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The Arcanum Order #1
The Bloodfire Oath
Not yet published
Expected 1 Dec 26Win a free print copy of this book!
1 day and 17:08:16
50 copies available
U.S. only
Magic takes more than blood. It demands your soul.
Under the iron fist of the Arcanum Order, magic belongs only to the elite. For Scythe Valethorne, survival isn’t enough. By day, she scrapes by in the city’s poorest district, by night she is an assassin to provide for her family. When one mission turns into a deadly gamble, Scythe risks everything to steal a place into the Arcana’s stronghold—the Guild.
But when Asher Kyrell, the Guild’s most enigmatic leader, chooses her as his apprentice, Scythe is pulled into a lethal game of power and deception. His red gaze pierces her lies, his touch threatens her control, and every lesson draws her deeper into his fire. Yet Asher keeps his own deadly secrets, and every spark she feels for him could burn her mission to ashes. For one glance too long could cost her everything, and one stolen kiss could destroy them both.
Through danger and desire, Scythe uncovers far more than she bargained for within the walls of the Guild; about herself, the other initiates, and the sinister fractures within the perfect Arcanum Order. Scythe must decide if her fate lies in enduring the regime—or breaking it. Because what if magic isn’t just gained… but is still born in the shadows, waiting to rise again?
Under the iron fist of the Arcanum Order, magic belongs only to the elite. For Scythe Valethorne, survival isn’t enough. By day, she scrapes by in the city’s poorest district, by night she is an assassin to provide for her family. When one mission turns into a deadly gamble, Scythe risks everything to steal a place into the Arcana’s stronghold—the Guild.
But when Asher Kyrell, the Guild’s most enigmatic leader, chooses her as his apprentice, Scythe is pulled into a lethal game of power and deception. His red gaze pierces her lies, his touch threatens her control, and every lesson draws her deeper into his fire. Yet Asher keeps his own deadly secrets, and every spark she feels for him could burn her mission to ashes. For one glance too long could cost her everything, and one stolen kiss could destroy them both.
Through danger and desire, Scythe uncovers far more than she bargained for within the walls of the Guild; about herself, the other initiates, and the sinister fractures within the perfect Arcanum Order. Scythe must decide if her fate lies in enduring the regime—or breaking it. Because what if magic isn’t just gained… but is still born in the shadows, waiting to rise again?
528 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication December 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
remind-me-once-out
March 9, 2026I saw the art for this, and so I'm here
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
soft DNF for me, because i just couldn’t understand FMC’s decisions. instead of simply giving that invitation back to the guy, she decides to get herself involved, then kills mage, signs a stolen document and ends up in prison.
and then she starts praying because she could almost orphaned sister and who would take care of her in the future… girl, maybe don’t create all these problems for yourself in the first place? 😭
i also struggled with ARC itself. it was barely edited and personally, it made book much harder to enjoy
unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me
maybe i’ll give it another chance and finish it once official kindle version is published
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for ARC.
and then she starts praying because she could almost orphaned sister and who would take care of her in the future… girl, maybe don’t create all these problems for yourself in the first place? 😭
i also struggled with ARC itself. it was barely edited and personally, it made book much harder to enjoy
unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me
maybe i’ll give it another chance and finish it once official kindle version is published
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sisterly love, forbidden romance, rebellion, betrayal and stolen magic - a recipe for a great read. After The Dark is Descending I was so hoping this would be good... And it is, with a few caveats.
An impulsive thief meets a (seemingly) upright mentor after she cheats her way into a magical academy... And her sister gets thrown to the sharks along with her. The Bloodfire Oath follows their journey: sacrifice, familial relationships and self-discovery - and it also has yearning. So much yearning. But forgotten and hidden truths can never stay under the radar for long, and ultimately they surface to create chaos.
One of the biggest issues for me was that the FMCs name gave the game away pretty early on - and another reveal at the end was also overtly trailed. In some ways knowing where it was going was a good thing - it created a suspense - but I would have preferred not to see the twists coming.
I received an ARC, and I really struggled with the language: grammatical mistakes, misuse of words, sentence structure and typos were there in abundance. I wouldn't mention it if it was here or there, but it was so common that it interrupted the flow - especially at the beginning. I would have DNF'd at 5% if I wasn't reading to review, and that would have been a real shame because I really enjoyed the story.
Overall, this was a great read, but it sorely needs another thorough edit.
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I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
An impulsive thief meets a (seemingly) upright mentor after she cheats her way into a magical academy... And her sister gets thrown to the sharks along with her. The Bloodfire Oath follows their journey: sacrifice, familial relationships and self-discovery - and it also has yearning. So much yearning. But forgotten and hidden truths can never stay under the radar for long, and ultimately they surface to create chaos.
One of the biggest issues for me was that the FMCs name gave the game away pretty early on - and another reveal at the end was also overtly trailed. In some ways knowing where it was going was a good thing - it created a suspense - but I would have preferred not to see the twists coming.
I received an ARC, and I really struggled with the language: grammatical mistakes, misuse of words, sentence structure and typos were there in abundance. I wouldn't mention it if it was here or there, but it was so common that it interrupted the flow - especially at the beginning. I would have DNF'd at 5% if I wasn't reading to review, and that would have been a real shame because I really enjoyed the story.
Overall, this was a great read, but it sorely needs another thorough edit.
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I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews