could probably cut it with a knife. 🔥🔪 Too bad MMC #2 was also attractive, scary AF, possibly insane, and seems to enjoy violent things…. 😬 Not sure how they’re gonna get past that guy. He does call her “little raven” though, and that’s cute. 🥰
That ending just blew my goddamn mind! I was so far off base on so many things lol and I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or just impressed as hell! HOLY PLOT TWISTS! You GOT ME! 🙇🏻♀️ Gonna process a little more because of it! I shut my book and stared at the ceiling for a solid 15 minutes when a certain someone made his appearance. Evil incarnate, that one.
I was immediately hooked and would have devoured this in one day if I had started it on a different day. The banter had me kicking my feet! The mystery had me questioning everyone and their motives! I laughed, I teared up, I swooned and ignored all my responsibilities. I even felt the outrage from the female injustices present in this story…like it actually had me gasping and wanting to clock characters in the face as much as the FMC. Talk about a badass! A woman’s woman! 💪 I loved her spirit!
No one’s intentions are immediately clear and you will drive yourself mad trying to figure out who to trust. The FMC did a hell of lot better conducting herself than I ever could in an insane situation like this! 😮💨
Excuse me while I go wipe the drool off my face after salivating for like 300 pages over a certain tousled haired Enforcer with wild powers and a soft spot for a certain Prince’s betrothed. When I tell you this slow burn was worth the wait…IT WAS THE WORTH THE WAIT! The tension was thhhhhiiiiiiccccck, like you could probably cut it with a knife. 🔥🔪 Too bad MMC #2 was also attractive, scary AF, possibly insane, and seems to enjoy violent things…. 😬 Not sure how they’re gonna get past that guy. He does call her “little raven” though, and that’s cute. 🥰
That ending just blew my goddamn mind! I was so far off base on so many things lol and I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or just impressed as hell! HOLY PLOT TWISTS! You GOT ME! 🙇🏻♀️ Gonna process a little more because of it! I shut my book and stared at the ceiling for a solid 15 minutes when a certain someone made his appearance. Evil incarnate, that one.
February 7, 2026
This is the first book I have read from Alexis Calder, and while I had a couple things that didn't fully work for me, I will still be on the lookout for the next book in this series! 3.5 stars for me.
This is a slow-burn romantasy, where our FMC is pretending to be a royal in order to get close to, and eventually kill, the emperor, his son, and the enforcer who she believes is responsible for the death of her brothers.
I enjoyed Taylan (who is impersonating Princess Sabina) and I really enjoyed her growth in this, especially once she starts fighting back and standing up for herself. I enjoyed her friendships with her ladies, and of course the slow burn simmering friendship-turned-more with Brevan. The dialogue between the two of them was snappy, sharp, and fun to read. (I wish we had POV chapters from Brevan to know what was going on in his mind sometimes)
I think that there is an interesting world in this, and I would love to learn more and give it a bit more....grounding? In the next book. The importance of the relics, the emperor being immortal (how? Why?), their belief system (especially the gods), and history. It's like we are skimming the surface with this book, and I would love to go deeper. I also am not sure about having such modern words in a fantasy set book - ex-boyfriend, guys - that kinda throws me out of the story?
The last couple of chapters of this book are WILD! And I was shocked at how things played out. It's going to make for very interesting second book! I hope that since the next book will pick up where this one ends off, we can just go-go-go into the action!
I received a copy for an instagram book tour. My thoughts are my own.
This is a slow-burn romantasy, where our FMC is pretending to be a royal in order to get close to, and eventually kill, the emperor, his son, and the enforcer who she believes is responsible for the death of her brothers.
I enjoyed Taylan (who is impersonating Princess Sabina) and I really enjoyed her growth in this, especially once she starts fighting back and standing up for herself. I enjoyed her friendships with her ladies, and of course the slow burn simmering friendship-turned-more with Brevan. The dialogue between the two of them was snappy, sharp, and fun to read. (I wish we had POV chapters from Brevan to know what was going on in his mind sometimes)
I think that there is an interesting world in this, and I would love to learn more and give it a bit more....grounding? In the next book. The importance of the relics, the emperor being immortal (how? Why?), their belief system (especially the gods), and history. It's like we are skimming the surface with this book, and I would love to go deeper. I also am not sure about having such modern words in a fantasy set book - ex-boyfriend, guys - that kinda throws me out of the story?
The last couple of chapters of this book are WILD! And I was shocked at how things played out. It's going to make for very interesting second book! I hope that since the next book will pick up where this one ends off, we can just go-go-go into the action!
I received a copy for an instagram book tour. My thoughts are my own.
January 20, 2026
Currently Reading Review (eARC)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (so far)
Currently reading Silk & Iron and I am officially unwell in the best way. From page one, this book sinks its claws in and refuses to let go. The writing is sharp, immersive, and dangerously easy to fall into, the kind where you “accidentally” read way past your bedtime.
Even partway through, the atmosphere feels rich and intentional, and the characters already have their hooks in me. I’m savoring it, but also feral to see where this story goes. If it keeps this pace, I already know I’m going to be thinking about it long after the last page.
(Still reading, but fully obsessed.)
UPDATE:
ALEXIS. How very dare you. That ending has emotionally incapacitated me. I am not okay, I will not be okay, and I fear I may never recover. I closed the book and just sat there staring into the void because WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT’S WHERE IT ENDS?!
And the plot twist??? I genuinely feel betrayed in the best and worst way possible. Everything I thought I knew? A lie. Every theory I had? Obliterated. My brain is running a thousand miles a minute trying to connect dots that may or may not exist while my heart is in absolute shambles.
This book didn’t just end, it grabbed me by the throat, whispered “trust me,” and then shoved me off a cliff. I am unwell. I am feral. I am desperately awaiting answers because if this is how it’s going to be, I fear this series will actually ruin my life (said with love).
Five stars for the emotional damage. No notes. Just… WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (so far)
Currently reading Silk & Iron and I am officially unwell in the best way. From page one, this book sinks its claws in and refuses to let go. The writing is sharp, immersive, and dangerously easy to fall into, the kind where you “accidentally” read way past your bedtime.
Even partway through, the atmosphere feels rich and intentional, and the characters already have their hooks in me. I’m savoring it, but also feral to see where this story goes. If it keeps this pace, I already know I’m going to be thinking about it long after the last page.
(Still reading, but fully obsessed.)
UPDATE:
ALEXIS. How very dare you. That ending has emotionally incapacitated me. I am not okay, I will not be okay, and I fear I may never recover. I closed the book and just sat there staring into the void because WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT’S WHERE IT ENDS?!
And the plot twist??? I genuinely feel betrayed in the best and worst way possible. Everything I thought I knew? A lie. Every theory I had? Obliterated. My brain is running a thousand miles a minute trying to connect dots that may or may not exist while my heart is in absolute shambles.
This book didn’t just end, it grabbed me by the throat, whispered “trust me,” and then shoved me off a cliff. I am unwell. I am feral. I am desperately awaiting answers because if this is how it’s going to be, I fear this series will actually ruin my life (said with love).
Five stars for the emotional damage. No notes. Just… WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE.
January 20, 2026
I had the privilege to ARC read this, and I am so glad that I did! It was my first time reading anything by Alexis, but I’ve been wanting to forever.
Taylan is a peasant who has lost her entire family due to the Pendralian rule, and she is tasked with posing as the Iskavalian princess (Sabina) betrothed to the Pendralian Prince in order to get information on how to kill the royal family. In actuality, Sabina killed herself prior to being captured by the rebellion on the road to Pendralia.
What ensues is a complex game of “who can we trust” and “who am I, really” as Taylan/Sabina lives this double life behind the walls of the Pendralian castle. She runs into many challenges that test her allegiance and her ability to keep her cover lest she be taken to the dungeons (you’ll learn why she REALLY doesn’t want that while reading). She also may or may not be unequivocally drawn to the King’s enforcer, Brevan, who she has been told is the person responsible for killing her brothers. Their relationship is full of banter and a SLOOOOW BURN that had me wrapped around its finger.
Overall, I had a great time reading this romantasy. I am excited to continue the series and learn the depth of each character’s magical powers and to see what happens w my mans Brevan.
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- secret identity
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Taylan is a peasant who has lost her entire family due to the Pendralian rule, and she is tasked with posing as the Iskavalian princess (Sabina) betrothed to the Pendralian Prince in order to get information on how to kill the royal family. In actuality, Sabina killed herself prior to being captured by the rebellion on the road to Pendralia.
What ensues is a complex game of “who can we trust” and “who am I, really” as Taylan/Sabina lives this double life behind the walls of the Pendralian castle. She runs into many challenges that test her allegiance and her ability to keep her cover lest she be taken to the dungeons (you’ll learn why she REALLY doesn’t want that while reading). She also may or may not be unequivocally drawn to the King’s enforcer, Brevan, who she has been told is the person responsible for killing her brothers. Their relationship is full of banter and a SLOOOOW BURN that had me wrapped around its finger.
Overall, I had a great time reading this romantasy. I am excited to continue the series and learn the depth of each character’s magical powers and to see what happens w my mans Brevan.
- slow burn
- enemies to lovers
- secret identity
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely loved Alexis Calder’s Blood & Salt series, so the moment I saw the ARC application for Silk & Iron, I signed up immediately! And wow, this book did not disappoint.
What did I just read?! From the very first pages, the story throws you straight into chaos with a crazy twist that immediately lets you know you are going to be on the edge of your seat the whole time. The court intrigue and magic system are unique, dark, and dangerous✨️☠️👑. Add in a delicious touch her and die broody enforcer with slow burn forbidden romance🔥, and I was completely hooked.
The hidden identities and betrayals had me questioning everyone. Truly, trust NO ONE. I never felt settled the entire book, and I loved that. The character arcs were done so well that every reveal and shift in loyalty had my mind reeling. The ending was completely feral, I didn't expect any of that🤯!
If you like dark romantasy with morally gray characters everywhere, gods meddling where they shouldn’t, and a romance that burns so slow under layers of danger and deception, add Silk & Iron to your TBR immediately!
THANK YOU Alexis Calder for this ARC! I am so excited to start this series with you and cannot wait for the next installment!!
What did I just read?! From the very first pages, the story throws you straight into chaos with a crazy twist that immediately lets you know you are going to be on the edge of your seat the whole time. The court intrigue and magic system are unique, dark, and dangerous✨️☠️👑. Add in a delicious touch her and die broody enforcer with slow burn forbidden romance🔥, and I was completely hooked.
The hidden identities and betrayals had me questioning everyone. Truly, trust NO ONE. I never felt settled the entire book, and I loved that. The character arcs were done so well that every reveal and shift in loyalty had my mind reeling. The ending was completely feral, I didn't expect any of that🤯!
If you like dark romantasy with morally gray characters everywhere, gods meddling where they shouldn’t, and a romance that burns so slow under layers of danger and deception, add Silk & Iron to your TBR immediately!
THANK YOU Alexis Calder for this ARC! I am so excited to start this series with you and cannot wait for the next installment!!
February 5, 2026
This book completely blew me away.
The world that Alexis builds is amazing.
This book has everything love, friendship betrayal and no one is what they seem to be. Not to mention the interesting magic system.
Sabina is such a complex character. She is strong and very protective, but in the same time she shows her soft side. She is loyal and determined to get her revenge.
Brevan is quiet, broody and with great sense of justice. The yearning, the tension and the quiet possessiveness that this man had for Sabina was out of this world.
The slow burn was absolute perfection. I loved every single moment these two were in the same room.
That ending though 😱 the last 10% of the book literally had me at the edge of my seat. Can't wait for the next book 😍
Quotes:
✨️ I'm grateful he can't read my thoughts, because I'd probably do just about anything to see him happy.✨️
✨️He looks like a fairy king who belongs in an enchanted woodland, instead of a brooding legionnaire.If only we'd met under other circumstances.✨️
✨️If I were a better man, I'd walk away right now.
I don't want you to be a better man"✨️
The world that Alexis builds is amazing.
This book has everything love, friendship betrayal and no one is what they seem to be. Not to mention the interesting magic system.
Sabina is such a complex character. She is strong and very protective, but in the same time she shows her soft side. She is loyal and determined to get her revenge.
Brevan is quiet, broody and with great sense of justice. The yearning, the tension and the quiet possessiveness that this man had for Sabina was out of this world.
The slow burn was absolute perfection. I loved every single moment these two were in the same room.
That ending though 😱 the last 10% of the book literally had me at the edge of my seat. Can't wait for the next book 😍
Quotes:
✨️ I'm grateful he can't read my thoughts, because I'd probably do just about anything to see him happy.✨️
✨️He looks like a fairy king who belongs in an enchanted woodland, instead of a brooding legionnaire.If only we'd met under other circumstances.✨️
✨️If I were a better man, I'd walk away right now.
I don't want you to be a better man"✨️
January 20, 2026
Silk & Iron grabs you right away from the prologue and Alexis Calder does a great job pulling you in and holding your atttention from there. I was intrigued to know more and right out of the gate by the end of the first chapter a major secret is revealed that ups the stakes for our FMC Sabina and makes the story quite exciting.
I knew going in that there were two MMCs. Prince Caiden to whom Sabina is betrothed and the broody enforcer/Sabina’s guard Breven. Caiden is cruel and Breven is a burn it all down for her type. Though even by the end of the book I’m not completely sure about Caiden’s true intentions. Once so many secrets are revealed by the end I’m interested to see how the second book plays out. I was a little disappointed by how runshed the ending felt especially since it took so long to get the there. It was like this whole story happened and then a tornado of an ending. Regardless I liked it as a whole and I look forward to continuing the series.
A free copy of this book was provided by the author. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
I knew going in that there were two MMCs. Prince Caiden to whom Sabina is betrothed and the broody enforcer/Sabina’s guard Breven. Caiden is cruel and Breven is a burn it all down for her type. Though even by the end of the book I’m not completely sure about Caiden’s true intentions. Once so many secrets are revealed by the end I’m interested to see how the second book plays out. I was a little disappointed by how runshed the ending felt especially since it took so long to get the there. It was like this whole story happened and then a tornado of an ending. Regardless I liked it as a whole and I look forward to continuing the series.
A free copy of this book was provided by the author. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
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