What do you think?
Rate this book
Magebound Courts #1
Bound to the Broken Crown
A prince cursed to destroy everything he touched. Until he touched her.
Isca never dreamed her gift for sensing emotions would draw the eyes of princes—let alone the Assembly of Mages. Brought to court under the guise of diplomacy, she quickly learns her secret soothe the beast raging under Prince Emrys’ skin and deliver his heir back to the Assembly to forge into a weapon. Refusal means her family’s ruin.
But Emrys is not the monster she expected. Yes, he’s volatile. Yes, he’s destructive and dangerous. Beneath the curse, she glimpses the man—giving, fiercely protective, and unbearably lonely.
To the Assembly, Isca is a tool. To Emrys, she’s a temptation he cannot afford. He pushes her away to protect her, even as his eyes betray the she is the only thing keeping him from drowning.
He could break her with a touch. She could bind him with a heartbeat. While their enemies scheme to use them as pawns, desire threatens to undo every wall they’ve built.
Together, she and Emrys could shatter the Assembly’s chains. But that would mean laying bare her betrayal—the one thing with the power to destroy both the man and the monster.
Bound to the Broken Crown is book 1 of the Magebound Courts Trilogy featuring a tormented cursed prince, the empathic mage sent to calm his inner beast, and their slow-burn romance. This book contains spicy content and graphic combat violence, Suitable for readers aged 18+
Isca never dreamed her gift for sensing emotions would draw the eyes of princes—let alone the Assembly of Mages. Brought to court under the guise of diplomacy, she quickly learns her secret soothe the beast raging under Prince Emrys’ skin and deliver his heir back to the Assembly to forge into a weapon. Refusal means her family’s ruin.
But Emrys is not the monster she expected. Yes, he’s volatile. Yes, he’s destructive and dangerous. Beneath the curse, she glimpses the man—giving, fiercely protective, and unbearably lonely.
To the Assembly, Isca is a tool. To Emrys, she’s a temptation he cannot afford. He pushes her away to protect her, even as his eyes betray the she is the only thing keeping him from drowning.
He could break her with a touch. She could bind him with a heartbeat. While their enemies scheme to use them as pawns, desire threatens to undo every wall they’ve built.
Together, she and Emrys could shatter the Assembly’s chains. But that would mean laying bare her betrayal—the one thing with the power to destroy both the man and the monster.
Bound to the Broken Crown is book 1 of the Magebound Courts Trilogy featuring a tormented cursed prince, the empathic mage sent to calm his inner beast, and their slow-burn romance. This book contains spicy content and graphic combat violence, Suitable for readers aged 18+
488 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 27, 2026
42 people are currently reading
613 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews
January 30, 2026
Thank you Astoria Hope for sending me an ARC of Bound to the Broken Crown! I was beyond excited to be invited to join the ARC team and receive an early copy of this book!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Bound to the Broken Crown is the first book in the Magebound Courts series, following Isca, an empathic mage living in a capital ruled by the Assembly. In this world, magic users are required to bind their power to the government, to be used at the Assembly’s discretion. Isca’s mother, who is also an empath, went to great lengths to hide her family’s true abilities, hoping to spare them from the Assembly’s cruelty.
That fragile protection shatters when Isca witnesses a brutal public execution and accidentally lets her magic slip, manipulating the emotions of those around her. The Assembly quickly takes notice and forces her to go undercover as a diplomat in a neighboring kingdom.
Once in the new kingdom, Isca realizes just how impossible her task is. One prince is warm, charming, and confident in his right to rule. The other is dark, feared across nations, and cursed by a monster that lives within him.
This story features dual narration, which I absolutely loved! Isca is the definition of an eldest daughter FMC: self-sacrificing, resilient, and quietly powerful. She carries the weight of her family on her shoulders, holding herself back so her siblings might flourish. Her empathic magic is beautifully done; she reads emotions and situations with incredible intuition, making her both compassionate and clever.
I annotated this book heavily, and most of my notes were in Emrys’s chapters. Astoria’s portrayal of his internal war of man versus monster was haunting and deeply emotional. His insecurities, self-loathing, and desperate yearning for connection broke my heart repeatedly.
The world-building was well-paced, the slow-burn romance was perfect, and the angst had me desperate for more!
Bound to the Broken Crown delivers everything I love: a strong eldest daughter FMC, a morally dark MMC with a literal monster inside him, political intrigue, forbidden romance, and magic that feels alive. If you enjoyed One Dark Window duology or the Daughter of No Worlds trilogy, you need to add this book to your TBR!
I also highly recommend reading the short prequel available on Astoria Hope’s website before starting the book. It provides helpful world-building and adds even more depth before diving into Isca’s story.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Bound to the Broken Crown is the first book in the Magebound Courts series, following Isca, an empathic mage living in a capital ruled by the Assembly. In this world, magic users are required to bind their power to the government, to be used at the Assembly’s discretion. Isca’s mother, who is also an empath, went to great lengths to hide her family’s true abilities, hoping to spare them from the Assembly’s cruelty.
That fragile protection shatters when Isca witnesses a brutal public execution and accidentally lets her magic slip, manipulating the emotions of those around her. The Assembly quickly takes notice and forces her to go undercover as a diplomat in a neighboring kingdom.
Once in the new kingdom, Isca realizes just how impossible her task is. One prince is warm, charming, and confident in his right to rule. The other is dark, feared across nations, and cursed by a monster that lives within him.
This story features dual narration, which I absolutely loved! Isca is the definition of an eldest daughter FMC: self-sacrificing, resilient, and quietly powerful. She carries the weight of her family on her shoulders, holding herself back so her siblings might flourish. Her empathic magic is beautifully done; she reads emotions and situations with incredible intuition, making her both compassionate and clever.
I annotated this book heavily, and most of my notes were in Emrys’s chapters. Astoria’s portrayal of his internal war of man versus monster was haunting and deeply emotional. His insecurities, self-loathing, and desperate yearning for connection broke my heart repeatedly.
The world-building was well-paced, the slow-burn romance was perfect, and the angst had me desperate for more!
Bound to the Broken Crown delivers everything I love: a strong eldest daughter FMC, a morally dark MMC with a literal monster inside him, political intrigue, forbidden romance, and magic that feels alive. If you enjoyed One Dark Window duology or the Daughter of No Worlds trilogy, you need to add this book to your TBR!
I also highly recommend reading the short prequel available on Astoria Hope’s website before starting the book. It provides helpful world-building and adds even more depth before diving into Isca’s story.
January 13, 2026
I received an eARC from the author through NetGalley and this is my honest review
- 🖤he's the dark twin, cursed
- his brother is the light twin 💛
- 👑 The twins share the crown as princes
- 🧙♀️she's an empath and a mage
- starts as a possible love triangle with the twins 🔺
- longing, tension, slow burn
- she's a 24 year old virgin still living with her parents
- he's been celibate for 10 years
- political manipulation and potential war
- Romance is the primary focus, plot in the background
- low, almost PG-13 level spice
If you are looking for a easy, predictable, tropey, standalone romance taking place in a fantasy world, this book is for you!
Overall, this is a 2.5 star read that I rounded up to 3 stars. There were several reasons why this was not 4-5 star read, with two main big ones which I will describe after I review what I liked.
What I liked:
- The MFC was the one keeping a secret AND the hurt from the secret was resolved in this book.
- I also liked that the golden brother knew his dark brother liked the MFC, but would never seek her out, so the golden brother manipulated his dark brother in order to get him to pursue her. We were not told that the golden prince kissed the MFC for this reason until the end, but this was NOT surprising in anyway.
- I was happy to see the MFC grow and move past her more passive approach with the MMC and become more assertively aggressive towards him. He was an aggressive, isolated, jerk and needed someone more pushy to get what they wanted from him. So, again, I was happy to see her get that strength and take what she wanted from him since he was so scared.
- When the MFC was frustrated and just wanted to be alone, she decided to be selfish and not listen to the MMC when he said she needed a guard for her safety. For some reason, she thought she knew better than the MMC and could protect herself. Surprise, she couldn't. She jeopardized everyone's safety, including herself and put the MMC back into a dark place. Immediately after, she was able to reflect and understand that she was acting selfishly. I appreciated this growth in her ability to reflect and change behavior. She also was able to reflect after she finally shared her secret and could understand her fault in that. Her maturity developed in this book.
- I also appreciated that the MMC was able to reflect back on his avoidant behavior and understand that this was an approach considered cowardly. It would have been more mature to have faced her in an honest and direct way.
- At first, the connection between the MMC and MFC was more because of their magic pulling each other together; however, as the story moved forward, they grow personally together. I appreciated this.
- As noted, the MFC starts to find her strength and grows in this book. She uses this strength to defy the Assembly that are evil jerks. I was delighted to see that happen.
My main two issues with this book:
- First, I just finished a six book series with four novella's, all of which were each very unique, full of depth, had complex and messy characters, and was really well written. I was not just given some superficial maybe moderately deep information about the characters, I was given and shown in-depth detail about each character and how they became the way they were, in addition to incredible depth to the plot and overall storyline, I was hooked for all six. Therefore, coming into this book, I was having a hard time with loving the characters and story because of how little depth there was. I would say that the most nuanced detail given was about the MFC. Don't get me wrong, there is some detail about the MMC and why he was dark and disturbed but, overall, the information about him AND his internal dialogue was repeated throughout the book and we were not given the contextual and nuanced details I was seeking. I was hoping for at least one chapter that showed us the suffering he was experiencing. We do get insight into the struggles he has with his low self-worth and not perceiving he was good enough for the MFC, but that is it. The MFC sees him on the ground in a fetal like position and she then understands that he suffers that severely each day, but we never get to understand that from his lens. When did this start? What did that look and feel like for him? I wanted more of this emotional and physical information, but we were really only given, repeatedly the same internal dialogue over and over again regarding his thoughts about her. I was even hoping for a flashback to when he absorbed the ring and became dark and cursed. What was that like for him? What changes did he experience? Why did he start isolating? What happened during and after he hurt people (not just his thoughts)?
I was also hoping for more context about the golden prince. He was more charismatic, yet carried a lot of guilt. I wanted more about him too.
- Second, there really wasn't anything to this book that felt different or stood out. I was excited about this story by the way it was proposed, but unfortunately it was just the same ole tropes with nothing extra added. I love some very basic tropes WITH the combination of a unique story, magic system, plot, and/or relationship, but I did not find that in this book. For example, the MFC is living with twin, prince brothers (brother and twin brother trope), one dark and one light, while of course she is keeping a secret. The brother she is attracted to is a brooding, closed off, self-loathing, dark jerk who puts up a wall to keep her at a distance because he believes he's not good enough for her. She's the stubborn, pushy, beauty all the men want and she's naturally good at everything (mediating, engineering, maps, strategy). They both cannot communicate, keep secrets about how they feel, make assumptions about each other, and someone else is interested in her but she isn't in him. There is push and pull. Eventually, they are honest with each other, they get together, a secret is shared, distance happens, and then forget the distance and they get back together. There were zero twists, turns, or surprises.
Other issues:
- Although the MFC was 24, she read like she was a 16-18 year old. The mouthing off, being ridiculed by her parents, and her having to remind herself she wasn't a child and was 24 was juvenile.
Further about this, one of my pet peeves in books is when a trope makes women, who are all about trying to survive, act in incredibly stupid ways that threaten their survival, all for a man. They "just can't help it" or "I don't know why I'm like this around him," when that behavior threatens their and their family's safety. This book at 8%, "By the gods, I'd said too much, but something about that man made me irrational. A powerful, rich mage like him could end me and my family for the small slight without facing consequences." So, she gets her behavior could get her and her family killed, but she just does it anyway for an unknown reason? Yet, we the readers have just been told about how much she sacrifices everyday to survive and how much she avoids the mages attention. But, this man, a powerful mage, just makes her sassy and defiant, and she's willing to comprise everything to talk back?! WOMEN ARE SMARTER THAN THIS. I wish women would not be written as unintelligent, impulsive, irrational people because of a man when they were JUST written as smart survivors!
- Don't get me wrong, I love a woman who mouths off, but I love it when she 1) does it strategically and is reading the room and/or 2) has the power or status backing her and/or 3) knows he won’t hurt her due to some pre-existing knowledge (likely going back to point 1).
I was happy to see the MFC’s internal dialogue at 16% start shifting into strategy on how to defy the evil group of mages because of how they are treating her. She was figuring out how to play the game, which I loved.
- Overall, this was a sloowwwwww paced book. I took a note that, at 45%, almost nothing had happened. The MFC was living with the princes, all the men wanted her (of course), she had made no progress in mediation, and that's about it. There was very little action at this point and the plot had barely moved forward. I started to skip paragraphs because I got really bored at nothing happening or the repeated internal dialogue.
- I was confused by the magic system and the world. These were both under explained. We get more explanation about the magic, but again not enough for me to feel like finished the book understanding it, which is an issue since this is a standalone.
- Another thing I was confused by was the MFC's reasons for not wanting the MMC. "I wasn't supposed to want him like this. I was supposed to think of the good of the realm, stability of Darreth, of getting back to my family as quickly as possible. " Why? Why would being with him not be for the good of the realm or creating stability for the people? She was the calm to his storm… That had been clearly established and emphasized multiple times by the author when the MFC was having these thoughts. She was helping him and making him better, which was helping the realm and their people. Yet, she's telling herself being with him wouldn't do that? This was the most confusing rational I have read in a long time in a book to justify keeping distance. Also, why would she need to get back to her family as soon as possible? They were very poor and she was another mouth to feed, and she was the oldest sibling and the only one unmarried besides the one minor child left in the home. Why wouldn't she get with a prince and have money to give to her family? I just didn't understand this in any capacity.
I will note: Although the MFC’s rationale for keeping distance in a romanic sense was confusing, the MMC's rationale for keeping distance was well justified and I could believe why he kept pushing her away- he was so dangerous and harmful, he didn't want to hurt one of the people he actually cared about and helped him.
- By the end, there were several plot holes left unanswered. Maybe the other standalone in this same world will address these.
- There was little banter and really only one action scene.
- 🖤he's the dark twin, cursed
- his brother is the light twin 💛
- 👑 The twins share the crown as princes
- 🧙♀️she's an empath and a mage
- starts as a possible love triangle with the twins 🔺
- longing, tension, slow burn
- she's a 24 year old virgin still living with her parents
- he's been celibate for 10 years
- political manipulation and potential war
- Romance is the primary focus, plot in the background
- low, almost PG-13 level spice
If you are looking for a easy, predictable, tropey, standalone romance taking place in a fantasy world, this book is for you!
Overall, this is a 2.5 star read that I rounded up to 3 stars. There were several reasons why this was not 4-5 star read, with two main big ones which I will describe after I review what I liked.
What I liked:
- The MFC was the one keeping a secret AND the hurt from the secret was resolved in this book.
- I also liked that the golden brother knew his dark brother liked the MFC, but would never seek her out, so the golden brother manipulated his dark brother in order to get him to pursue her. We were not told that the golden prince kissed the MFC for this reason until the end, but this was NOT surprising in anyway.
- I was happy to see the MFC grow and move past her more passive approach with the MMC and become more assertively aggressive towards him. He was an aggressive, isolated, jerk and needed someone more pushy to get what they wanted from him. So, again, I was happy to see her get that strength and take what she wanted from him since he was so scared.
- When the MFC was frustrated and just wanted to be alone, she decided to be selfish and not listen to the MMC when he said she needed a guard for her safety. For some reason, she thought she knew better than the MMC and could protect herself. Surprise, she couldn't. She jeopardized everyone's safety, including herself and put the MMC back into a dark place. Immediately after, she was able to reflect and understand that she was acting selfishly. I appreciated this growth in her ability to reflect and change behavior. She also was able to reflect after she finally shared her secret and could understand her fault in that. Her maturity developed in this book.
- I also appreciated that the MMC was able to reflect back on his avoidant behavior and understand that this was an approach considered cowardly. It would have been more mature to have faced her in an honest and direct way.
- At first, the connection between the MMC and MFC was more because of their magic pulling each other together; however, as the story moved forward, they grow personally together. I appreciated this.
- As noted, the MFC starts to find her strength and grows in this book. She uses this strength to defy the Assembly that are evil jerks. I was delighted to see that happen.
My main two issues with this book:
- First, I just finished a six book series with four novella's, all of which were each very unique, full of depth, had complex and messy characters, and was really well written. I was not just given some superficial maybe moderately deep information about the characters, I was given and shown in-depth detail about each character and how they became the way they were, in addition to incredible depth to the plot and overall storyline, I was hooked for all six. Therefore, coming into this book, I was having a hard time with loving the characters and story because of how little depth there was. I would say that the most nuanced detail given was about the MFC. Don't get me wrong, there is some detail about the MMC and why he was dark and disturbed but, overall, the information about him AND his internal dialogue was repeated throughout the book and we were not given the contextual and nuanced details I was seeking. I was hoping for at least one chapter that showed us the suffering he was experiencing. We do get insight into the struggles he has with his low self-worth and not perceiving he was good enough for the MFC, but that is it. The MFC sees him on the ground in a fetal like position and she then understands that he suffers that severely each day, but we never get to understand that from his lens. When did this start? What did that look and feel like for him? I wanted more of this emotional and physical information, but we were really only given, repeatedly the same internal dialogue over and over again regarding his thoughts about her. I was even hoping for a flashback to when he absorbed the ring and became dark and cursed. What was that like for him? What changes did he experience? Why did he start isolating? What happened during and after he hurt people (not just his thoughts)?
I was also hoping for more context about the golden prince. He was more charismatic, yet carried a lot of guilt. I wanted more about him too.
- Second, there really wasn't anything to this book that felt different or stood out. I was excited about this story by the way it was proposed, but unfortunately it was just the same ole tropes with nothing extra added. I love some very basic tropes WITH the combination of a unique story, magic system, plot, and/or relationship, but I did not find that in this book. For example, the MFC is living with twin, prince brothers (brother and twin brother trope), one dark and one light, while of course she is keeping a secret. The brother she is attracted to is a brooding, closed off, self-loathing, dark jerk who puts up a wall to keep her at a distance because he believes he's not good enough for her. She's the stubborn, pushy, beauty all the men want and she's naturally good at everything (mediating, engineering, maps, strategy). They both cannot communicate, keep secrets about how they feel, make assumptions about each other, and someone else is interested in her but she isn't in him. There is push and pull. Eventually, they are honest with each other, they get together, a secret is shared, distance happens, and then forget the distance and they get back together. There were zero twists, turns, or surprises.
Other issues:
- Although the MFC was 24, she read like she was a 16-18 year old. The mouthing off, being ridiculed by her parents, and her having to remind herself she wasn't a child and was 24 was juvenile.
Further about this, one of my pet peeves in books is when a trope makes women, who are all about trying to survive, act in incredibly stupid ways that threaten their survival, all for a man. They "just can't help it" or "I don't know why I'm like this around him," when that behavior threatens their and their family's safety. This book at 8%, "By the gods, I'd said too much, but something about that man made me irrational. A powerful, rich mage like him could end me and my family for the small slight without facing consequences." So, she gets her behavior could get her and her family killed, but she just does it anyway for an unknown reason? Yet, we the readers have just been told about how much she sacrifices everyday to survive and how much she avoids the mages attention. But, this man, a powerful mage, just makes her sassy and defiant, and she's willing to comprise everything to talk back?! WOMEN ARE SMARTER THAN THIS. I wish women would not be written as unintelligent, impulsive, irrational people because of a man when they were JUST written as smart survivors!
- Don't get me wrong, I love a woman who mouths off, but I love it when she 1) does it strategically and is reading the room and/or 2) has the power or status backing her and/or 3) knows he won’t hurt her due to some pre-existing knowledge (likely going back to point 1).
I was happy to see the MFC’s internal dialogue at 16% start shifting into strategy on how to defy the evil group of mages because of how they are treating her. She was figuring out how to play the game, which I loved.
- Overall, this was a sloowwwwww paced book. I took a note that, at 45%, almost nothing had happened. The MFC was living with the princes, all the men wanted her (of course), she had made no progress in mediation, and that's about it. There was very little action at this point and the plot had barely moved forward. I started to skip paragraphs because I got really bored at nothing happening or the repeated internal dialogue.
- I was confused by the magic system and the world. These were both under explained. We get more explanation about the magic, but again not enough for me to feel like finished the book understanding it, which is an issue since this is a standalone.
- Another thing I was confused by was the MFC's reasons for not wanting the MMC. "I wasn't supposed to want him like this. I was supposed to think of the good of the realm, stability of Darreth, of getting back to my family as quickly as possible. " Why? Why would being with him not be for the good of the realm or creating stability for the people? She was the calm to his storm… That had been clearly established and emphasized multiple times by the author when the MFC was having these thoughts. She was helping him and making him better, which was helping the realm and their people. Yet, she's telling herself being with him wouldn't do that? This was the most confusing rational I have read in a long time in a book to justify keeping distance. Also, why would she need to get back to her family as soon as possible? They were very poor and she was another mouth to feed, and she was the oldest sibling and the only one unmarried besides the one minor child left in the home. Why wouldn't she get with a prince and have money to give to her family? I just didn't understand this in any capacity.
I will note: Although the MFC’s rationale for keeping distance in a romanic sense was confusing, the MMC's rationale for keeping distance was well justified and I could believe why he kept pushing her away- he was so dangerous and harmful, he didn't want to hurt one of the people he actually cared about and helped him.
- By the end, there were several plot holes left unanswered. Maybe the other standalone in this same world will address these.
- There was little banter and really only one action scene.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ARC Review | Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Bound to the Broken Crown is a moody, emotionally driven fantasy that leans heavily into duty, restraint, and the quiet devastation of forbidden desire. The tension—political, emotional, and romantic—is what truly carries this story, creating an atmosphere that feels heavy in the best way.
One of my favorite aspects was the dual POV. Seeing the story unfold through both Isca and Emrys added depth and emotional balance, especially when so much of the conflict hinges on unspoken thoughts, withheld feelings, and impossible choices. Emrys’s perspective in particular added important nuance and made the emotional stakes feel more layered.
The world itself is intriguing, and while the magic system and the role of the Assembly are clearly central to the story, I found myself wanting more backstory and clarity around both. I also went in expecting more to be uncovered about Emrys’s strange curse. It’s clearly significant and teased in compelling ways, but I wanted deeper exploration and answers by the end, rather than just breadcrumbs.
The characters are flawed and compelling, often making frustrating but believable choices rooted in duty, fear, and obligation. The romance is a slow burn built on restraint and unresolved tension. The spice scenes were well written and emotionally charged, but ultimately left me wanting just a bit more—either in intensity or payoff—given the amount of buildup leading to them.
There were a few moments where the pacing dipped, but the emotional throughline remained strong throughout. Overall, this was an immersive and engaging read with a solid foundation, and I am very interested to see how the magic, the Assembly, and Emrys’s curse continue to unfold in future installments.
Tropes:
Empath x cursed prince
Touch-starved beast
One tent / one castle
Slow burn, high yearning
Grumpy x sunshine
Touch her and die
Favorite quotes:
“I want you on my tongue, Isca. Need to know if you’ll make me hide little sounds or if you’ll scream” -
“Men like him don’t bring salvation for women like me. only trouble” -
“I had finally found something worth staying alive for. Yet if fate demanded a life... i would walk willingly toward the ending i had once begged for --long before watching the light fade from her eyes.” -
“part of me feared his judgement, and another part feared just how much i wanted him to care.” -
“I’ve made peace with being the villain, Isca. But this is turning me into a beast.”
Thank you to the author for the ARC. I truly enjoyed this book and I am excited to see the payoff in book 2!
Bound to the Broken Crown is a moody, emotionally driven fantasy that leans heavily into duty, restraint, and the quiet devastation of forbidden desire. The tension—political, emotional, and romantic—is what truly carries this story, creating an atmosphere that feels heavy in the best way.
One of my favorite aspects was the dual POV. Seeing the story unfold through both Isca and Emrys added depth and emotional balance, especially when so much of the conflict hinges on unspoken thoughts, withheld feelings, and impossible choices. Emrys’s perspective in particular added important nuance and made the emotional stakes feel more layered.
The world itself is intriguing, and while the magic system and the role of the Assembly are clearly central to the story, I found myself wanting more backstory and clarity around both. I also went in expecting more to be uncovered about Emrys’s strange curse. It’s clearly significant and teased in compelling ways, but I wanted deeper exploration and answers by the end, rather than just breadcrumbs.
The characters are flawed and compelling, often making frustrating but believable choices rooted in duty, fear, and obligation. The romance is a slow burn built on restraint and unresolved tension. The spice scenes were well written and emotionally charged, but ultimately left me wanting just a bit more—either in intensity or payoff—given the amount of buildup leading to them.
There were a few moments where the pacing dipped, but the emotional throughline remained strong throughout. Overall, this was an immersive and engaging read with a solid foundation, and I am very interested to see how the magic, the Assembly, and Emrys’s curse continue to unfold in future installments.
Tropes:
Empath x cursed prince
Touch-starved beast
One tent / one castle
Slow burn, high yearning
Grumpy x sunshine
Touch her and die
Favorite quotes:
“I want you on my tongue, Isca. Need to know if you’ll make me hide little sounds or if you’ll scream” -
“Men like him don’t bring salvation for women like me. only trouble” -
“I had finally found something worth staying alive for. Yet if fate demanded a life... i would walk willingly toward the ending i had once begged for --long before watching the light fade from her eyes.” -
“part of me feared his judgement, and another part feared just how much i wanted him to care.” -
“I’ve made peace with being the villain, Isca. But this is turning me into a beast.”
Thank you to the author for the ARC. I truly enjoyed this book and I am excited to see the payoff in book 2!
Review of advance copy
I received an advance review copy for free, and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
In short:
I liked the concept, but the writing and development seemed better suited to younger audiences or readers new to the genre.
A strong point for me—and what initially caught my attention—was that the FMC leaned more toward a soft, gentle personality rather than the typical “badass” warrior with an equally combative attitude. However, over time I found her immature, and her personality didn’t feel consistent with her background story.
The beginning of the book managed to keep me captivated, and both MCs piqued my interest. As the story progressed, though, it felt like it didn’t really progress at all. There was very little character development; the characters felt shallow, the plot became uninteresting and somewhat repetitive, and the world-building was extremely vague.
That said, there were some great ideas here, and I’m curious to see future books from this author, as I believe she has a lot of potential.
In short:
I liked the concept, but the writing and development seemed better suited to younger audiences or readers new to the genre.
A strong point for me—and what initially caught my attention—was that the FMC leaned more toward a soft, gentle personality rather than the typical “badass” warrior with an equally combative attitude. However, over time I found her immature, and her personality didn’t feel consistent with her background story.
The beginning of the book managed to keep me captivated, and both MCs piqued my interest. As the story progressed, though, it felt like it didn’t really progress at all. There was very little character development; the characters felt shallow, the plot became uninteresting and somewhat repetitive, and the world-building was extremely vague.
That said, there were some great ideas here, and I’m curious to see future books from this author, as I believe she has a lot of potential.
February 9, 2026
3.7⭐️ rounded up
Much thanks to Astoria Hope for trusting me to be an ARC reader for this novel.
This was my first ARC read and I am more than pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed myself. The writing was wonderful, the story excellent, and the romance exactly what I enjoy. I wish I could have finished it sooner but I had some health issues that caused a delay of nearly a month while I was hospitalized.
Overall the book was very enjoyable. I love me a broody, morally grey, sullen and suffering man and Emrys was that in SPADES. He was by far my favorite aspect of the book, he was wonderfully written. The plot was interesting and the writing kept me very captivated even with the plot sitting heavily on political intrigue over swords and adventure.
My main issue was the lack of characters. Beyond the twins and Isca everyone else was very flat or completely non-existent. I wish we had background characters to learn to love beyond the very few names we were given. (I didn’t mind Catrin at first but she began to irritate me by the halfway point and felt more like a flat plot device rather than an actual character)
I also struggled with the lack of descriptions of characters. I still am vague on what Isca looks like. Truly the twins were about the only ones described in heavy detail.
I also felt the epilogue fell flat for me. It didn’t carry the same flow the rest of the novel did.
Despite all that I can’t wait to read the second book and have already purchased a hard copy of this one for my bookshelf.
Much thanks to Astoria Hope for trusting me to be an ARC reader for this novel.
This was my first ARC read and I am more than pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed myself. The writing was wonderful, the story excellent, and the romance exactly what I enjoy. I wish I could have finished it sooner but I had some health issues that caused a delay of nearly a month while I was hospitalized.
Overall the book was very enjoyable. I love me a broody, morally grey, sullen and suffering man and Emrys was that in SPADES. He was by far my favorite aspect of the book, he was wonderfully written. The plot was interesting and the writing kept me very captivated even with the plot sitting heavily on political intrigue over swords and adventure.
My main issue was the lack of characters. Beyond the twins and Isca everyone else was very flat or completely non-existent. I wish we had background characters to learn to love beyond the very few names we were given. (I didn’t mind Catrin at first but she began to irritate me by the halfway point and felt more like a flat plot device rather than an actual character)
I also struggled with the lack of descriptions of characters. I still am vague on what Isca looks like. Truly the twins were about the only ones described in heavy detail.
I also felt the epilogue fell flat for me. It didn’t carry the same flow the rest of the novel did.
Despite all that I can’t wait to read the second book and have already purchased a hard copy of this one for my bookshelf.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was given an ARC by the author. The opinions and thoughts on the book are my own.
This book had a grip on me from the first chapter. I couldn't put it down and ended up losing most of my sleep. This style of story for me goes in with the likes of Anne Bishop and Ilona Andrews as flawlessly written and something I will come back to again and again. It is not a light story or relaxing one but one that will hold you within its grasp wrenching your heart.
The details make you fall into the story and feel like you are in that world. I loved Emrys, he was the perfect tortured villain with his grumpy , standoffish behavior. Isca was something I could only ever hope to be with her grace and calm. The sorry was finished enough not to be a cliff hanger but open ended enough that I need to know what happens next and what character will be at the center.
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, touch her and die, political intrigue, slow burn, cursed prince
standalone series
This book had a grip on me from the first chapter. I couldn't put it down and ended up losing most of my sleep. This style of story for me goes in with the likes of Anne Bishop and Ilona Andrews as flawlessly written and something I will come back to again and again. It is not a light story or relaxing one but one that will hold you within its grasp wrenching your heart.
The details make you fall into the story and feel like you are in that world. I loved Emrys, he was the perfect tortured villain with his grumpy , standoffish behavior. Isca was something I could only ever hope to be with her grace and calm. The sorry was finished enough not to be a cliff hanger but open ended enough that I need to know what happens next and what character will be at the center.
Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, touch her and die, political intrigue, slow burn, cursed prince
standalone series
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGallery and Victoria Editing for this eARC
And of course Astoria Hope!
This review contains NO spoilers! And all that is said is my honest and non-biased opinion.
I am not going to give spoilers or massive details of what happens in this book. That would be silly and counterproductive!
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
What a beautifully written fantasy romance! The plot was executed perfectly. The writing was amazing and in time for the era.
I was hooked so quickly. It features a 2 point POV, FMC & MMC. Magic, gifts, mages, curses...
FMC - reserved..quiet..does everything she can for her family.. gets an ego boost/ confidence boost..hidden heroine.
MMC - Moody..broody..makes bad decisions for the right reasons..relinquishes control..Almost a beauty and beast/ jekyll and hyde vibe character.
The whole book is emotionally charged, and both main characters have flaws and hidden secrets, ultimately leading to a few wrong choices made, but for the right reasons on their part. This does feel like a love triangle, but do not mistake this as a why choose? This is more of a who and what to choose.
Bound to the broken crown is a slow burn with longing and yearning on both parts. He falls first from his actions, but she falls first in her words. It is an easy read that will hook you from beginning to end. The Spice 🌶 is there and spoken in detail at the time without the crudeness, it is almost refined and wrote with respect?
The plot is easy to follow and understand. It features political, duty, emotional, and magical foundations that continue to influence both main characters' choices.
I wish we could have had extracts of letters that were written and recieved, a sub POV of the beast would have propelled this book to be my all-time favourite book.
I still can't wait to see how all this plans out into the second book. Hopefully, we have a brand new, addictive, fantasy romance series that will fill my shelves 🤭!!
Again, thank you to NetGallery, Astonia Hope, and Victoria Editing. I do not have a major following or a massive social media followage, but I am privileged to have been given the trust and chance to review such an amazing book 📖
#NetGallery #fantasyromance #victoriaediting #Astoriahope
And of course Astoria Hope!
This review contains NO spoilers! And all that is said is my honest and non-biased opinion.
I am not going to give spoilers or massive details of what happens in this book. That would be silly and counterproductive!
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
Spice 🌶🌶🌶
What a beautifully written fantasy romance! The plot was executed perfectly. The writing was amazing and in time for the era.
I was hooked so quickly. It features a 2 point POV, FMC & MMC. Magic, gifts, mages, curses...
FMC - reserved..quiet..does everything she can for her family.. gets an ego boost/ confidence boost..hidden heroine.
MMC - Moody..broody..makes bad decisions for the right reasons..relinquishes control..Almost a beauty and beast/ jekyll and hyde vibe character.
The whole book is emotionally charged, and both main characters have flaws and hidden secrets, ultimately leading to a few wrong choices made, but for the right reasons on their part. This does feel like a love triangle, but do not mistake this as a why choose? This is more of a who and what to choose.
Bound to the broken crown is a slow burn with longing and yearning on both parts. He falls first from his actions, but she falls first in her words. It is an easy read that will hook you from beginning to end. The Spice 🌶 is there and spoken in detail at the time without the crudeness, it is almost refined and wrote with respect?
The plot is easy to follow and understand. It features political, duty, emotional, and magical foundations that continue to influence both main characters' choices.
I wish we could have had extracts of letters that were written and recieved, a sub POV of the beast would have propelled this book to be my all-time favourite book.
I still can't wait to see how all this plans out into the second book. Hopefully, we have a brand new, addictive, fantasy romance series that will fill my shelves 🤭!!
Again, thank you to NetGallery, Astonia Hope, and Victoria Editing. I do not have a major following or a massive social media followage, but I am privileged to have been given the trust and chance to review such an amazing book 📖
#NetGallery #fantasyromance #victoriaediting #Astoriahope
January 14, 2026
I finished Bound to the Broken Crown completely obsessed and honestly just really happy. The ending felt full and satisfying without relying on a cliffhanger, which I appreciated so much.
I loved Emrys and Isca. Their relationship was soft, emotional, and built on trust and understanding. Isca loving Emrys exactly as he is including the parts of him that feel like a monster and wanting to help guide him instead of fix him was everything to me. Their love felt gentle but powerful.
One of my favorite things about this book is the FMC. Her strength isn’t about fighting or power or being the deadliest person in the room, it’s her kindness and empathy. That is her greatest strength, and it meant a lot to read a romantasy where compassion is treated as something powerful instead of weak.
This is a true slow burn, which I loved. It was frustrating in the best way, you know what’s coming and you just have to wait for it. The spice was the perfect amount: meaningful, emotional, and never overdone. I never felt the urge to skim.
The world building and magic system were easy to follow, and the story itself was very readable. I laughed, I cried, and I had multiple moments that just hit emotionally. Overall, this book gave me hope, warmth, and all the good inside feelings.
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves romantasy, slow burns, emotional connection, and soft but powerful love stories. It feels like it could be part of a series, but it also works beautifully as a standalone, which is honestly rare in this genre.
I loved Emrys and Isca. Their relationship was soft, emotional, and built on trust and understanding. Isca loving Emrys exactly as he is including the parts of him that feel like a monster and wanting to help guide him instead of fix him was everything to me. Their love felt gentle but powerful.
One of my favorite things about this book is the FMC. Her strength isn’t about fighting or power or being the deadliest person in the room, it’s her kindness and empathy. That is her greatest strength, and it meant a lot to read a romantasy where compassion is treated as something powerful instead of weak.
This is a true slow burn, which I loved. It was frustrating in the best way, you know what’s coming and you just have to wait for it. The spice was the perfect amount: meaningful, emotional, and never overdone. I never felt the urge to skim.
The world building and magic system were easy to follow, and the story itself was very readable. I laughed, I cried, and I had multiple moments that just hit emotionally. Overall, this book gave me hope, warmth, and all the good inside feelings.
I’d recommend this to anyone who loves romantasy, slow burns, emotional connection, and soft but powerful love stories. It feels like it could be part of a series, but it also works beautifully as a standalone, which is honestly rare in this genre.
January 18, 2026
ARC Review
First of all, Thank you to Astoria Hope for allowing me to be an ARC reader. I LOVED it!!!
The characters are well written and relatable and the book was hard to put down!
Synopsis below.
In this slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy, Isca—a lowly mage with the dangerous gift of empathy—is sent far beyond her station to the fractured kingdom of Darreth. Tasked by the Mage Assembly to serve as a neutral diplomat, she must aid twin princes Emrys and Nissien as they navigate a volatile succession that could save—or shatter—the realm.
But court politics are treacherous, emotions are never truly neutral, and Isca’s magic makes her feel everything—especially what the princes try to hide.
As alliances shift and tension simmers, Isca struggles to balance duty with desire, protect her family from the fallout of royal decisions, and trust instincts that may cost her everything. With yearning glances, sharp wit, and secrets lurking beneath the crown, the truth behind Darreth’s future threatens to unravel far more than the throne.
First of all, Thank you to Astoria Hope for allowing me to be an ARC reader. I LOVED it!!!
The characters are well written and relatable and the book was hard to put down!
Synopsis below.
In this slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy, Isca—a lowly mage with the dangerous gift of empathy—is sent far beyond her station to the fractured kingdom of Darreth. Tasked by the Mage Assembly to serve as a neutral diplomat, she must aid twin princes Emrys and Nissien as they navigate a volatile succession that could save—or shatter—the realm.
But court politics are treacherous, emotions are never truly neutral, and Isca’s magic makes her feel everything—especially what the princes try to hide.
As alliances shift and tension simmers, Isca struggles to balance duty with desire, protect her family from the fallout of royal decisions, and trust instincts that may cost her everything. With yearning glances, sharp wit, and secrets lurking beneath the crown, the truth behind Darreth’s future threatens to unravel far more than the throne.
January 7, 2026
I was lucky to receive an eARC through NetGalley from the author and Victory Editing. All opinions in this review are my honest opinion.
“Bound to the Broken Crown” is a dark fantasy romance by Astoria Hope. It is the first of a series of interconnected standalones. Centred around twin princes Emrys and Nisien. Emrys is the dark prince, who is cursed by an unknown ancient power, and Nisien is the golden one, being very charismatic and liked by all.
The MFC, Isca, is a common born girl from a town far away from the princes. She is gentle and kind yet full of sass and determination. She is the perfect opposite and balance to Emrys.
This is definitely a slow burn dark romance. The first few chapters I found a little long and not grasping my attention, but at about 15% into the book I was hooked. For this storyline the slow romance was perfect. Emrys has been hardened and hurt by years of being cursed and struggling internally with all it has brought his way, so he is not the type of person to fall in love fast or easily.
This is a 4.5⭐️ read that I rounded up to 5 ⭐️.The only thing setting it apart from being a full 5 star read is that we don’t get as much storyline/ world building to help us understand the worlds and characters or their backgrounds. I feel that with a little more understanding it would have been the complete package.
I highly recommend reading this book when it is released January 27,2026 and I cannot wait to read the next book when it is released as well!
“Bound to the Broken Crown” is a dark fantasy romance by Astoria Hope. It is the first of a series of interconnected standalones. Centred around twin princes Emrys and Nisien. Emrys is the dark prince, who is cursed by an unknown ancient power, and Nisien is the golden one, being very charismatic and liked by all.
The MFC, Isca, is a common born girl from a town far away from the princes. She is gentle and kind yet full of sass and determination. She is the perfect opposite and balance to Emrys.
This is definitely a slow burn dark romance. The first few chapters I found a little long and not grasping my attention, but at about 15% into the book I was hooked. For this storyline the slow romance was perfect. Emrys has been hardened and hurt by years of being cursed and struggling internally with all it has brought his way, so he is not the type of person to fall in love fast or easily.
This is a 4.5⭐️ read that I rounded up to 5 ⭐️.The only thing setting it apart from being a full 5 star read is that we don’t get as much storyline/ world building to help us understand the worlds and characters or their backgrounds. I feel that with a little more understanding it would have been the complete package.
I highly recommend reading this book when it is released January 27,2026 and I cannot wait to read the next book when it is released as well!
January 28, 2026
Soft FMC and cursed MMC ?
Slow burn ?
Political intrigues ?
Interconnected standalones ?
SIGN ME UP !
Thank you so much for the ARC ❤️
This book was beautiful ! Full of yearning and tension and emotions
Isca is an empath, a poor woman who finds herself in the role of a diplomat against her will
She will meet Emrys, a cursed prince who wallow in despair and misery because of a beast inside of him difficult for him to control
But Isca is maybe not a warrior, she is smarter than anyone could think ! Her deep understanding of humans and their emotions makes her the perfect diplomat
This book was an hymn to the beauty of emotional intelligence. I really really recommend it !!!! And I am veeeery eager to read the other stories !!!
Slow burn ?
Political intrigues ?
Interconnected standalones ?
SIGN ME UP !
Thank you so much for the ARC ❤️
This book was beautiful ! Full of yearning and tension and emotions
Isca is an empath, a poor woman who finds herself in the role of a diplomat against her will
She will meet Emrys, a cursed prince who wallow in despair and misery because of a beast inside of him difficult for him to control
But Isca is maybe not a warrior, she is smarter than anyone could think ! Her deep understanding of humans and their emotions makes her the perfect diplomat
This book was an hymn to the beauty of emotional intelligence. I really really recommend it !!!! And I am veeeery eager to read the other stories !!!
January 31, 2026
Slow burn to the core. Delicately playing between the dance that is Isca, Emrys, and Nisien. A dalliance of the ages.
Very much a character drama. Isca is sent by the Assembly of Mages from Caervorn to press her will, her magic of emotion upon the princes of Darreth. Her intention, peace. The Assembly, control.
She often feels like a mother scolding children. A constant tug and pull of petulant men, unruly behaviors, and her duty to her own home and family. Pulling herself into poise and restraint. Asserting authority she shouldn't hold.
A love triangle tangled in the affairs of politics. I felt the story wistfully took its time before coming into itself. Building the characters personalities before taking action near the end for all to come together happily.
Sweet and endearing, I would recommend to those looking for a low fantasy where time to read is had to enjoy the emotional journey with a strong politically led female and brutish love interest.
Very much a character drama. Isca is sent by the Assembly of Mages from Caervorn to press her will, her magic of emotion upon the princes of Darreth. Her intention, peace. The Assembly, control.
She often feels like a mother scolding children. A constant tug and pull of petulant men, unruly behaviors, and her duty to her own home and family. Pulling herself into poise and restraint. Asserting authority she shouldn't hold.
A love triangle tangled in the affairs of politics. I felt the story wistfully took its time before coming into itself. Building the characters personalities before taking action near the end for all to come together happily.
Sweet and endearing, I would recommend to those looking for a low fantasy where time to read is had to enjoy the emotional journey with a strong politically led female and brutish love interest.
January 27, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bound to the Broken Crown — Astoria Hope
Thank you to Astoria Hope for providing me with an ARC of Bound to the Broken Crown — all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was an easy 5-star read for me, emotionally rich, character-driven, and quietly powerful.
The story follows Isca, an empath mage living under the rule of the Assembly, a governing body that binds powerful mages and uses them as political tools rather than treating them as people. After years of hiding the true extent of her abilities, Isca’s carefully constructed life unravels when an accident exposes her power. Forced into the Assembly’s service, she is sent to the realm of Darreth as a diplomat, where political tension, royal intrigue, and dangerous truths await, along with Emrys, a prince far more complex than he initially appears.
The story carries strong Beauty and the Beast vibes: a cursed MMC with a “beast” living inside him, and a gentle yet resilient FMC who is the only person capable of reaching him — not through force, but through empathy, patience, and emotional intelligence.
Isca is a standout FMC. She’s resilient, intelligent, emotionally perceptive, and strong in ways that aren’t about fighting with swords. Everything she does is rooted in care, for people, for balance, and for doing what little good she can in a system designed to strip her of agency. Thrust from the margins of society straight into the heart of the court, she must quickly learn how to act, speak, and navigate political spaces she was never meant to occupy. Rather than reinventing herself, we watch her grow into her full capabilities, strengths that were always there, waiting for the opportunity to be realized. Her intuition sharpens, her confidence grows, and her intelligence becomes her greatest weapon.
What I particularly loved is how this book challenges the idea of what a female protagonist must look like. Isca is described as a soft FMC, and we’re so used to strength being portrayed as physical dominance, combat training, or emotional hardness that we sometimes forget how powerful softness can be. She shows us that there is strength in empathy, in restraint, and in choosing kindness even when the world has been unkind. Her strength does not replace traditionally powerful traits, it exists alongside them, quietly shaping her choices and impact. There is power in her softness, in the quiet resilience of someone who continues to care and act with compassion even after life has been relentlessly hard.
Emrys, the MMC, is a cursed, touch-starved warrior who has long abandoned the idea of being worthy of redemption or connection. He is closed off, burdened, and deeply scarred by his past actions and loss of control, which makes his emotional arc compelling. One of the most interesting dynamics in the book is tied to Isca’s empathic magic: she can read and project emotions, except when it comes to Emrys. He is so guarded that her magic cannot reach him, forcing her to rely on observation, intuition, and subtle cues like any ordinary person would. This contrast is beautifully explored through the dual POV, allowing us to see how much each character withholds and how unspoken truths and misunderstandings shape their evolving relationship.
The romance is a true slow burn, filled with mutual yearning and restraint. While the spice is minimal, it is well written, organic, and perfectly timed, enhancing the story rather than feeling like filler. Every emotional beat feels earned and flows naturally from the evolution of their connection.
While this book tells a satisfying story, it deliberately leaves many questions unanswered, particularly surrounding the curse and the wider world. Rather than feeling unfinished, it creates space for deeper exploration, and I’m genuinely excited to see where the story heads next and to uncover more about the curse and its origins.
Overall, Bound to the Broken Crown is an emotionally rich fantasy romance that balances politics, magic, character growth, and romance beautifully. If you love slow burns, court intrigue, cursed MMCs, emotionally intelligent FMCs, dual POVs, and nuanced, character-driven fantasy, this book is absolutely worth picking up, and I’ll be eagerly waiting to continue this journey.
Bound to the Broken Crown — Astoria Hope
Thank you to Astoria Hope for providing me with an ARC of Bound to the Broken Crown — all thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was an easy 5-star read for me, emotionally rich, character-driven, and quietly powerful.
The story follows Isca, an empath mage living under the rule of the Assembly, a governing body that binds powerful mages and uses them as political tools rather than treating them as people. After years of hiding the true extent of her abilities, Isca’s carefully constructed life unravels when an accident exposes her power. Forced into the Assembly’s service, she is sent to the realm of Darreth as a diplomat, where political tension, royal intrigue, and dangerous truths await, along with Emrys, a prince far more complex than he initially appears.
The story carries strong Beauty and the Beast vibes: a cursed MMC with a “beast” living inside him, and a gentle yet resilient FMC who is the only person capable of reaching him — not through force, but through empathy, patience, and emotional intelligence.
Isca is a standout FMC. She’s resilient, intelligent, emotionally perceptive, and strong in ways that aren’t about fighting with swords. Everything she does is rooted in care, for people, for balance, and for doing what little good she can in a system designed to strip her of agency. Thrust from the margins of society straight into the heart of the court, she must quickly learn how to act, speak, and navigate political spaces she was never meant to occupy. Rather than reinventing herself, we watch her grow into her full capabilities, strengths that were always there, waiting for the opportunity to be realized. Her intuition sharpens, her confidence grows, and her intelligence becomes her greatest weapon.
What I particularly loved is how this book challenges the idea of what a female protagonist must look like. Isca is described as a soft FMC, and we’re so used to strength being portrayed as physical dominance, combat training, or emotional hardness that we sometimes forget how powerful softness can be. She shows us that there is strength in empathy, in restraint, and in choosing kindness even when the world has been unkind. Her strength does not replace traditionally powerful traits, it exists alongside them, quietly shaping her choices and impact. There is power in her softness, in the quiet resilience of someone who continues to care and act with compassion even after life has been relentlessly hard.
Emrys, the MMC, is a cursed, touch-starved warrior who has long abandoned the idea of being worthy of redemption or connection. He is closed off, burdened, and deeply scarred by his past actions and loss of control, which makes his emotional arc compelling. One of the most interesting dynamics in the book is tied to Isca’s empathic magic: she can read and project emotions, except when it comes to Emrys. He is so guarded that her magic cannot reach him, forcing her to rely on observation, intuition, and subtle cues like any ordinary person would. This contrast is beautifully explored through the dual POV, allowing us to see how much each character withholds and how unspoken truths and misunderstandings shape their evolving relationship.
The romance is a true slow burn, filled with mutual yearning and restraint. While the spice is minimal, it is well written, organic, and perfectly timed, enhancing the story rather than feeling like filler. Every emotional beat feels earned and flows naturally from the evolution of their connection.
While this book tells a satisfying story, it deliberately leaves many questions unanswered, particularly surrounding the curse and the wider world. Rather than feeling unfinished, it creates space for deeper exploration, and I’m genuinely excited to see where the story heads next and to uncover more about the curse and its origins.
Overall, Bound to the Broken Crown is an emotionally rich fantasy romance that balances politics, magic, character growth, and romance beautifully. If you love slow burns, court intrigue, cursed MMCs, emotionally intelligent FMCs, dual POVs, and nuanced, character-driven fantasy, this book is absolutely worth picking up, and I’ll be eagerly waiting to continue this journey.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
“Show me your hell, Prince Emrys.”
I think I found my favorite book of 2026!! I know, I know it’s only January 15th, we are barely into the new year but HOLY SH*T!!! Astoria Hope has made me an instant fan of her writing! So descriptive and BEAUTIFULLY written, Bound to the Broken Crown was the perfect mix of fantasy, slow burn, political intrigue and an intriguing magic system!
We start out with Isca, a mage and peasant, hated and misunderstood by her community and treated as an outcast for simply being who she is and what her magic can do. As a magical empath, everyday is a struggle, she works to keep her family fed and warm while having to take the brunt of everyone’s feelings but suppressing hers. The Assembly rules over all magical beings and dictates where and how that magic is used. That brings us to our MMC, Emrys who currently shares the throne with his twin brother Nisien, Stormdân (Firestorm) to most.
He is cursed and so troubled that all I could do was feel for him so deeply throughout the entire book. Touch-starved and afraid to hurt anyone he cares about, he pushes everyone in his life away from him.
While the beast inside of him controls his actions he is sobered by coming across lavender, in a field of ruin he caused that calms him and decides it’s time to step away from doing The Assmebly’s bidding and return to the throne!
Isca is approached by Emrys while working her stall in Caervorn. He instantly takes to her almost as instantly as she takes to him. Little do both of them know The Assembly is pulling the strings of both of their lives. Isca is propositioned with a chance to play as a diplomat sent by The Assembly to calm the ruthless and chaotic Prince Emrys. But that’s not all. She, also is being forced to bear one of their heirs, which both brothers aren’t aware of. The Assembly’s selfish wishes are at the expense of Isca’s family which they’ve threatened with death if she does not complete the task.
While Emrys and Nisien are aware of how sneaky and deceptive The Assembly is, Nisien welcomes Isca into their castle with open arms and a beautiful smile. Isca is a confident and strong-willed woman who only wants peace and safety for her family and the people of Tir Darreth. So while she fights against Emrys’ resistance to her help she simultaneously stands strong in the political aspect of her role as a “diplomat”.
Emrys however is all stone and misery, but mostly because he’s already wrapped around her finger and is afraid of what his curse will do to her. So he pushes her away throughout most of the book. The slow burn and yearning (on both sides) is so intense and so so so perfect! Stolen touches and a lot of, sometimes failed, restraint make it all worth while until we finally get to the HEAT!!!🌶️🔥
Oh, how I love Emrys and Isca. Two beautiful souls meant only for each other. Even their magics are made for one another, reaching out for each other across distance and time. He will burn everything to the ground for her and more. A truly smitten man who falls first and while he cares for his people and does not want to hurt them he would destroy anything in his path for her safety.
Astoria Hope is a passionate and BOLD writer and it’s so obvious on the pages she’s written. I am obsessed and literally CANT wait for the next book in this series! I expect to fall in love with the next characters as much as I did Emrys and Isca.
I DEVOURED these pages like a starved man and wish there were more.
“I could’ve died right then, with her in my arms. And I would’ve smiled as she unmade me.”
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this amazing and wonderful book, thank you to Astoria Hope for this opportunity!
I fully plan to buy my own physical copy ASAP!✨🔥🖤
🌶️🌶️
“Show me your hell, Prince Emrys.”
I think I found my favorite book of 2026!! I know, I know it’s only January 15th, we are barely into the new year but HOLY SH*T!!! Astoria Hope has made me an instant fan of her writing! So descriptive and BEAUTIFULLY written, Bound to the Broken Crown was the perfect mix of fantasy, slow burn, political intrigue and an intriguing magic system!
We start out with Isca, a mage and peasant, hated and misunderstood by her community and treated as an outcast for simply being who she is and what her magic can do. As a magical empath, everyday is a struggle, she works to keep her family fed and warm while having to take the brunt of everyone’s feelings but suppressing hers. The Assembly rules over all magical beings and dictates where and how that magic is used. That brings us to our MMC, Emrys who currently shares the throne with his twin brother Nisien, Stormdân (Firestorm) to most.
He is cursed and so troubled that all I could do was feel for him so deeply throughout the entire book. Touch-starved and afraid to hurt anyone he cares about, he pushes everyone in his life away from him.
While the beast inside of him controls his actions he is sobered by coming across lavender, in a field of ruin he caused that calms him and decides it’s time to step away from doing The Assmebly’s bidding and return to the throne!
Isca is approached by Emrys while working her stall in Caervorn. He instantly takes to her almost as instantly as she takes to him. Little do both of them know The Assembly is pulling the strings of both of their lives. Isca is propositioned with a chance to play as a diplomat sent by The Assembly to calm the ruthless and chaotic Prince Emrys. But that’s not all. She, also is being forced to bear one of their heirs, which both brothers aren’t aware of. The Assembly’s selfish wishes are at the expense of Isca’s family which they’ve threatened with death if she does not complete the task.
While Emrys and Nisien are aware of how sneaky and deceptive The Assembly is, Nisien welcomes Isca into their castle with open arms and a beautiful smile. Isca is a confident and strong-willed woman who only wants peace and safety for her family and the people of Tir Darreth. So while she fights against Emrys’ resistance to her help she simultaneously stands strong in the political aspect of her role as a “diplomat”.
Emrys however is all stone and misery, but mostly because he’s already wrapped around her finger and is afraid of what his curse will do to her. So he pushes her away throughout most of the book. The slow burn and yearning (on both sides) is so intense and so so so perfect! Stolen touches and a lot of, sometimes failed, restraint make it all worth while until we finally get to the HEAT!!!🌶️🔥
Oh, how I love Emrys and Isca. Two beautiful souls meant only for each other. Even their magics are made for one another, reaching out for each other across distance and time. He will burn everything to the ground for her and more. A truly smitten man who falls first and while he cares for his people and does not want to hurt them he would destroy anything in his path for her safety.
Astoria Hope is a passionate and BOLD writer and it’s so obvious on the pages she’s written. I am obsessed and literally CANT wait for the next book in this series! I expect to fall in love with the next characters as much as I did Emrys and Isca.
I DEVOURED these pages like a starved man and wish there were more.
“I could’ve died right then, with her in my arms. And I would’ve smiled as she unmade me.”
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this amazing and wonderful book, thank you to Astoria Hope for this opportunity!
I fully plan to buy my own physical copy ASAP!✨🔥🖤
February 1, 2026
I really liked the concept of this book. Some aspects gave me what I was hoping for, but some didn’t, which is why I’m giving this 3 stars.
* grumpy & misunderstood MMC
* soft empath FMC
* forced proximity
* touch her and die
* magic
* spice level: 🌶️
The prologue and first few chapters had me so intrigued, but then things got quite slow. Not much happens from around 15-75% of the book. I felt like I was waiting and waiting for the pace to pick up and it finally did when the book was nearly finished.
I loved our FMC Isca’s personality. She was soft and emotional, while also strong-willed and intelligent. I enjoyed the idea of her upbringing and how it shaped her personality, but I do wish we got to see more of that background. It sometimes felt like I didn’t completely understand her, even though she’s the primary MC for most of the book.
Emrys, our MMC, had a super intriguing background that again lacked depth. I loved the idea of his character but was unfortunately disappointed in his development.
I also wish the magic system was more detailed. I still feel like I know absolutely nothing about their magic. Basically all we know is that it’s there, some people have it while others don’t, and sometimes using too much will drain you but not always? The magical aspects were a bit chaotic, but it feels like there’s a lot of potential here.
Overall, there was a lot of telling and not so much showing. I feel like there was a LOT of potential here, but it did fall a bit flat. I do plan to continue reading on as the series is published further.
Thank you to Astoria Hope for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
* grumpy & misunderstood MMC
* soft empath FMC
* forced proximity
* touch her and die
* magic
* spice level: 🌶️
The prologue and first few chapters had me so intrigued, but then things got quite slow. Not much happens from around 15-75% of the book. I felt like I was waiting and waiting for the pace to pick up and it finally did when the book was nearly finished.
I loved our FMC Isca’s personality. She was soft and emotional, while also strong-willed and intelligent. I enjoyed the idea of her upbringing and how it shaped her personality, but I do wish we got to see more of that background. It sometimes felt like I didn’t completely understand her, even though she’s the primary MC for most of the book.
Emrys, our MMC, had a super intriguing background that again lacked depth. I loved the idea of his character but was unfortunately disappointed in his development.
I also wish the magic system was more detailed. I still feel like I know absolutely nothing about their magic. Basically all we know is that it’s there, some people have it while others don’t, and sometimes using too much will drain you but not always? The magical aspects were a bit chaotic, but it feels like there’s a lot of potential here.
Overall, there was a lot of telling and not so much showing. I feel like there was a LOT of potential here, but it did fall a bit flat. I do plan to continue reading on as the series is published further.
Thank you to Astoria Hope for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
January 12, 2026
Where do I begin? This book had me on a chokehold and I only had as much restraint as Emrys had against the beast to not devour this book in 24 hours. I had to force myself to slow down reading because I didn’t want the story to end yet!
Isca, my girl does start out as the typical FMC whose story goes from rags to riches, with the power to “save them all” but the way her character was told was refreshing and not tiring. She’s smart and her magic was used in the story in a way that wasn’t cliche but actually impressive.
Emry’s and Nisien. The grumpy x sunshine twins. The relationship between the two brothers was also refreshing to read. They were a duo that complemented each other in a way that I would’ve been satisfied to just a story about them two growing up. Loved them both and now I need Nisien’s POV!
Emry’s are dark brooding MMC was a tortured soul who protected everyone from himself and as cliche as that sounded was actually not? The beast inside him I would be delighted to see if the following book had the beast’s POV because what do you mean this beast purrs which then makes him purr 👀
Catrin, our beloved friend was a delight! Her relationship with the princes and how she isn’t afraid to talk back and set them up is hilarious
As you can tell I very much enjoyed every bit of this book and I’m so so thankful for Miss Astoria and her team for this Advance Reader Copy. I was delightful, beautiful story that actually made me tear up from its HEA
Isca, my girl does start out as the typical FMC whose story goes from rags to riches, with the power to “save them all” but the way her character was told was refreshing and not tiring. She’s smart and her magic was used in the story in a way that wasn’t cliche but actually impressive.
Emry’s and Nisien. The grumpy x sunshine twins. The relationship between the two brothers was also refreshing to read. They were a duo that complemented each other in a way that I would’ve been satisfied to just a story about them two growing up. Loved them both and now I need Nisien’s POV!
Emry’s are dark brooding MMC was a tortured soul who protected everyone from himself and as cliche as that sounded was actually not? The beast inside him I would be delighted to see if the following book had the beast’s POV because what do you mean this beast purrs which then makes him purr 👀
Catrin, our beloved friend was a delight! Her relationship with the princes and how she isn’t afraid to talk back and set them up is hilarious
As you can tell I very much enjoyed every bit of this book and I’m so so thankful for Miss Astoria and her team for this Advance Reader Copy. I was delightful, beautiful story that actually made me tear up from its HEA
Review of advance copy
I loved, loved, LOVED this book. The worldbuilding is so good and you get a really nice look into the life of the characters. We have a dual POV, which elevates the story. I like how Isca is the main character in the beginning but it slowly shifts towards Emrys in the end. 🫶🏼 I also enjoyed their slowburn romance and the tension between the two was described well! 🔥 Nisien was another lovely character. He could even be more present in the story if you ask me. I also would love to read more about the brothers dynamic. Maybe in book two? 👀 And don't forget about my girl Catrin. She is so sweet and needs more attention in the next part! 🤭 As you noticed I really liked all the characters.
The middle part of the book was a bit long for me because of the politics. It's not that I didn't like that but politics are not always my favorite subject in a book, so when we got back to the romance and the powers I just could not put the book down. The ending made everything worth it and this book gets a solid 4 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to MTMC Tours for sending a review copy!
The middle part of the book was a bit long for me because of the politics. It's not that I didn't like that but politics are not always my favorite subject in a book, so when we got back to the romance and the powers I just could not put the book down. The ending made everything worth it and this book gets a solid 4 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to MTMC Tours for sending a review copy!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 stars ✨️
This book was amazing! The magic system, the yearning and the world building pulled me in from the very first page and never let go.
The writing is beautiful, and the story unfolds in a way that is perfectly paced. It’s a very slow burn, but the payoff is more than worth the wait.
Prince Emrys is the definition of a broody MC. Riddled with self loathing and guilt over the curse he’s forced to endure, he constantly pushes Isca away, believing it’s the only way to protect her from the harm he fears he’ll cause. But Isca, an empath, may be the only one capable of soothing the beast within him. When Emrys finally gives in to his feelings, he becomes fiercely loyal, deeply protective, and utterly devoted. Touch what’s his, and you won’t survive! He would burn the world to keep her safe.
If you love dark fantasy and books with a beauty and the beast vibe, then you are definitely going to want read this one
This book was amazing! The magic system, the yearning and the world building pulled me in from the very first page and never let go.
The writing is beautiful, and the story unfolds in a way that is perfectly paced. It’s a very slow burn, but the payoff is more than worth the wait.
Prince Emrys is the definition of a broody MC. Riddled with self loathing and guilt over the curse he’s forced to endure, he constantly pushes Isca away, believing it’s the only way to protect her from the harm he fears he’ll cause. But Isca, an empath, may be the only one capable of soothing the beast within him. When Emrys finally gives in to his feelings, he becomes fiercely loyal, deeply protective, and utterly devoted. Touch what’s his, and you won’t survive! He would burn the world to keep her safe.
If you love dark fantasy and books with a beauty and the beast vibe, then you are definitely going to want read this one
February 10, 2026
Synopsis:
Isca hides a rare magic that lets her feel and manipulate emotions
The Assembly of Mages forces her into a dangerous mission
Sent to Darreth to calm the cursed and violent prince, Emery
Secretly ordered to deliver his future heir to be used as a weapon
Emery is feared as a monster, but Isca sees the man beneath the curse
A forbidden bond forms as duty and desire collide
Betrayal, power, and impossible choices threaten both their lives—and the crown
Thoughts:
This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The worldbuilding is immersive without being overwhelming, and the political tension keeps the stakes high the entire time.
Isca is a compelling, empathetic FMC whose magic adds such a unique emotional layer to the story, and Emery is the perfect broken-but-dangerous love interest: complex, tortured, and impossible not to root for.
The slow-burn romance is chef’s kiss, full of yearning, restraint, and moments that hit you right in the chest. I loved how the story explored power, choice, and what it truly means to be a monster versus a ruler.
The emotional payoff was strong, the twists kept me guessing, and the ending left me desperate for more.
If you love fantasy romance with angst, court intrigue, and a cursed MMC you just want to wrap in a blanket, this one absolutely delivers.
Thank you so much to MTMC Tours and Astoria Hope for having me on this tour!
Isca hides a rare magic that lets her feel and manipulate emotions
The Assembly of Mages forces her into a dangerous mission
Sent to Darreth to calm the cursed and violent prince, Emery
Secretly ordered to deliver his future heir to be used as a weapon
Emery is feared as a monster, but Isca sees the man beneath the curse
A forbidden bond forms as duty and desire collide
Betrayal, power, and impossible choices threaten both their lives—and the crown
Thoughts:
This book had me hooked from the first chapter. The worldbuilding is immersive without being overwhelming, and the political tension keeps the stakes high the entire time.
Isca is a compelling, empathetic FMC whose magic adds such a unique emotional layer to the story, and Emery is the perfect broken-but-dangerous love interest: complex, tortured, and impossible not to root for.
The slow-burn romance is chef’s kiss, full of yearning, restraint, and moments that hit you right in the chest. I loved how the story explored power, choice, and what it truly means to be a monster versus a ruler.
The emotional payoff was strong, the twists kept me guessing, and the ending left me desperate for more.
If you love fantasy romance with angst, court intrigue, and a cursed MMC you just want to wrap in a blanket, this one absolutely delivers.
Thank you so much to MTMC Tours and Astoria Hope for having me on this tour!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Very grateful to have received an ARC of this novel and really enjoyed the story and characters. The pacing lagged at times, but I found myself eagerly turning pages because I was so invested in the romance and the politics.
This is a perfect vibes read for when you want that straightforward romantasy yearning + magic combo ✨
This is a perfect vibes read for when you want that straightforward romantasy yearning + magic combo ✨
January 15, 2026
3 ⭐️ read -
This was a beauty and the beast retelling that I was very excited about. It was really good at the beginning.
It had me wanting to learn more about the princes and I was a tad nervous of it being a love triangle but it wasn’t. I loved both princes but obviously wanted her with the beast of course. I felt like there was tons of tension with the MMC and FMC throughout this book. 🤌🏻
I think the middle part of the book was a bit repetitive with him pushing her away and her trying to reach out over and over again. When he finally let her in, I was like FINALLY. I was just getting frustrated with the repetitiveness of that. It just wasn’t enough plot during the middle, but more about getting him to open up to her. 🤷🏼♀️
The ending felt a bit rushed, but did seem like it answered a lot of questions for me. It also leaves open more questions to be answered in the next book. I’m wondering if it will follow the brother next, which would be nice.
Enjoyable read, but nothing that stuck out. Also had a pregnancy trope which isn’t mentioned in the triggers/tropes for this one, but it is at the end of the book so it was fine.
🫶🏻thank you rrbooktours and Astoria for this arc!
This was a beauty and the beast retelling that I was very excited about. It was really good at the beginning.
It had me wanting to learn more about the princes and I was a tad nervous of it being a love triangle but it wasn’t. I loved both princes but obviously wanted her with the beast of course. I felt like there was tons of tension with the MMC and FMC throughout this book. 🤌🏻
I think the middle part of the book was a bit repetitive with him pushing her away and her trying to reach out over and over again. When he finally let her in, I was like FINALLY. I was just getting frustrated with the repetitiveness of that. It just wasn’t enough plot during the middle, but more about getting him to open up to her. 🤷🏼♀️
The ending felt a bit rushed, but did seem like it answered a lot of questions for me. It also leaves open more questions to be answered in the next book. I’m wondering if it will follow the brother next, which would be nice.
Enjoyable read, but nothing that stuck out. Also had a pregnancy trope which isn’t mentioned in the triggers/tropes for this one, but it is at the end of the book so it was fine.
🫶🏻thank you rrbooktours and Astoria for this arc!
February 24, 2026
I received an ARC for this book in return for an honest review. Life got in the way of reading this before the release (grad school, finals, various ao3 excuses) but I’m happy to be getting to it now, not too late after the official release.
This book was probably closer to 2.5 stars but I’ve rounded up.
This book has a very easily likeable concept and may be a hit for the slow burn community (and possibly less of a hit for the spicier romantasy fans. Personally I like either so no gripe there).
I really enjoyed Isca’s character. She felt relatively well balanced and her empathy magic was interesting. I appreciate the Assembly also having interest in such magic as the asset it could turn into.
The side characters were also charismatic which bodes well for the interconnected standalone structure this series hints at.
In terms of what I didn’t like, I primarily focus in on Emrys’s character. The separation between his curse and himself was inconsistent and ill defined. When the magic has seemingly no rules or limits, it can begin to feel frustrating to the reader. His internal dialogues with the “monster” were pages long, every other chapter and left us no closer to understanding how the curse works, where Emrys truly lies, or how things might resolve.
Having finished the book we still don’t know what the curse is, how it works, how he’s affected, if the effects can change, etc. This may be set up for other books but the writing also doesn’t give us enough to invest in that, so it feels a bit sloppy and forgotten.
The book had a lot of anti Chekhov’s guns, such as the ring, the temple, the fae runes… nothing was resolved.
Which brings me to the pacing… I don’t mind a slow burn but I also don’t understand what was going on for over half this book. It was a lot of unnecessary internal struggle that did not bring on character development, with a cute ending that felt rushed and did not resolve the plot. I think this book could have been really good, with some culling to the middle of the story, and an expanded conclusion, and just a tiny bit more care to define a magic system.
I could see with this in mind, the next few installments landing leagues ahead of this first book, especially because the characters are incredibly solid. I really look forward to see who will come next.
This book was probably closer to 2.5 stars but I’ve rounded up.
This book has a very easily likeable concept and may be a hit for the slow burn community (and possibly less of a hit for the spicier romantasy fans. Personally I like either so no gripe there).
I really enjoyed Isca’s character. She felt relatively well balanced and her empathy magic was interesting. I appreciate the Assembly also having interest in such magic as the asset it could turn into.
The side characters were also charismatic which bodes well for the interconnected standalone structure this series hints at.
In terms of what I didn’t like, I primarily focus in on Emrys’s character. The separation between his curse and himself was inconsistent and ill defined. When the magic has seemingly no rules or limits, it can begin to feel frustrating to the reader. His internal dialogues with the “monster” were pages long, every other chapter and left us no closer to understanding how the curse works, where Emrys truly lies, or how things might resolve.
Having finished the book we still don’t know what the curse is, how it works, how he’s affected, if the effects can change, etc. This may be set up for other books but the writing also doesn’t give us enough to invest in that, so it feels a bit sloppy and forgotten.
The book had a lot of anti Chekhov’s guns, such as the ring, the temple, the fae runes… nothing was resolved.
Which brings me to the pacing… I don’t mind a slow burn but I also don’t understand what was going on for over half this book. It was a lot of unnecessary internal struggle that did not bring on character development, with a cute ending that felt rushed and did not resolve the plot. I think this book could have been really good, with some culling to the middle of the story, and an expanded conclusion, and just a tiny bit more care to define a magic system.
I could see with this in mind, the next few installments landing leagues ahead of this first book, especially because the characters are incredibly solid. I really look forward to see who will come next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 3, 2026DNF 50%
I hate it when I don’t enjoy an ARC as much as I thought I would and have to DNF and, unfortunately, that’s the case here. This book sounded really interesting and I was excited to read it but while the idea for the book was great, the execution was lacking. The prologue and the beginning of the book had me intrigued, the world building and magic system sounded interesting and I was excited to explore it and I liked Isca, our FMC, in the beginning, but unfortunately it went downhill pretty quickly.
To summarize, Isca is an empath mage but hides how powerful she actually is and when she makes a mistake and reveals her power, she is asked to pretend to be a diplomat and travel to a castle to calm things between twin princes so that only one rules in the end. One of the princes, Emrys, is actually cursed, he sometimes becomes violent and unable to control his magic and she is also tasked with calming him.
I think that up to the point of coming to the castle everything was going well, it was maybe a little slow paced, but still kept me interested in how it will all play out, but once Isca was at the palace, what bothered me is that she was literally a merchant and even she called herself peasant and only pretended to be a diplomat, but everyone treated her like she was some kind of genius, she was literally giving war advices while she spent her whole life living in a hut and both princes, actually three since there was another one visiting, behaved like every word out of her mouth was gold, telling her how beautiful and clever and amazing she was almost on every page… and that continued for some time at which I was skim reading and felt like all those exchanges and her interactions with the princes were just so repetitive and I was bored. The only thing that kept me going was Emrys, I wanted to learn more about his curse and liked being in his head and seeing him battle with his instincts and being jealous of Isca, but by 50% I felt like I didn’t know more about him and the curse than I did in the prologue and I didn’t want to force myself to continue reading.
To conclude, this book had great potential, but unfortunately wasn’t for me, I think many people are going to enjoy it and maybe I will give it another chance in the future, but it’s going to be a DNF for me now.
I hate it when I don’t enjoy an ARC as much as I thought I would and have to DNF and, unfortunately, that’s the case here. This book sounded really interesting and I was excited to read it but while the idea for the book was great, the execution was lacking. The prologue and the beginning of the book had me intrigued, the world building and magic system sounded interesting and I was excited to explore it and I liked Isca, our FMC, in the beginning, but unfortunately it went downhill pretty quickly.
To summarize, Isca is an empath mage but hides how powerful she actually is and when she makes a mistake and reveals her power, she is asked to pretend to be a diplomat and travel to a castle to calm things between twin princes so that only one rules in the end. One of the princes, Emrys, is actually cursed, he sometimes becomes violent and unable to control his magic and she is also tasked with calming him.
I think that up to the point of coming to the castle everything was going well, it was maybe a little slow paced, but still kept me interested in how it will all play out, but once Isca was at the palace, what bothered me is that she was literally a merchant and even she called herself peasant and only pretended to be a diplomat, but everyone treated her like she was some kind of genius, she was literally giving war advices while she spent her whole life living in a hut and both princes, actually three since there was another one visiting, behaved like every word out of her mouth was gold, telling her how beautiful and clever and amazing she was almost on every page… and that continued for some time at which I was skim reading and felt like all those exchanges and her interactions with the princes were just so repetitive and I was bored. The only thing that kept me going was Emrys, I wanted to learn more about his curse and liked being in his head and seeing him battle with his instincts and being jealous of Isca, but by 50% I felt like I didn’t know more about him and the curse than I did in the prologue and I didn’t want to force myself to continue reading.
To conclude, this book had great potential, but unfortunately wasn’t for me, I think many people are going to enjoy it and maybe I will give it another chance in the future, but it’s going to be a DNF for me now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2026
"The inner corridor's breeze almost pulled the lavender sprig from my braid. I fixed it back in place. It was a piece of home, proof that I came from love, however poor and messy that love might be, and a small token of defiance against their standards of perfection."
I absolutely devoured this story, the magic, the handsome princes, the rags to riches and oh the yearning was divine!
Isca is an empath mage making a living for her family working on their market stall in Caervorn. Emrys is one of the two princes ruling Darreth whom is known for losing his temper and obliterating places and people with his power due to a curse. Their paths cross thanks to a sprinkling of fate and the interference of the mage assembly thus our story begins threading through deceit, threats, fights and rescue missions.
I enjoyed the banter that Nisien (the second prince) brought to the story along with Catrin (the princes childhood friend who works within their castle) and I'd like to see more from these characters (as well as our FMC and MMC) in the future.
Favourite character; Emrys - the development this man went through from start to finish made his self acceptance so much more rewarding by the end of the story. I love the fact that even with the curse he tries so hard to control his emotions and be the person he wants to be and that his people still respect and appreciate him throughout it all.
The perfect first 5 star read of 2026, thank you for the opportunity to read it and I cannot wait for the release of the next book in the series as I will 1000% be reading it!
"I had never been more certain in my life - and my lung had been pierced by a sword - that I would perish the moment she touched me in the way she was suggesting.
I absolutely devoured this story, the magic, the handsome princes, the rags to riches and oh the yearning was divine!
Isca is an empath mage making a living for her family working on their market stall in Caervorn. Emrys is one of the two princes ruling Darreth whom is known for losing his temper and obliterating places and people with his power due to a curse. Their paths cross thanks to a sprinkling of fate and the interference of the mage assembly thus our story begins threading through deceit, threats, fights and rescue missions.
I enjoyed the banter that Nisien (the second prince) brought to the story along with Catrin (the princes childhood friend who works within their castle) and I'd like to see more from these characters (as well as our FMC and MMC) in the future.
Favourite character; Emrys - the development this man went through from start to finish made his self acceptance so much more rewarding by the end of the story. I love the fact that even with the curse he tries so hard to control his emotions and be the person he wants to be and that his people still respect and appreciate him throughout it all.
The perfect first 5 star read of 2026, thank you for the opportunity to read it and I cannot wait for the release of the next book in the series as I will 1000% be reading it!
"I had never been more certain in my life - and my lung had been pierced by a sword - that I would perish the moment she touched me in the way she was suggesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2026
I was thankful to receive an ARC of this and I truly enjoyed it. I like the story, the different point of views of Emrys and Isca and the banter, longing and magic! If you like fantasy, magic and longing with a story that’s not too complicated to follow - this is a wonderful place to start. There are not 3093 character or cities or kingdoms to keep up with, which makes it easy to keep up!
Isca is our very likable main character. She is an empath mage, in a world where magic is “managed” by the Assembly. Isca’s parents had children who all uncommonly have magic even though their father is not a mage, so they are not in the high graces of the Assembly.
Isca’s father had a career ending injury the previous year so money is very tight and Isca sends potions such at the local market.
Isca’s magic of shifting others’ emotions is exposed after a stressful and unexpected death at the vendor market one day. Once the assembly realizes her power, they set her on a mission to assist with a kingdom who has not announced their next king.
The kingdom of Darreth is ruled by twins, princes whose father left them both in charge until the best successor was determined. Isca has never been to Darreth but accepts this mission to help ensure her families safety and the lure of money. One prince is sunshine, easygoing, strong and very personable while the other is grumpy, full of magic and curse that makes him seem half beast / half man - no one other than his brother can get through to him. Both brothers are gorgeous, of course.
Part one of Isca mission is to help calm Darreth and see if the rightful ruler can be made king of Darreth. Part two of the mission is to entrap one of the twins into having a baby with her so the Assembly can manage their magic.
Isca goes into the missions trying each day to do what is best for her family. However she soon realizes she loves Darreth and wants to also do what is best for it, in addition to keeping her family safe. Darreth, Isca’s handmaid and closest Darreth friend Catrin, and the princes become like him for Isca who has to use her wits and magic to keep herself safe, keep the assembly happy and try not to fall head over heels for the broody beast prince.
This is a standalone but i hope more details are given in future books in the same “universe” as I’d love to learn more about the curse, the magic in this world and other kingdoms and siblings!
Isca is our very likable main character. She is an empath mage, in a world where magic is “managed” by the Assembly. Isca’s parents had children who all uncommonly have magic even though their father is not a mage, so they are not in the high graces of the Assembly.
Isca’s father had a career ending injury the previous year so money is very tight and Isca sends potions such at the local market.
Isca’s magic of shifting others’ emotions is exposed after a stressful and unexpected death at the vendor market one day. Once the assembly realizes her power, they set her on a mission to assist with a kingdom who has not announced their next king.
The kingdom of Darreth is ruled by twins, princes whose father left them both in charge until the best successor was determined. Isca has never been to Darreth but accepts this mission to help ensure her families safety and the lure of money. One prince is sunshine, easygoing, strong and very personable while the other is grumpy, full of magic and curse that makes him seem half beast / half man - no one other than his brother can get through to him. Both brothers are gorgeous, of course.
Part one of Isca mission is to help calm Darreth and see if the rightful ruler can be made king of Darreth. Part two of the mission is to entrap one of the twins into having a baby with her so the Assembly can manage their magic.
Isca goes into the missions trying each day to do what is best for her family. However she soon realizes she loves Darreth and wants to also do what is best for it, in addition to keeping her family safe. Darreth, Isca’s handmaid and closest Darreth friend Catrin, and the princes become like him for Isca who has to use her wits and magic to keep herself safe, keep the assembly happy and try not to fall head over heels for the broody beast prince.
This is a standalone but i hope more details are given in future books in the same “universe” as I’d love to learn more about the curse, the magic in this world and other kingdoms and siblings!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book!! I did not want this story to end!! From what I have gotten from the authors newsletters, each book is going to be a standalone. I’m hoping they will interweave at least and give us more of Isca, Emrys, and Nisien!
I did struggle a little in the beginning of this book but by about 50% I did not want to put it down! I do feel like I may have missed so key things because I was struggling at the beginning.
I appreciated that the end was not a cliffhanger but I feel like there were a lot of unanswered questions left throughout the book and I expected to see them answered before the ending.
Isca was a soft FMC and I appreciate that so much because you don’t see it often in this genre. She wasn’t necessarily weak but she was so kind and loving and her power as an empathetic made her special in her own way. The way she accepted Emrys for good and bad was so refreshing.
The slow burn was intense and delicious between Isca and Emrys. The spice was there but in a gentle kind of way. (I cannot find the proper words.)
I would have like a little more background into the Assembly, the story that was started about the curse but felt left open, and there were several other moments that weren’t quite finished. I won’t name them here so as to not spoil the story.
Overall, this book gave me laughter, heartache, lots of emotion and a mostly HEA. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
I did struggle a little in the beginning of this book but by about 50% I did not want to put it down! I do feel like I may have missed so key things because I was struggling at the beginning.
I appreciated that the end was not a cliffhanger but I feel like there were a lot of unanswered questions left throughout the book and I expected to see them answered before the ending.
Isca was a soft FMC and I appreciate that so much because you don’t see it often in this genre. She wasn’t necessarily weak but she was so kind and loving and her power as an empathetic made her special in her own way. The way she accepted Emrys for good and bad was so refreshing.
The slow burn was intense and delicious between Isca and Emrys. The spice was there but in a gentle kind of way. (I cannot find the proper words.)
I would have like a little more background into the Assembly, the story that was started about the curse but felt left open, and there were several other moments that weren’t quite finished. I won’t name them here so as to not spoil the story.
Overall, this book gave me laughter, heartache, lots of emotion and a mostly HEA. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!
January 24, 2026
BOUND TO THE BROKEN CROWN - ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Firstly thank you to Astoria Hope & netgalley for trusting me with this arc.
This was an easy 5 star read for me, I absolutely devoureddddd it start to finish, I didn’t want it to end and anytime I wasn’t actively sat reading it was on my mind…
Isca - an empathic mage, Emrys a cursed prince (beast) with the sunshine x grumpy trope. 🤤 If you’re looking for the embodiment of ‘touch her and ☠️’ then look no further Emrys is THAT guy 😏
The beauty & the beast vibes, incredible. The slow burn done to PERFECTION I ate it upppp! 🔥 (haven’t read a slow burn for ages that made me feel the way this did!) The magic system was refreshing and intriguing!
Characters were all loveable in their own way and I actually felt like I could relate and understand the relationships and emotions throughout, I fully lived in this book as I read.
The story is emotional, with angst, yearning and tension throughout. And it doesn’t leave you with a cliffhanger - you get an ending. 👏 Although I wish there was more (selfishly)👀 I’m hoping these characters pop up in the future standalone interconnected books. (Which I already can’t wait for!)
🖤 grumpy x sunshine
🖤 one tent
🖤 slow burn - high yearn
🖤 touch her and ☠️
🖤 forced proximity
🖤 🌶️ 🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Firstly thank you to Astoria Hope & netgalley for trusting me with this arc.
This was an easy 5 star read for me, I absolutely devoureddddd it start to finish, I didn’t want it to end and anytime I wasn’t actively sat reading it was on my mind…
Isca - an empathic mage, Emrys a cursed prince (beast) with the sunshine x grumpy trope. 🤤 If you’re looking for the embodiment of ‘touch her and ☠️’ then look no further Emrys is THAT guy 😏
The beauty & the beast vibes, incredible. The slow burn done to PERFECTION I ate it upppp! 🔥 (haven’t read a slow burn for ages that made me feel the way this did!) The magic system was refreshing and intriguing!
Characters were all loveable in their own way and I actually felt like I could relate and understand the relationships and emotions throughout, I fully lived in this book as I read.
The story is emotional, with angst, yearning and tension throughout. And it doesn’t leave you with a cliffhanger - you get an ending. 👏 Although I wish there was more (selfishly)👀 I’m hoping these characters pop up in the future standalone interconnected books. (Which I already can’t wait for!)
🖤 grumpy x sunshine
🖤 one tent
🖤 slow burn - high yearn
🖤 touch her and ☠️
🖤 forced proximity
🖤 🌶️ 🌶️
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️
If you loved Beauty and the Beast, you'll definitely love Prince Emrys and Bound to the Broken Crown.
Isca is a rare empath that has drawn the attention of not only Prince Emrys but the Assembly of Mages. Evaluated from a peasant to a diplomat, she is sent to the kingdom of Darreth to help decide which prince will sit on the throne.
I really enjoyed how Isca progresses from the peasant/ overlooked child who has to help raise her siblings to a respectable lady of the court.
Prince Emrys is the perfect tortured soul trapped by a curse. He yearns for Isca and literally would kill anyone that would harm her.
I know this book is a standalone ( or part of a series of standalones), which always seems to limit world building. I do wish there had bit a little more insight on his curse. Maybe a flashback or dream from his POV? A book with information on the library? Also, I would have liked a little more information on the assembly and the magic system. For these reasons, the loss of a 1/2 ⭐️.
Thank you for choosing me to be an ARC Reader
If you loved Beauty and the Beast, you'll definitely love Prince Emrys and Bound to the Broken Crown.
Isca is a rare empath that has drawn the attention of not only Prince Emrys but the Assembly of Mages. Evaluated from a peasant to a diplomat, she is sent to the kingdom of Darreth to help decide which prince will sit on the throne.
I really enjoyed how Isca progresses from the peasant/ overlooked child who has to help raise her siblings to a respectable lady of the court.
Prince Emrys is the perfect tortured soul trapped by a curse. He yearns for Isca and literally would kill anyone that would harm her.
I know this book is a standalone ( or part of a series of standalones), which always seems to limit world building. I do wish there had bit a little more insight on his curse. Maybe a flashback or dream from his POV? A book with information on the library? Also, I would have liked a little more information on the assembly and the magic system. For these reasons, the loss of a 1/2 ⭐️.
Thank you for choosing me to be an ARC Reader
January 13, 2026
ARC Review - Thank you so much to the author for sharing this with me.
This book was a slow read for me but the second half of the book did keep me intrigued. Overall I think there will be people who will enjoy this book! It just wasn’t a huge hit for me. There was definitely more of a focus on the romance over the fantasy aspect and left a lot of questions unanswered. Despite not being in love with this book I will read the next one because I hope to find out about the mysteries that started becoming unraveled in this book.
Pros
- Morally gray MMC
- Political manipulation and potential war
- Some build up of the Fae/magic history, hopefully expanded on in future books
- Growth seen in both MCs
Cons
- The world building wasn’t great for me. I didn’t feel immersed in the scenes. Both the magic system and the world were under explained
- Slow pacing with little surprises
- Naive Woman/Virgin: The FMC read more as an older teenage character not a 24 year old. It was a little frustrating at points and I didn’t feel a strong connection to her
This book was a slow read for me but the second half of the book did keep me intrigued. Overall I think there will be people who will enjoy this book! It just wasn’t a huge hit for me. There was definitely more of a focus on the romance over the fantasy aspect and left a lot of questions unanswered. Despite not being in love with this book I will read the next one because I hope to find out about the mysteries that started becoming unraveled in this book.
Pros
- Morally gray MMC
- Political manipulation and potential war
- Some build up of the Fae/magic history, hopefully expanded on in future books
- Growth seen in both MCs
Cons
- The world building wasn’t great for me. I didn’t feel immersed in the scenes. Both the magic system and the world were under explained
- Slow pacing with little surprises
- Naive Woman/Virgin: The FMC read more as an older teenage character not a 24 year old. It was a little frustrating at points and I didn’t feel a strong connection to her
January 25, 2026
Five stars!! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Astoria Hope for this E-Arc!
This book was a perfect standalone romantasy with potential to be a series. I loved the FMC and found her soft personality to be a breath of fresh air. The plot was intriguing and enjoyable to read. Perfect for fans of One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig.
A peasant girl with empathic magic abilities is enlisted by an assembly of mages to be a diplomat between two princes who are co-rulers of the kingdom. She is sent on a mission to spy for this assembly and create a magical heir, her family is threatened to ensure her compliance. Court politics, a love triangle, sizzling spice, and dangerous battles ensue. The spice was well written. Overall a great read!
Tropes:
• Court Politics
• Prince + Peasant Girl / witch dynamic
• Love Triangle
• Slow Burn 🔥 😌
• Spicy Scenes 🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️
• Miscommunication Trope
Triggers:
Violence, War, Blood, Gore, Coercion to become pregnant, death of children and mothers (offscreen but is mentioned briefly)
Thank you to Astoria Hope for this E-Arc!
This book was a perfect standalone romantasy with potential to be a series. I loved the FMC and found her soft personality to be a breath of fresh air. The plot was intriguing and enjoyable to read. Perfect for fans of One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig.
A peasant girl with empathic magic abilities is enlisted by an assembly of mages to be a diplomat between two princes who are co-rulers of the kingdom. She is sent on a mission to spy for this assembly and create a magical heir, her family is threatened to ensure her compliance. Court politics, a love triangle, sizzling spice, and dangerous battles ensue. The spice was well written. Overall a great read!
Tropes:
• Court Politics
• Prince + Peasant Girl / witch dynamic
• Love Triangle
• Slow Burn 🔥 😌
• Spicy Scenes 🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️
• Miscommunication Trope
Triggers:
Violence, War, Blood, Gore, Coercion to become pregnant, death of children and mothers (offscreen but is mentioned briefly)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 369 reviews