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Played by the Piper #1
The Sweetest Fiend
Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26From the Sunday Times bestselling author of the Plated Prisoner series comes the first book in an alluring and addictive romantasy duology set in a world of fae and dark magic
--
It’s time to pay the Piper.
Our world cracked open like an egg. Power burst out, and with it, nine monstrous Banes ready to destroy everything. The powerful Core fae finally slayed them all, but each Bane left a Plague to punish us.
But that’s not the only thing they left behind.
I’m half Bane, half fae, and wholly hated. Survival means enduring every vicious glare and cursed outbreak. Until one day, a Plague descends upon my city that means certain death.
Then he comes. The Pied Piper.
He rids my city of the Plague, but it comes at a cost. One hundred and thirty people are taken as payment. Including me.
I don’t know what he’s going to do to us, but I know I have to get home. My family’s lives depend on it. But the Piper won’t let me go, and something wicked stirs between us. The sweet scent in my veins beckons him, while the seductive lure of his magic sinks under my skin.
I have to escape before it’s too late. Because if I don’t, it’s not just my heart at risk. . .
But the entire world.
Pied Piper reimagined. This dark fantasy is full of romance and secrets, with mature themes and explicit scenes only suitable for adults. This is book one of a duology.
--
It’s time to pay the Piper.
Our world cracked open like an egg. Power burst out, and with it, nine monstrous Banes ready to destroy everything. The powerful Core fae finally slayed them all, but each Bane left a Plague to punish us.
But that’s not the only thing they left behind.
I’m half Bane, half fae, and wholly hated. Survival means enduring every vicious glare and cursed outbreak. Until one day, a Plague descends upon my city that means certain death.
Then he comes. The Pied Piper.
He rids my city of the Plague, but it comes at a cost. One hundred and thirty people are taken as payment. Including me.
I don’t know what he’s going to do to us, but I know I have to get home. My family’s lives depend on it. But the Piper won’t let me go, and something wicked stirs between us. The sweet scent in my veins beckons him, while the seductive lure of his magic sinks under my skin.
I have to escape before it’s too late. Because if I don’t, it’s not just my heart at risk. . .
But the entire world.
Pied Piper reimagined. This dark fantasy is full of romance and secrets, with mature themes and explicit scenes only suitable for adults. This is book one of a duology.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 22, 2026
About the author
Raven Kennedy
45 books23.1k followersRAVEN KENNEDY is an international bestseller, whose love for books pushed her into creating her own worlds. The Plated Prisoner Series, a dark fantasy romance, has sold in over twenty countries. It became a New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Spiegel bestseller, hit #1 in the Amazon store, and has sold over six million copies worldwide.
Her newest book, The Sweetest Fiend, is the first of a duology and will be released in September 2026. You can connect with Raven on her social media, and visit her website for more info.
Her newest book, The Sweetest Fiend, is the first of a duology and will be released in September 2026. You can connect with Raven on her social media, and visit her website for more info.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
August 1, 2026
4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“You infuriate me, Piper.”
“You enrapture me, blight.”
Once again! Raven Kennedy delivers a unique loose reimagining in The Sweetest Fiend that lures you into its sinful melody and unfolds a decadent slowburn.
Set in a world marked by a devastating tragedy when terror ruptured from the earth and left its blight upon cities and their people, Esti is one of the many victims forced to carry the burden and shame of that terror—as she is a "Fiend", half-Fae and half-Bane, the living reminder that the monstrous Banes have not only left deadly plagues but also a tainted offspring.
Among the many cities tormented by plagues for years, Esti's city is faced with an even greater threat that is poised to bring nothing but further rot and ruin.
That is until a Pied Piper emerges and lulls the devastated city with his piercing music, and he ensnares its people, including Esti, within the eerie notes of his melody.
The question remains: is the Pied Piper meant to be an omen of salvation or damnation?
Reading through the perspective of a heroine forced to navigate a world that views her as an abomination and expects her to endure being treated as lesser, it just fills my heart with so much sorrow for Esti.
But even with fractured trust and living among a community that relentlessly rejects her and other Fiends, she remains remarkably resilient in the face of it all.
Raven excels at crafting unique lore and atmospheric world-building, the rot and ruin felt quite tangible to me. I can feel the dread and despair pound within every page.
As for the romance... it's a decadent yet scalding slowburn with tension stretched so taut it could have snapped and struck me.
Neither Esti nor the reader have any choice but surrender to the Piper's sinful allure and dangerous charm.
This is the first installment in a duology and I will be waiting with bated breath for the second one!
Thank you to HarperCollins/Avon Books for offering me an eARC in exchange for a review. Always grateful for such opportunity!
“You infuriate me, Piper.”
“You enrapture me, blight.”
Once again! Raven Kennedy delivers a unique loose reimagining in The Sweetest Fiend that lures you into its sinful melody and unfolds a decadent slowburn.
Set in a world marked by a devastating tragedy when terror ruptured from the earth and left its blight upon cities and their people, Esti is one of the many victims forced to carry the burden and shame of that terror—as she is a "Fiend", half-Fae and half-Bane, the living reminder that the monstrous Banes have not only left deadly plagues but also a tainted offspring.
Among the many cities tormented by plagues for years, Esti's city is faced with an even greater threat that is poised to bring nothing but further rot and ruin.
That is until a Pied Piper emerges and lulls the devastated city with his piercing music, and he ensnares its people, including Esti, within the eerie notes of his melody.
The question remains: is the Pied Piper meant to be an omen of salvation or damnation?
Reading through the perspective of a heroine forced to navigate a world that views her as an abomination and expects her to endure being treated as lesser, it just fills my heart with so much sorrow for Esti.
But even with fractured trust and living among a community that relentlessly rejects her and other Fiends, she remains remarkably resilient in the face of it all.
Raven excels at crafting unique lore and atmospheric world-building, the rot and ruin felt quite tangible to me. I can feel the dread and despair pound within every page.
As for the romance... it's a decadent yet scalding slowburn with tension stretched so taut it could have snapped and struck me.
Neither Esti nor the reader have any choice but surrender to the Piper's sinful allure and dangerous charm.
This is the first installment in a duology and I will be waiting with bated breath for the second one!
Thank you to HarperCollins/Avon Books for offering me an eARC in exchange for a review. Always grateful for such opportunity!
August 9, 2026
Thank you to Avon/Harper Collins for the ARC. I’m calling it, everyone is going to eat this up. This was refreshing. The magic system in this book is so unique and actually interesting which (in my opinion) is lacking in newer romantasy books. The world-building is a lot at times, but it’s not too dense and the lore is sprinkled throughout. It’s a lot more romance-forward than I was expecting, but I ended up having a lot of fun with it. I will NEVER see the Pied Piper the same again and I’m not mad about it at all. I enjoyed the ensemble of characters especially Aunt Lenna. I think it was adequately paced even if it is somehow equal parts insta-love and slow burn. The story itself is also great even though it ends on a brutal cliffhanger. The only thing that kept it from being 5 stars is the language used between the two main characters. It felt too modern and out of place which took me out of the story several times. Also, the one-liners were ridiculous. BUT DON’T WORRY, I CAN LOOK PAST IT. CAN’T WAIT FOR BOOK #2.
July 17, 2026
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝑷𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒓."
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕."
Have you ever wondered what would happen after a magical apocalyptic event? Well, get your bug zappers ready! And get ready to pay (your next book boyfriend) The Pied Piper!
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒊𝒑𝒆.” 😁🫣😂
The Sweetest Fiend by Raven Kennedy has been my most anticipated read of 2026 ever since it was first announced. I’m a huge fan of the Plated Prisoner series, and I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to get an eARC. (Thank you so much Raven Kennedy and Avon Books!)
I became engrossed and enamored with this world IMMEDIATELY. I love Raven Kennedy’s world building, and The Sweetest Fiend world is no exception. Without saying too much for spoilers I loved all of the characters, secrets, and plot twists and turns in this book (and that ending! 😮) - I can’t wait to find out what fate awaits Esti and the Piper in the next book.
For now, my biggest problem is which edition of The Sweetest Fiend I’ll choose to buy (or how many haha)!
🗯️So which edition are you buying of The Sweetest Fiend? Asking for a friend. 👀
Hell yeah. Raven Kennedy is back. Full review coming soon, but you’re going to want to add this one to your TBR!
Want to Read
May 30, 2026Love her writing! So looking forward to this new duology! 💞
Want to Read
February 20, 2026Wow, now that’s news — we’re really looking forward to it
July 12, 2026
I don’t know if I have the appropriate words to express my thoughts after finishing this book.
The ending just gutted me. I didn’t see any of that coming. I didn’t expect that to happen. I am not well.
I started this book in the midst of a horrible reading slump. Then, it took me a really long time to get through this book because the slump was weighing me down. I would just read a chapter or two at a time each day, slowly hitting 50% of the book. And then something just clicked at the second half of the book, and I read it all in one day. I don’t want to say it pulled me out of the slump, but it definitely drew me in to the point that I flew through the second half.
In terms of the romance, genuinely almost made me drop my star rating. To me, it felt very insta lust, and I was so scared we were going to fall into insta love territory. But ~certain events~ that take place at the end completely redeemed the romance for me. We definitely will be going in to book two with a new romance dynamic, and I know it’s going to be so good compared to book one. There wasn’t anything wrong with the romance by any means, it just didn’t quite match what I needed in my mood.
Now the plot is what is absolutely addicting in this book. Everything about it is so unique and unexpected. The story is so cool and not like anything I’ve read. Each time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was thrown through a loop. There’s two big twists that I really wasn’t expecting, one being at the end and one being around 50%. I really had a great time seeing the story unfold, learn more about the world, and see the dynamics between the characters play out.
Now back to the ending, wow. The ending cemented my desire to read book two. I was obviously going to read book two no matter what because it’s Raven Kennedy we’re talking about here, but the end left my jaw on the floor.
Some tropes in the story:
-captive x captor
-magical bonds
-hate to lust
-secret identities
-apocalyptic world
-forced proximity
Thank you so much to Avon Books for both a physical galley and an eARC of this book, and NetGalley for hosting the eARC, in exchange for an honest review.
The ending just gutted me. I didn’t see any of that coming. I didn’t expect that to happen. I am not well.
I started this book in the midst of a horrible reading slump. Then, it took me a really long time to get through this book because the slump was weighing me down. I would just read a chapter or two at a time each day, slowly hitting 50% of the book. And then something just clicked at the second half of the book, and I read it all in one day. I don’t want to say it pulled me out of the slump, but it definitely drew me in to the point that I flew through the second half.
In terms of the romance, genuinely almost made me drop my star rating. To me, it felt very insta lust, and I was so scared we were going to fall into insta love territory. But ~certain events~ that take place at the end completely redeemed the romance for me. We definitely will be going in to book two with a new romance dynamic, and I know it’s going to be so good compared to book one. There wasn’t anything wrong with the romance by any means, it just didn’t quite match what I needed in my mood.
Now the plot is what is absolutely addicting in this book. Everything about it is so unique and unexpected. The story is so cool and not like anything I’ve read. Each time I thought I knew where the story was going, I was thrown through a loop. There’s two big twists that I really wasn’t expecting, one being at the end and one being around 50%. I really had a great time seeing the story unfold, learn more about the world, and see the dynamics between the characters play out.
Now back to the ending, wow. The ending cemented my desire to read book two. I was obviously going to read book two no matter what because it’s Raven Kennedy we’re talking about here, but the end left my jaw on the floor.
Some tropes in the story:
-captive x captor
-magical bonds
-hate to lust
-secret identities
-apocalyptic world
-forced proximity
Thank you so much to Avon Books for both a physical galley and an eARC of this book, and NetGalley for hosting the eARC, in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 | 🌶️.5
(ARC review) | Release date: September 22nd, 2026 ✨
“Friend or foe. Fiend or fae.” 👀
we love a man who can both play pipe + lay pipe 😏🪈
Featuring:
🙋🏻♀️ Single POV
🖤 Incomplete dark romantasy
🪈 Pied Piper re-telling with a twist
🌎 World ridden with plagues
🪢 Group kidnapping
🗣️ Top tier banter
☄️ Forced proximity
⛓️ Captive x captor romance
🤯 Plot twist / cliffhanger ending
In terms of the romance/spice - low on the scale! open door later in the story. the romance though? so good! captor x captive, with banter actually made me LOL.
Overall, Raven Kennedy is BACK!
the pied piper but hot? absolutely incredible. Raven Kennedy has such a gift for putting a creative twist on a retelling. from the very prologue I was hooked. between the complex characters, the hilarious banter, the poetic writing, and the dark + gritty setting… it was just fantastic. THIS is the kind of story that’ll live rent free in my head for the foreseeable future.
would I recommend? 1000% yes! but review trigger warnings first!
will I be reading the next book in the series? for sure!! literally NEED to know what’s next!
TLDR; book 1 of an incomplete romantasy duology, based upon ‘The Pied Piper’. post-apocalyptic world, group kidnapping, and hilarious banter. would DEFINITELY recommend!
HUGE thank you to Avon + NetGalley for the eARC! all thoughts and opinions are my own ✨
Series Rating:
- The Sweetest Fiend: 4.5⭐️, 1.5🌶️
(ARC review) | Release date: September 22nd, 2026 ✨
“Friend or foe. Fiend or fae.” 👀
we love a man who can both play pipe + lay pipe 😏🪈
Featuring:
🙋🏻♀️ Single POV
🖤 Incomplete dark romantasy
🪈 Pied Piper re-telling with a twist
🌎 World ridden with plagues
🪢 Group kidnapping
🗣️ Top tier banter
☄️ Forced proximity
⛓️ Captive x captor romance
🤯 Plot twist / cliffhanger ending
In terms of the romance/spice - low on the scale! open door later in the story. the romance though? so good! captor x captive, with banter actually made me LOL.
Overall, Raven Kennedy is BACK!
the pied piper but hot? absolutely incredible. Raven Kennedy has such a gift for putting a creative twist on a retelling. from the very prologue I was hooked. between the complex characters, the hilarious banter, the poetic writing, and the dark + gritty setting… it was just fantastic. THIS is the kind of story that’ll live rent free in my head for the foreseeable future.
would I recommend? 1000% yes! but review trigger warnings first!
will I be reading the next book in the series? for sure!! literally NEED to know what’s next!
TLDR; book 1 of an incomplete romantasy duology, based upon ‘The Pied Piper’. post-apocalyptic world, group kidnapping, and hilarious banter. would DEFINITELY recommend!
HUGE thank you to Avon + NetGalley for the eARC! all thoughts and opinions are my own ✨
Series Rating:
- The Sweetest Fiend: 4.5⭐️, 1.5🌶️
July 25, 2026
If you going to focused more on romance than plot why don’t make romance better. To say this was disappointing to me would be understatement.
interested-in
May 5, 2026the cover? oh, i NEED it in my hands immediately
August 4, 2026
📚 ARC Review
Releasing 9/22/26
This was amazing! The banter was bantering. The tension was tense and that twist came out of nowhere. I loved every bit of it!
Releasing 9/22/26
This was amazing! The banter was bantering. The tension was tense and that twist came out of nowhere. I loved every bit of it!
August 5, 2026
This book was incredible. I’ve missed her writing so much. There was a lot of action, a lot of tension, a wholeeee lot of banter, and I loved every second of it. I really don’t think anyone else could make me so feral and foaming at the mouth for rat man like Raven Kennedy and her very impressive imagination lmao. And that plot twist at the end??! I can’t wait to see how the story unfolds in book 2 bc that was diabolical 😩
Thank you to Avon and the author for the arc 🖤
Thank you to Avon and the author for the arc 🖤
Want to Read
March 1, 2026This sounds AMAZING! I’m obsessed with Raven Kennedy’s writing and storytelling. I NEED this immediately!
July 16, 2026
Star Rating: 4 🌟
Spice Rating: 2.75 🥵🔥
Thank you so much Raven and Avon for this gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🪈Forced Proximity
❤️🔥Captor/Captive Romance
🪈”Who Hurt You?”
❤️🔥Only One Bed… and Horse… and Tent!
🪈So. Much. BANTER!
Oh Raven… YOU’VE DONE IT AGAIN 😩🫶🏼 YOU HAVE CREATED AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!! This book was such a highly anticipated release, as I loveeeedddd the Plated Prisoner series, so when an ARC copy of this showed up at my door… I IMMEDIATELY jumped into and devoured it in two days. I legitimately could not put it down!! And I do not say this lightly… but I think this one topped the plated prisoner for me 👀 like I thought this story was perfection from start to finish.
The gritty beginning really set a tone of the hardships that our FMC has faced all her life. It made us, as the reader, immediately root for her. And The Piper… omg immediately upon showing up their chemistry was out of control 🫦 their banter had me kicking my feet and needing to read the next chapter immediately (even tho I said just one more chapter 2 hours ago and ya girl needs sleep to survive) to see what happened next!! I couldn’t put this story down for the life of me 😩 now I have to wait for the second book and I am at a loss of what to do whilst I wait 😭 Raven if you need someone to read a early, early, EARLY copy of book two… I volunteer as tribute… cuz that ending 🤯
For more bookish content and reviews, please consider giving my bookstagram a follow💕
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
Spice Rating: 2.75 🥵🔥
Thank you so much Raven and Avon for this gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
🪈Forced Proximity
❤️🔥Captor/Captive Romance
🪈”Who Hurt You?”
❤️🔥Only One Bed… and Horse… and Tent!
🪈So. Much. BANTER!
Oh Raven… YOU’VE DONE IT AGAIN 😩🫶🏼 YOU HAVE CREATED AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE!! This book was such a highly anticipated release, as I loveeeedddd the Plated Prisoner series, so when an ARC copy of this showed up at my door… I IMMEDIATELY jumped into and devoured it in two days. I legitimately could not put it down!! And I do not say this lightly… but I think this one topped the plated prisoner for me 👀 like I thought this story was perfection from start to finish.
The gritty beginning really set a tone of the hardships that our FMC has faced all her life. It made us, as the reader, immediately root for her. And The Piper… omg immediately upon showing up their chemistry was out of control 🫦 their banter had me kicking my feet and needing to read the next chapter immediately (even tho I said just one more chapter 2 hours ago and ya girl needs sleep to survive) to see what happened next!! I couldn’t put this story down for the life of me 😩 now I have to wait for the second book and I am at a loss of what to do whilst I wait 😭 Raven if you need someone to read a early, early, EARLY copy of book two… I volunteer as tribute… cuz that ending 🤯
For more bookish content and reviews, please consider giving my bookstagram a follow💕
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
August 3, 2026
SIX STARS! Absolutely brilliant! Utterly consuming! I’m obsessed with the Rat Man!!
This book hooked me right from the prologue and never let me out of its clutches! I could NOT put it down! The world and how the Core fae got their powers was so unique. Then add to this the Pied Piper and the mystery surrounding him and why he is coming to collect and I was absolutely riveted!
The romance was sizzling! The push and pull between Varrik and Esti, his flirtatious and filthy comments, and their banter had me feral! I loved Varrik’s dominating personality and when he got territorial and jealous I was squealing! The wound care, the protectiveness, and the comfort scenes all had me swooning! I also loved Esti’s spunk and how she crawled under Varrik’s skin! Seriously, just absolutely amazing chemistry!!
And that freaking ending!! OMG! I did not see that coming at all! I’m praying the wait for book two is not long!
✨Captor/Captive
✨One horse/tent/bed
✨All the Banter!!!
✨Wound care
✨Forced proximity
All the thanks to Avon for the ARC!
This book hooked me right from the prologue and never let me out of its clutches! I could NOT put it down! The world and how the Core fae got their powers was so unique. Then add to this the Pied Piper and the mystery surrounding him and why he is coming to collect and I was absolutely riveted!
The romance was sizzling! The push and pull between Varrik and Esti, his flirtatious and filthy comments, and their banter had me feral! I loved Varrik’s dominating personality and when he got territorial and jealous I was squealing! The wound care, the protectiveness, and the comfort scenes all had me swooning! I also loved Esti’s spunk and how she crawled under Varrik’s skin! Seriously, just absolutely amazing chemistry!!
And that freaking ending!! OMG! I did not see that coming at all! I’m praying the wait for book two is not long!
✨Captor/Captive
✨One horse/tent/bed
✨All the Banter!!!
✨Wound care
✨Forced proximity
All the thanks to Avon for the ARC!
August 11, 2026
Unwell. Holy crap. Raven did it again. I ran out of annotation tabs and am staring at walls. She is the real posed piper in this! Luring me in and absolutely devoured this read in two days. Obsessed again! That cliffhanger destroyed me. I love the characters, the world building was so rich, the spice was off the charts and I need book 2 IMMEDIATELY to be ok again!
July 16, 2026
RAVEN ELIZABETH MARIE KENNEDY GET BACK HEREEEEEEEE RIGHT NOW ✋🏼😭
WHAT DO YOU MEANNNNNNNN!?????????????
my gods 😮💨 Raven Kennedy is truly such a talented author. the way she just launched us immediately into some fucked up shit so flawlessly 🤌🏼 and it never stops.
TSF just flowed so well and the banter? TOPPPPPP TIERRRRRRRR *chefs kiss* 🙂↕️
I am obsessed with the FMC 😍 gawd, I cannot wait for the next book 😮💨 she’s truly the definition of a bad ass in the making 😌 I love the way Raven writes these characters.
Now, the MMC? listen…..THE WAY I AM ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FERALLLLLLLLLLL FOR HIM! do you hear the cat in heat noises?? THATS ME 🥵
I am going to need every single edition of this series 😭
Thank you so much Avon & Harper Voyager, Netgalley & Raven Kennedy for the gifted earc 🫶🏼
WHAT DO YOU MEANNNNNNNN!?????????????
my gods 😮💨 Raven Kennedy is truly such a talented author. the way she just launched us immediately into some fucked up shit so flawlessly 🤌🏼 and it never stops.
TSF just flowed so well and the banter? TOPPPPPP TIERRRRRRRR *chefs kiss* 🙂↕️
I am obsessed with the FMC 😍 gawd, I cannot wait for the next book 😮💨 she’s truly the definition of a bad ass in the making 😌 I love the way Raven writes these characters.
Now, the MMC? listen…..THE WAY I AM ABSOLUTELY FUCKING FERALLLLLLLLLLL FOR HIM! do you hear the cat in heat noises?? THATS ME 🥵
I am going to need every single edition of this series 😭
Thank you so much Avon & Harper Voyager, Netgalley & Raven Kennedy for the gifted earc 🫶🏼
August 8, 2026
This is for the forced proximity, captor/captive lovers. Another wholly unique and interesting world from Raven! I was enraptured with this story from the prologue. It’s dark and filled with an overflowing amount of tension.
We start with the world cracking and molten lava coming through, destroying all the fae in its path except for the few it imbues with magic, making them what is now known as the Core Fae.
Meanwhile, in the future/present day of the story, human Burgs are being ravaged by a plethora of plagues, which is where we meet Esti, who works at her aunts paper mill. The description of the ravenous flies and the rats they’re dealing with is vivid and horrific. Without explaining how, The Piper comes through erasing the plague with his magic, taking a group of people back to his lands as payment for the debt of removing said plague from the city.
That’s where Esti’s desperation comes through, because while she’s a fiend, (born from evil Bane that came through the fissures) and hated by many for it, she has a loving (sick) mother and Aunt she’s dying to get back to….
The hate and heat between Esti and The Piper is delicious enough to eat! Piper’s an absolute a**hole and his expectation of Esti to blindly follow with zero questions is infuriating, but intriguing and a great setup for her unwillingness to back down + use the sharpest tongue she’s ever unleashed. It’s fascinating and does a great job building up the steam between the two.
While I loved diving into this new world and the banter + vitriol between the MCs kept me hooked, I did have a few hang ups that prevented 5 stars. I felt my interest slipping in the later half after some resolve between them took place. I didn’t love the term used for the specific bonding the Core Fae use to bolster their magic. BUT then Raven came through with a very twisty curvy cliffhanger that left me screaming! All I’ll say about that is book 2 is about to be verrrry interesting 👀
~Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC. All opinions within this review are my own.~
We start with the world cracking and molten lava coming through, destroying all the fae in its path except for the few it imbues with magic, making them what is now known as the Core Fae.
Meanwhile, in the future/present day of the story, human Burgs are being ravaged by a plethora of plagues, which is where we meet Esti, who works at her aunts paper mill. The description of the ravenous flies and the rats they’re dealing with is vivid and horrific. Without explaining how, The Piper comes through erasing the plague with his magic, taking a group of people back to his lands as payment for the debt of removing said plague from the city.
That’s where Esti’s desperation comes through, because while she’s a fiend, (born from evil Bane that came through the fissures) and hated by many for it, she has a loving (sick) mother and Aunt she’s dying to get back to….
The hate and heat between Esti and The Piper is delicious enough to eat! Piper’s an absolute a**hole and his expectation of Esti to blindly follow with zero questions is infuriating, but intriguing and a great setup for her unwillingness to back down + use the sharpest tongue she’s ever unleashed. It’s fascinating and does a great job building up the steam between the two.
While I loved diving into this new world and the banter + vitriol between the MCs kept me hooked, I did have a few hang ups that prevented 5 stars. I felt my interest slipping in the later half after some resolve between them took place. I didn’t love the term used for the specific bonding the Core Fae use to bolster their magic. BUT then Raven came through with a very twisty curvy cliffhanger that left me screaming! All I’ll say about that is book 2 is about to be verrrry interesting 👀
~Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC. All opinions within this review are my own.~
August 7, 2026
“𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙗 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙞𝙥𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙗 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙥𝙚.”
Hahahahaha the ending?!! You’re joking, right?? RIGHT? My eyes are leaking. I feel like I got punched in the gut. I feel BETRAYED. But anyway, 5 stars.
Raven Kennedy has done it again. This pied piper retelling was an absolute banger from start to finish. The banter, the chemistry, the tension, the betrayal. 👏🏻 I loved every single minute. Raven’s writing is truly incredible, I never once found myself bored. She had me giggling, screaming, and kicking my feet the whole way through.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙋𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙧.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.”
Estinya might seem like a shy and sweet fmc, but she can more than handle herself & she knew exactly how to put the Piper in his place. I really enjoyed Esti’s character — she cared so deeply for her family and always looked for the best in people.
Now Pipe Daddy … 😮💨. He had me from the very beginning!! I mean when this tall, dark, and handsome drink of water kidnaps our fmc, I. Was. Sat. While he kept his true character close to the chest, I looooved watching Esti realize how good he truly was & all he was doing to help save his people from the plagues.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.”
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
{what to expect}
🪈 fae and dark magic
🪈 forced proximity
🪈 captive romance
🪈 laugh out loud banter
🪈 who hurt you?”
🪈 only one bed…horse…tent
🪈 blood magic
🪈 piping *wink wink* hot tension
🪈 enemies to lovers
🪈 she takes care of him
🪈 betrayal
🪈 ends in a cliffy
Thank you so much Avon & Raven Kennedy for the gifted ARC! Pub date 9.22.26.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙞𝙥𝙚.”
Hahahahaha the ending?!! You’re joking, right?? RIGHT? My eyes are leaking. I feel like I got punched in the gut. I feel BETRAYED. But anyway, 5 stars.
Raven Kennedy has done it again. This pied piper retelling was an absolute banger from start to finish. The banter, the chemistry, the tension, the betrayal. 👏🏻 I loved every single minute. Raven’s writing is truly incredible, I never once found myself bored. She had me giggling, screaming, and kicking my feet the whole way through.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙋𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙧.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩.”
Estinya might seem like a shy and sweet fmc, but she can more than handle herself & she knew exactly how to put the Piper in his place. I really enjoyed Esti’s character — she cared so deeply for her family and always looked for the best in people.
Now Pipe Daddy … 😮💨. He had me from the very beginning!! I mean when this tall, dark, and handsome drink of water kidnaps our fmc, I. Was. Sat. While he kept his true character close to the chest, I looooved watching Esti realize how good he truly was & all he was doing to help save his people from the plagues.
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.”
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
{what to expect}
🪈 fae and dark magic
🪈 forced proximity
🪈 captive romance
🪈 laugh out loud banter
🪈 who hurt you?”
🪈 only one bed…horse…tent
🪈 blood magic
🪈 piping *wink wink* hot tension
🪈 enemies to lovers
🪈 she takes care of him
🪈 betrayal
🪈 ends in a cliffy
Thank you so much Avon & Raven Kennedy for the gifted ARC! Pub date 9.22.26.
August 2, 2026
I would read Raven Kennedy's grocery list if she published it, so getting an ARC of The Sweetest Fiend felt like such a gift.
As expected, Raven absolutely delivered. The world building was immersive, atmospheric, and wonderfully dark. Every page left me wanting to know more about the world and its secrets.
I also loved the main female character. She was compelling and also layered. The banter she had going on with the MMC was EVERYTHING. Raven has such a talent for creating characters who feel real while throwing them into impossible situations.
This book has all the elements I've come to expect from Raven: rich storytelling, strong pacing, and a world that stays stuck in your head.
Also..loved every single pipe joke.
I'll absolutely be back to continue this series. I already can't wait for the next book. Thank you so much to Raven Kennedy and Avon books for the ARC!
As expected, Raven absolutely delivered. The world building was immersive, atmospheric, and wonderfully dark. Every page left me wanting to know more about the world and its secrets.
I also loved the main female character. She was compelling and also layered. The banter she had going on with the MMC was EVERYTHING. Raven has such a talent for creating characters who feel real while throwing them into impossible situations.
This book has all the elements I've come to expect from Raven: rich storytelling, strong pacing, and a world that stays stuck in your head.
Also..loved every single pipe joke.
I'll absolutely be back to continue this series. I already can't wait for the next book. Thank you so much to Raven Kennedy and Avon books for the ARC!
July 29, 2026
I wanted to love this one so much but it fell short. By no means was this book bad, in fact I really loved the first part of it. The world building, all the plagues, the suffering. It was very interesting. I also really loved the romance at first, the banter really did crack me up. But sadly at one point things just moved WAY TOO fast. It didn’t feel like enemies to lovers at all, more so insta lust. The romance truly had so much potential!!
I honestly wanted more tension, more world building, and more depth to the story.
I’m also annoyed at the ending, but UGHHHHHHH CMONNNN
I will say I’m sure many others will love it, this just sadly wasn’t my fav and wasn’t for me!
I honestly wanted more tension, more world building, and more depth to the story.
I’m also annoyed at the ending, but UGHHHHHHH CMONNNN
I will say I’m sure many others will love it, this just sadly wasn’t my fav and wasn’t for me!
July 7, 2026
Went on a rollercoaster of feelings in this one. At first, I was gripped and curious. The world-building started out pretty solid. The history and lore of the magic were explained without feeling like an info dump. The tension was building nicely between the two love interests for the first 2/3 of the book. Then, somewhere around the last 3rd of this book, it fell off pretty hard for me. The world-building that had started just faded into the background; we didn’t really learn about the other core fae governs, we didn’t explore more than two territories (even in description), we didn’t explore the origins of the Banes or go into description about the Fates.
A lot of focus was pivoted to further the romance plotline, which is fine, but all the tension that had been built up between the characters in the first 2/3 of the book completely dissipated for me in the final portion of the novel. The FMC went from prisoner to princess in the blink of an eye. The Piper goes from cold and gruff to warm and endearing, also in the blink of an eye. The way the romance ended up developing was a little jarring.
If it didn’t contain a couple sex scenes, some f-bombs, and mention of the character’s ages, I wouldn’t have pegged this as an adult novel. It just didn’t really read like one.
Now, it is riddled with some great tropes, which is again, why I’ve been in a rollercoaster ride with this one. It contains:
💘One Bed
💘Forced Proximity
💘Snarky Banter
💘Magical Tethering
💘Who Hurt You?
But lastly, his pet name for her is Blight. And I mean, yes, it does make sense given the context of the story. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it looool.
I think I was just expecting something a little more fleshed out overall with this one. An enjoyable read for sure, but I’m undecided as to if I want to continue or not. Thanks to NetGalley for ARC access.
A lot of focus was pivoted to further the romance plotline, which is fine, but all the tension that had been built up between the characters in the first 2/3 of the book completely dissipated for me in the final portion of the novel. The FMC went from prisoner to princess in the blink of an eye. The Piper goes from cold and gruff to warm and endearing, also in the blink of an eye. The way the romance ended up developing was a little jarring.
If it didn’t contain a couple sex scenes, some f-bombs, and mention of the character’s ages, I wouldn’t have pegged this as an adult novel. It just didn’t really read like one.
Now, it is riddled with some great tropes, which is again, why I’ve been in a rollercoaster ride with this one. It contains:
💘One Bed
💘Forced Proximity
💘Snarky Banter
💘Magical Tethering
💘Who Hurt You?
But lastly, his pet name for her is Blight. And I mean, yes, it does make sense given the context of the story. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it looool.
I think I was just expecting something a little more fleshed out overall with this one. An enjoyable read for sure, but I’m undecided as to if I want to continue or not. Thanks to NetGalley for ARC access.
July 7, 2026
Who would have thought I’d be obsessed with the pied piper…. I was engrossed from the beginning. Secrets throughout. Cannot wait for the second part!
July 3, 2026
idk if we should have paid the piper or not
August 7, 2026
Thank you Avon for the gifted review copy!
Raven, girl. That ending. How was I supposed to fall asleep after that?!
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗴𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱.”
“𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲.”
The Sweetest Fiend created a fiend out of me. This story was fun to follow along with, pulling in lore that you already know and adding in worldbuilding that created a whole new compelling romantic fantasy.
“𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱–𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲–𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿… 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲.”
“𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲.”
I think this first book in the Played by the Piper series follows a similar romantic dynamic between the main characters as Quicksilver, so safe to say this book is going to be well loved by many readers (me included)! Both characters are stubborn and hold their own ground while fighting the allure that exists between them from the beginning. Because of this their banter (in the form of many insults) was HOT and, quite frankly, hilarious.
“𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿,”
“𝗠𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.”
“𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?”
“𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗲. 𝗔 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.”
The plot is equal romance (if not slightly more swayed this way) and “save the world,” and is the perfect recipe to have you wholeheartedly invested. The cliffhanger came. You could feel it coming. Yet it was completely unexpected on my end. I am already on edge for book 2 but also CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME THE AUDIO FOR THIS BOOK?! I can tell it is going to be GOOD.
“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁,”
“𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁?”
“𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆.”
“𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀.”
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲.”
Release Date: September 22, 2026
Pages: 480
Time to read: 5 days
Number of Highlights: 202
Raven, girl. That ending. How was I supposed to fall asleep after that?!
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗴𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱.”
“𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲.”
The Sweetest Fiend created a fiend out of me. This story was fun to follow along with, pulling in lore that you already know and adding in worldbuilding that created a whole new compelling romantic fantasy.
“𝗜’𝗺 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱–𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲–𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿… 𝗽𝗶𝗽𝗲.”
“𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗲.”
I think this first book in the Played by the Piper series follows a similar romantic dynamic between the main characters as Quicksilver, so safe to say this book is going to be well loved by many readers (me included)! Both characters are stubborn and hold their own ground while fighting the allure that exists between them from the beginning. Because of this their banter (in the form of many insults) was HOT and, quite frankly, hilarious.
“𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿,”
“𝗠𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.”
“𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?”
“𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗲. 𝗔 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.”
The plot is equal romance (if not slightly more swayed this way) and “save the world,” and is the perfect recipe to have you wholeheartedly invested. The cliffhanger came. You could feel it coming. Yet it was completely unexpected on my end. I am already on edge for book 2 but also CAN SOMEONE PLEASE GET ME THE AUDIO FOR THIS BOOK?! I can tell it is going to be GOOD.
“𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁,”
“𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁?”
“𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆.”
“𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀.”
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲.”
Release Date: September 22, 2026
Pages: 480
Time to read: 5 days
Number of Highlights: 202
July 26, 2026
Thank you Raven and Avon Books for this ARC!
4.5✨ This was a gooooood time. I already knew this was going to be amazing because I love Raven’s writing.
Do I know the lore behind the Pied Piper? Nope absolutely not but that didn’t even matter here.
The world that Raven has created is so unique compared to other romantasy stories. She’s the one with horns (and I think they’re adorable), he kidnaps like…a lot, rats, flies, poison, oh my! The world exploded and gave certain fae magic, fiends that shouldn’t exist, and plagues galore.
Our poor girl Esti will do ANYTHING for her family and when she loathes, she loathes hard. I can’t blame her at all for any of the stunts she (attempted?) to pull.
The Piper. This man. I swear I highlighted 90% of the words that came out of his mouth because I’m obsessed. Kicking my feet and giggling like a lunatic the entire time.
Qualms - I wouldn’t necessarily say insta love but it’s close, I love their banter but I do wish that would have dragged out a little more. Granted this is a duology so it makes sense in the grand scheme of things.
The plot twist might have felt slightly abrupt, again might make sense in the overall plot line but maybe some hints throughout would have helped. Or maybe there were and I just missed them. Very plausible.
Overall, this was a fun read and I was hooked from the beginning. Our MMC has the best quotes that you’ll highlight over and over again. Pumped to see what happens in book 2 after that ending!!
4.5✨ This was a gooooood time. I already knew this was going to be amazing because I love Raven’s writing.
Do I know the lore behind the Pied Piper? Nope absolutely not but that didn’t even matter here.
The world that Raven has created is so unique compared to other romantasy stories. She’s the one with horns (and I think they’re adorable), he kidnaps like…a lot, rats, flies, poison, oh my! The world exploded and gave certain fae magic, fiends that shouldn’t exist, and plagues galore.
Our poor girl Esti will do ANYTHING for her family and when she loathes, she loathes hard. I can’t blame her at all for any of the stunts she (attempted?) to pull.
The Piper. This man. I swear I highlighted 90% of the words that came out of his mouth because I’m obsessed. Kicking my feet and giggling like a lunatic the entire time.
Qualms - I wouldn’t necessarily say insta love but it’s close, I love their banter but I do wish that would have dragged out a little more. Granted this is a duology so it makes sense in the grand scheme of things.
The plot twist might have felt slightly abrupt, again might make sense in the overall plot line but maybe some hints throughout would have helped. Or maybe there were and I just missed them. Very plausible.
Overall, this was a fun read and I was hooked from the beginning. Our MMC has the best quotes that you’ll highlight over and over again. Pumped to see what happens in book 2 after that ending!!
August 6, 2026
Raven Kennedy has done it again. This was one of those books that completely pulled me into its world and refused to let go. Her writing is so immersive without ever feeling overly dense, making it incredibly easy to lose yourself in the story.
I absolutely loved the dark, plague-ridden world and the fresh take on the Pied Piper legend. It felt unique while still delivering all the atmosphere and tension I wanted. Every new revelation made me even more invested, and I never knew where the story was going next.
The Piper…wow. Consider a new book boyfriend officially unlocked. He’s mysterious, dangerous, frustrating, and completely impossible to look away from. The chemistry between him and Esti had me hooked from the beginning, and I’m so excited to see where their story goes next.
Esti was such a fantastic heroine. She’s resilient, compassionate, and grows so much throughout the story without ever losing the parts of herself that made me root for her from the start. Watching her navigate this brutal world was one of my favorite parts of the book.
And that ending…I never saw it coming. What an incredible twist. I closed the book wanting book two immediately. If you love dark fantasy worlds, unique magic, morally gray characters, unforgettable book boyfriends, and stories that keep surprising you, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
I think this is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Raven Kennedy has another hit on her hands.
I absolutely loved the dark, plague-ridden world and the fresh take on the Pied Piper legend. It felt unique while still delivering all the atmosphere and tension I wanted. Every new revelation made me even more invested, and I never knew where the story was going next.
The Piper…wow. Consider a new book boyfriend officially unlocked. He’s mysterious, dangerous, frustrating, and completely impossible to look away from. The chemistry between him and Esti had me hooked from the beginning, and I’m so excited to see where their story goes next.
Esti was such a fantastic heroine. She’s resilient, compassionate, and grows so much throughout the story without ever losing the parts of herself that made me root for her from the start. Watching her navigate this brutal world was one of my favorite parts of the book.
And that ending…I never saw it coming. What an incredible twist. I closed the book wanting book two immediately. If you love dark fantasy worlds, unique magic, morally gray characters, unforgettable book boyfriends, and stories that keep surprising you, this one is absolutely worth picking up.
I think this is easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Raven Kennedy has another hit on her hands.
July 17, 2026
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜.” “𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙫𝙚,”
Fates!!! This was AMAZING!! 6 stars obsessed. The BANTER?!?! It’s the best I’ve read. I burst out laughing so many times! I loved this story, no one puts twists on well known legends like Raven Kennedy.
Esti is such a lovable FMC, she has a smart mouth and an impulsive spirit and I’ll defend her with my life. The magic, the world, and the characters all have such a magical way of bringing you right into the story and make you forget everything around you.
Raven’s writing is beautiful and descriptive, I love the way she writes so poetically yet still delivers that feet kicking banter, and melting romance and spice. She is truly a master at her craft. I mean…come on…who else could go and make the Pied Piper hot as hell?
“𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚.”
The ending left me devastated and extremely unwell, I don’t know how I will survive until book 2. I guess I’ll just have to reread all of my Raven Kennedy books until then. *dramatic sigh*
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙩.
This book, Piper, and Esti, completely stole my heart. Thank you so so much to Avon and Raven Kennedy for the advanced copy!
Fates!!! This was AMAZING!! 6 stars obsessed. The BANTER?!?! It’s the best I’ve read. I burst out laughing so many times! I loved this story, no one puts twists on well known legends like Raven Kennedy.
Esti is such a lovable FMC, she has a smart mouth and an impulsive spirit and I’ll defend her with my life. The magic, the world, and the characters all have such a magical way of bringing you right into the story and make you forget everything around you.
Raven’s writing is beautiful and descriptive, I love the way she writes so poetically yet still delivers that feet kicking banter, and melting romance and spice. She is truly a master at her craft. I mean…come on…who else could go and make the Pied Piper hot as hell?
“𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙚.”
The ending left me devastated and extremely unwell, I don’t know how I will survive until book 2. I guess I’ll just have to reread all of my Raven Kennedy books until then. *dramatic sigh*
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙋𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩, 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙩.
This book, Piper, and Esti, completely stole my heart. Thank you so so much to Avon and Raven Kennedy for the advanced copy!
July 22, 2026
i’d give this book 10 stars if i could because it was seriously that good. i knew raven would knock it out of the park with this one bc she did with her previous series as well.
when i tell you i couldn’t put this book down, it was seriously one of my absolute favorite books this year so far. i loveddddd esti and the piper. esti was honestly so lovely and such a baddie. i loved how much she cared about her family and trying to make their lives better. her aunt was great and i was so sad about her mom throughout the book. i loved everything about esti and her gifts. the piper was quite lovely and i was obsessed with him from the moment he walked in. the dynamic between him and esti was perfect and i knew something wild was gonna play out. i loved the side characters as well and cannot get over that ending. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. i don’t know what to do with myself now that i’ve finished this book. definitely recommend reading and adding this one to your tbr bc you will not regret it. 10/10 absolutely amazing book!! thank you to the author and the publisher for the early copy!!
when i tell you i couldn’t put this book down, it was seriously one of my absolute favorite books this year so far. i loveddddd esti and the piper. esti was honestly so lovely and such a baddie. i loved how much she cared about her family and trying to make their lives better. her aunt was great and i was so sad about her mom throughout the book. i loved everything about esti and her gifts. the piper was quite lovely and i was obsessed with him from the moment he walked in. the dynamic between him and esti was perfect and i knew something wild was gonna play out. i loved the side characters as well and cannot get over that ending. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. i don’t know what to do with myself now that i’ve finished this book. definitely recommend reading and adding this one to your tbr bc you will not regret it. 10/10 absolutely amazing book!! thank you to the author and the publisher for the early copy!!
July 18, 2026
“Now try to lie again and say you aren’t drawn to me.”
🗣️THE PIED PIPERRRRR🗣️. Holy hell was this fun. A very unique story and one that had me in tears right at the beginning.
Esti 😭 My sweet girl, absolutely adore her character. I love that she finds her voice & goes toe-to-toe with the Piper.
The amount of forced proximity & banter in this book had me constantly foaming at the mouth. Speaking of mouths—the mouth on the Piper…you know what, it’s my own fault for knowing this would happen, I mean, we’ve already been blessed by Raven with Slade RAVINGERRRR.
Nice lil plot twist at the end that gave me terrible anxiety and will continue to have said anxiety until the next book. Everything is fine 🥲
🗣️THE PIED PIPERRRRR🗣️. Holy hell was this fun. A very unique story and one that had me in tears right at the beginning.
Esti 😭 My sweet girl, absolutely adore her character. I love that she finds her voice & goes toe-to-toe with the Piper.
The amount of forced proximity & banter in this book had me constantly foaming at the mouth. Speaking of mouths—the mouth on the Piper…you know what, it’s my own fault for knowing this would happen, I mean, we’ve already been blessed by Raven with Slade RAVINGERRRR.
Nice lil plot twist at the end that gave me terrible anxiety and will continue to have said anxiety until the next book. Everything is fine 🥲
August 9, 2026
This was my intro to Raven Kennedy and I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
I was kicking my little feet at all the one horse, one tent, one bed moments and ate them alllll up 🙂↕️
It’s also been a hot minute since I’ve read a truly morally grey MMC and I have missed it. Sir Pied Piper checked off all the mysterious dark and broody MMC vibes off ✔️
The banter between Esti and the Piper?! Loved!! She was so sassy towards him and I liveeeee for that dynamic 👏🏼
The only reason it was not a 5 star read was because I just didn’t vibe with all the plague vibes. I am a mood reader through and through and I thought it would be fine. So this was not a book problem it was a me problem.
I can’t wait to see what happens in book two after that cliffhanger 🥲
Thank you Avon for this early eARC
I was kicking my little feet at all the one horse, one tent, one bed moments and ate them alllll up 🙂↕️
It’s also been a hot minute since I’ve read a truly morally grey MMC and I have missed it. Sir Pied Piper checked off all the mysterious dark and broody MMC vibes off ✔️
The banter between Esti and the Piper?! Loved!! She was so sassy towards him and I liveeeee for that dynamic 👏🏼
The only reason it was not a 5 star read was because I just didn’t vibe with all the plague vibes. I am a mood reader through and through and I thought it would be fine. So this was not a book problem it was a me problem.
I can’t wait to see what happens in book two after that cliffhanger 🥲
Thank you Avon for this early eARC
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