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The Hirathean Path #1
Web of Vows and Vengeance
"They say vengeance is a blade best kept sharp, and my dagger has been honed with every betrayal."
Web of Vows and Vengeance is the first in a dark, spicy slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy series, perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Serpent and the Wings of the Night, and Throne of Glass.
Tropes you’ll love:
Enemies to Lovers
Deadly Tournament
Slow-Burn Romance
Underdog Heroine
Brooding Royal MMC
Forced Proximity
Gods & Goddesses
----------------------------------------------------------
Stripped of power. Fuelled by vengeance.
She lost everything because of his lie. Now the only way to save her sister is to win a deadly competition that could cost her the only thing she has left: her life.
When Prince Kyor twisted the truth about his mother’s death, Rose paid the price. Her family was stripped of their magic, cast into the slums, and abandoned by the kingdom they once served. Now her parents are gone, and her younger sister’s future hangs in the balance.
Rose’s only hope is the Tournament of the Gifting, a brutal competition held once a century, where the victor earns a blessing from the Goddess of Life. The catch? Every other contender wields the very power she was robbed of.
And Prince Kyor is among them. Commander of the armies. Rider of a bonded dire wolf. Wielder of lightning. He doesn’t just want to win for vanity – he wants the gift for himself. But what could a man who has it all possibly want?
Thrown into a world of magic, monsters, and merciless trials, Rose must fight not only for survival but for the chance to reclaim her future. Along the way, she’ll find unlikely allies, ruthless rivals, and a dangerous connection with her greatest enemy – one that could ruin or remake her.
Web of Vows and Vengeance is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy, set in a Nordic-inspired world, featuring deadly trials, found family, gods and goddesses, political intrigue, and an underdog heroine who refuses to stay broken.
This is a story of heartbreak, vengeance, and the kind of power that can never be taken.
Web of Vows and Vengeance is the first in a dark, spicy slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy series, perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Serpent and the Wings of the Night, and Throne of Glass.
Tropes you’ll love:
Enemies to Lovers
Deadly Tournament
Slow-Burn Romance
Underdog Heroine
Brooding Royal MMC
Forced Proximity
Gods & Goddesses
----------------------------------------------------------
Stripped of power. Fuelled by vengeance.
She lost everything because of his lie. Now the only way to save her sister is to win a deadly competition that could cost her the only thing she has left: her life.
When Prince Kyor twisted the truth about his mother’s death, Rose paid the price. Her family was stripped of their magic, cast into the slums, and abandoned by the kingdom they once served. Now her parents are gone, and her younger sister’s future hangs in the balance.
Rose’s only hope is the Tournament of the Gifting, a brutal competition held once a century, where the victor earns a blessing from the Goddess of Life. The catch? Every other contender wields the very power she was robbed of.
And Prince Kyor is among them. Commander of the armies. Rider of a bonded dire wolf. Wielder of lightning. He doesn’t just want to win for vanity – he wants the gift for himself. But what could a man who has it all possibly want?
Thrown into a world of magic, monsters, and merciless trials, Rose must fight not only for survival but for the chance to reclaim her future. Along the way, she’ll find unlikely allies, ruthless rivals, and a dangerous connection with her greatest enemy – one that could ruin or remake her.
Web of Vows and Vengeance is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy, set in a Nordic-inspired world, featuring deadly trials, found family, gods and goddesses, political intrigue, and an underdog heroine who refuses to stay broken.
This is a story of heartbreak, vengeance, and the kind of power that can never be taken.
588 pages, Paperback
First published February 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,496 reviews
June 24, 2026
This was a romantasy candy soup !!!!! What a good time. Violet and Xaden in the Hunger Games. Can’t wait for book 2!!!
February 28, 2026
I really wanted to like this more than I did.
The actual premise is great, and large chunks of it were really well done. But it just overall didn’t hit for me, and I was unfortunately bored through the majority of it.
I struggled with the pacing, there were a lot of minor moments that felt dragged out and unnecessary. It also felt very YA in a lot of areas, and very tropey. I didn’t really connect to any of the characters in a strong way, and things were happening with no emotional impact (for me). The relationship felt like it was lacking chemistry as well.
It was well written though! I can see why a lot of people would like it, and I would recommend it to others. It just sadly didn’t hit for me, and I think because I found it dragging so much in the middle it affected my ability to connect to the story.
The actual premise is great, and large chunks of it were really well done. But it just overall didn’t hit for me, and I was unfortunately bored through the majority of it.
I struggled with the pacing, there were a lot of minor moments that felt dragged out and unnecessary. It also felt very YA in a lot of areas, and very tropey. I didn’t really connect to any of the characters in a strong way, and things were happening with no emotional impact (for me). The relationship felt like it was lacking chemistry as well.
It was well written though! I can see why a lot of people would like it, and I would recommend it to others. It just sadly didn’t hit for me, and I think because I found it dragging so much in the middle it affected my ability to connect to the story.
July 26, 2026
4 stars ⭐️
The premise is similar to so many trending romantasy books right now: a girl from the slums enters into a set of trials in order to try to give her sister a better life with an enemies to lovers trope.
For the plot being predictable, this was such a fun read. The trials felt high stakes, and there was so much action and drama in between trials. I honestly couldn’t put this book down and stayed up way too late reading.
Rose is such a great FMC. She’s smart, stubborn, and caring. She has so much grit and has such a drive to succeed, but also has so much compassion for those around her.
I am obsessed with Kyor. He’s broody, arrogant, charming, but also so honorable. He’s cutthroat but also has such a soft side for Rose. I do wish the book had his POV because I feel like we would understand him more, and the shift from being cutthroat to having a softer side wouldn’t be as abrupt.
There is so much tension, yearning, and passion between Kyor and Rose. It’s very similar to Xaden and Violet’s relationship in Fourth Wing which I personally loved.
I adored all the side characters and friendships built throughout the trials. Through the trauma of the trials, they really become so close and have each others back, no matter what.
The ending was just so good, and I can’t wait to read the next one!
~pre-read~
Have no idea what’s this is about, but I keep seeing it pop up on my feed so hoping it’s a good time!
The premise is similar to so many trending romantasy books right now: a girl from the slums enters into a set of trials in order to try to give her sister a better life with an enemies to lovers trope.
For the plot being predictable, this was such a fun read. The trials felt high stakes, and there was so much action and drama in between trials. I honestly couldn’t put this book down and stayed up way too late reading.
Rose is such a great FMC. She’s smart, stubborn, and caring. She has so much grit and has such a drive to succeed, but also has so much compassion for those around her.
I am obsessed with Kyor. He’s broody, arrogant, charming, but also so honorable. He’s cutthroat but also has such a soft side for Rose. I do wish the book had his POV because I feel like we would understand him more, and the shift from being cutthroat to having a softer side wouldn’t be as abrupt.
There is so much tension, yearning, and passion between Kyor and Rose. It’s very similar to Xaden and Violet’s relationship in Fourth Wing which I personally loved.
I adored all the side characters and friendships built throughout the trials. Through the trauma of the trials, they really become so close and have each others back, no matter what.
The ending was just so good, and I can’t wait to read the next one!
~pre-read~
Have no idea what’s this is about, but I keep seeing it pop up on my feed so hoping it’s a good time!
March 17, 2026
150 pgs in and I just don’t care.
The author is just working off a list of popular tropes, which makes the whole thing feel so unoriginal and boring.
Everything was insta- instalust, insta friendships, insta boredom for me.
Maybe if it was shorter I could have powered through, but knowing there was approx 550 pages of this book was making me depressed so yeah dnf.
The author is just working off a list of popular tropes, which makes the whole thing feel so unoriginal and boring.
Everything was insta- instalust, insta friendships, insta boredom for me.
Maybe if it was shorter I could have powered through, but knowing there was approx 550 pages of this book was making me depressed so yeah dnf.
March 27, 2026
SOLID 4.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 I ate this UPPPPPP Y’ALL. Thank you to Hellhound Press for providing me with the copies to read! Let’s get into it 👇🏼
PLOT
Rose is a former noble whose family was stripped of their magic and excommunicated based on a lie, and she’s been in the slums with her sister for the last decade or so. Despite it all, she’s determined to win safety back for her family and plans to do so by being accepted by her goddess into these deadly trials. So she risks it, magic-less and all, to get their life back. But who does she see in the trials? The liar who ruined her life.
- Deadly trials
- love triangle & potentially enemies to lovers?
- direwolves & lots of unique types of magic
- rebellion & court intrigue
- found family
- duet audiobook
- female rage
- med spice
PROS
- I was obsessed with this. I couldn’t stop turning pages & was fiendish.
- I am convinced of you liked Fourth Wing you’ll like this. & not because I think they’re the same (some shared elements sure) but because it sort of just has that *thing* that made me pumped.
- I’m VERY excited for more lore. It feels like we have barely scratched the surface & I am ITCHING. Like there’s so much to work with & I’m QUITE excited.
- I quite liked Rose. She was imperfect but I enjoyed her tremendously.
- The romantic options were hotty pototties. I had my preference naturally but hell yeah.
- THE TENSION, HELLO. They proved to be so hot for each other & it was so fun.
- That ending has me needing more ASAP.
CONS
- The pacing of the romance was great but it did feel like when they finally admitted their feelings the depth of their emotion felt like “whoaaa damn okay.” I know the trials took months so it does kind of make sense, but the depth also felt a little rushed.
I HAD A BLAST. Cannot wait for book 2!
PLOT
Rose is a former noble whose family was stripped of their magic and excommunicated based on a lie, and she’s been in the slums with her sister for the last decade or so. Despite it all, she’s determined to win safety back for her family and plans to do so by being accepted by her goddess into these deadly trials. So she risks it, magic-less and all, to get their life back. But who does she see in the trials? The liar who ruined her life.
- Deadly trials
- love triangle & potentially enemies to lovers?
- direwolves & lots of unique types of magic
- rebellion & court intrigue
- found family
- duet audiobook
- female rage
- med spice
PROS
- I was obsessed with this. I couldn’t stop turning pages & was fiendish.
- I am convinced of you liked Fourth Wing you’ll like this. & not because I think they’re the same (some shared elements sure) but because it sort of just has that *thing* that made me pumped.
- I’m VERY excited for more lore. It feels like we have barely scratched the surface & I am ITCHING. Like there’s so much to work with & I’m QUITE excited.
- I quite liked Rose. She was imperfect but I enjoyed her tremendously.
- The romantic options were hotty pototties. I had my preference naturally but hell yeah.
- THE TENSION, HELLO. They proved to be so hot for each other & it was so fun.
- That ending has me needing more ASAP.
CONS
- The pacing of the romance was great but it did feel like when they finally admitted their feelings the depth of their emotion felt like “whoaaa damn okay.” I know the trials took months so it does kind of make sense, but the depth also felt a little rushed.
I HAD A BLAST. Cannot wait for book 2!
February 27, 2026
3.0 ⭐️ | This is your stereotypically romantasy. The MCs "HATE" each other due to past trauma that was dealt to each of their families when they were children and although we have strong declarations of "love" by the end of the book, we never ONCE got a conversation about moving past said trauma to warrant a relationship. "Do you trust me? Yes." Okay let's bang and love each other now I guess.
I will say that I enjoyed the writing style and the engaging trials. That was the best part NGL. I also liked the two characters that died but kept the story alive.
But outside that, everything was kinda copy and paste of other books I have been reading in this genre for years. Dire Wolves? Cool, we read about them for 5 whole sentences. Female on Female hate for no reason, check. A love match that gets spicy for no other reason outside of sexual attraction, you got it. A blonde haired male interest that is hiding secrets and downplaying the FMC..there's that too in spades.
Even the ending was lame. What do you mean the 18 year sister that is dating a douchebag winds up married to an old rich dude to hide the pregnancy? And then the MMC protects the FMC by giving his cruel king of a dad a speech to get him off his back but ohh, the FMC is gonna take it personally and in that, breaks her heart? COME ON.
I seriously don't know how there are 3 more books to a series that really gave us nothing to build off of outside of the trials to continue forward but here we are.
Thank you to the author and the Nerd Fam for the ARC
I will say that I enjoyed the writing style and the engaging trials. That was the best part NGL. I also liked the two characters that died but kept the story alive.
But outside that, everything was kinda copy and paste of other books I have been reading in this genre for years. Dire Wolves? Cool, we read about them for 5 whole sentences. Female on Female hate for no reason, check. A love match that gets spicy for no other reason outside of sexual attraction, you got it. A blonde haired male interest that is hiding secrets and downplaying the FMC..there's that too in spades.
Even the ending was lame. What do you mean the 18 year sister that is dating a douchebag winds up married to an old rich dude to hide the pregnancy? And then the MMC protects the FMC by giving his cruel king of a dad a speech to get him off his back but ohh, the FMC is gonna take it personally and in that, breaks her heart? COME ON.
I seriously don't know how there are 3 more books to a series that really gave us nothing to build off of outside of the trials to continue forward but here we are.
Thank you to the author and the Nerd Fam for the ARC
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2026
was this formulaic? yes. was this a blast of a time? HELL YES MAMA!!!
i loved all the characters, the stakes were high and the ending was insane!!
the only qualm i have is that the romance felt a little rushed towards the end, but i think book 2 may rectify that.
the trials were so fun, i never knew what was about to happen! 10/10, loved this, and the audio was amazing!!
4.25 ⭐️
i loved all the characters, the stakes were high and the ending was insane!!
the only qualm i have is that the romance felt a little rushed towards the end, but i think book 2 may rectify that.
the trials were so fun, i never knew what was about to happen! 10/10, loved this, and the audio was amazing!!
4.25 ⭐️
September 5, 2026
3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
༺𓆩༒︎𓆪༻
I've read this exact setup a dozen times now. Poor girl loses everything, family gets stripped of title and wealth, she claws her way back up while plotting revenge on the crown. The first 150 pages were a slog, nothing really happens until way later than it should. And the villain being the king? Sure, why not, we've seen that a hundred times too.
Honestly the only thing that kept me going was the enemies to lovers arc. The banter between the two leads actually had chemistry, and their inside jokes made me smile more than once. That said, the love interest randomly getting blue eyes after his mom dies was just weird. Felt like a quick visual cue for "he's different now" .
What I couldn't stand: her sister and this one guy, Jonas, were written to be so unlikable that I dreaded every scene they showed up in. Not in a great villain way, just plain irritating. Also, and this is a personal pet peeve, modern slang has no business showing up in a world with swords and horse drawn carriages. It kept yanking me right out of the story.
Given how long this book is, I really expected more worldbuilding. There was so much room for it and it just didn't happen. Everything felt average at best, and honestly the whole thing read like it was stitched together from better books in the genre. Fine if you want something familiar and undemanding, but don't expect anything new.
Quotes:જ⁀➴
''They say vengeance is a blade best kept sharp, and my dagger has been honed with every betrayal.''
''You are still a thorn in my side, and I want you from the moment I wake, through every breath I take, until the moment I go to sleep. Every
dream I have, every wandering thought, you are there. Don’t you ever again doubt that I want you. ''
''You are the reason I can’t think. Can’t sleep. Can’t stop imagining the way it would feel if it was my fingers and not my power doing this.’''
''ll be saving every dance for you, Lady Rose the Gifted,''’
༺𓆩༒︎𓆪༻
I've read this exact setup a dozen times now. Poor girl loses everything, family gets stripped of title and wealth, she claws her way back up while plotting revenge on the crown. The first 150 pages were a slog, nothing really happens until way later than it should. And the villain being the king? Sure, why not, we've seen that a hundred times too.
Honestly the only thing that kept me going was the enemies to lovers arc. The banter between the two leads actually had chemistry, and their inside jokes made me smile more than once. That said, the love interest randomly getting blue eyes after his mom dies was just weird. Felt like a quick visual cue for "he's different now" .
What I couldn't stand: her sister and this one guy, Jonas, were written to be so unlikable that I dreaded every scene they showed up in. Not in a great villain way, just plain irritating. Also, and this is a personal pet peeve, modern slang has no business showing up in a world with swords and horse drawn carriages. It kept yanking me right out of the story.
Given how long this book is, I really expected more worldbuilding. There was so much room for it and it just didn't happen. Everything felt average at best, and honestly the whole thing read like it was stitched together from better books in the genre. Fine if you want something familiar and undemanding, but don't expect anything new.
Quotes:જ⁀➴
''They say vengeance is a blade best kept sharp, and my dagger has been honed with every betrayal.''
''You are still a thorn in my side, and I want you from the moment I wake, through every breath I take, until the moment I go to sleep. Every
dream I have, every wandering thought, you are there. Don’t you ever again doubt that I want you. ''
''You are the reason I can’t think. Can’t sleep. Can’t stop imagining the way it would feel if it was my fingers and not my power doing this.’''
''ll be saving every dance for you, Lady Rose the Gifted,''’
May 23, 2026
4.5⭐️ this book was a blast !!! The plot, enemies to lovers romance, the BANTER & a perfect duet narrated audiobook with Anthony Palmini!!!!
Is this the most original romantasy I’ve ever read? Definitely not. HOWEVER, this was a classic romantasy that did everything right. Action packed, amazing tension in the romance, great twists & creative trials.
4.5⭐️
3🌶️
5🧠
Is this the most original romantasy I’ve ever read? Definitely not. HOWEVER, this was a classic romantasy that did everything right. Action packed, amazing tension in the romance, great twists & creative trials.
4.5⭐️
3🌶️
5🧠
May 27, 2026
Oh. My. God.
Immediately hooked. No warmup necessary. You are thrown into chaos immediately and hooked from page one.
This is my new favorite book with trials.
This is one of the best books of 2026.
This is one of my favorite books of all time.
I don't know how to properly explain to you how good this book is.
This is one of the juiciest most epic romantasy stories I have ever read.
Oh. My. God. I feel like throwing a fit.
I'm freaking out. What just happened?!
I flew through this book. I'm mad. I'm mad it's so good.
This is going to put me in a reading slump of epic proportion...
Where do I even start?
When Rose was a child, her mother, a healer, tried to help the queen... but ultimately it wasn't enough and the queen passed away.
When the prince... lied about the reason his mother passed away... Rose was stripped of her magic, cast into the slums, and abandoned by the kingdom...
A once in a century tournament is coming up, and if you win, you receive a blessing from the goddess of life... Rose wants to enter to win her magic back...
The catch... everyone else in this tournament has magic.
The OTHER CATCH... the prince... will be competing as well...
The tension? The hate? It's so desperate and all consuming I could TASTE IT.
The spice? Sweat inducing.
The stakes? Holy shit... I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
The trials? So unique and heart poundingly intense....
The heartbreak... OUCH.
The betrayal... oh my god I have no words.
You know that scene in Charles Angeles when Drew Barrymore realizes what's going on with Sam Rockwell and you're left feeling confused and like... flabbergasted... you're almost in a dreamlike twilight zone state of shock?
Ya... that happened to me here.
The found family. The entire cast of characters had me enthralled.
This is epic. The world is fleshed out and exciting. I feel like screaming I feel like jumping up and down I'm so obsessed.
The female main character? One of my all time favorites. Ever.
The male main character? Jaw meet floor he's so hot so confident so tortured and his back story is so ridiculously layered and complicated... I'm still begging to know more about him.
The magic is so cool I could throw up.
The way the story unravels is going to have you gripping the edge of your seat. I'm talking heart racing wanting to rip your hair out... it's painful... and so exciting.
It's an intricate story but at the same time so easily digestible you'll literally fly through it.
It's got trials, magic, giants, gods, BONDED DIRE WOLVES.... betrayal, secrets...
Tension. Tension. Tension. Did I mention... tension.
The action is insane. I'm serious these are some of the best trials I have ever read.
It's tender... weep from your eyes snot dripping down your face tender.
There’s loss and heartache that breaks you and there's trust and perseverance that rebuilds you.
There's... A LOT of questions I have... after finishing this book that are literally going to keep me up at night until I can get my hands on the second book...
Simply put... I'm blown away.
Immediately hooked. No warmup necessary. You are thrown into chaos immediately and hooked from page one.
This is my new favorite book with trials.
This is one of the best books of 2026.
This is one of my favorite books of all time.
I don't know how to properly explain to you how good this book is.
This is one of the juiciest most epic romantasy stories I have ever read.
Oh. My. God. I feel like throwing a fit.
I'm freaking out. What just happened?!
I flew through this book. I'm mad. I'm mad it's so good.
This is going to put me in a reading slump of epic proportion...
Where do I even start?
When Rose was a child, her mother, a healer, tried to help the queen... but ultimately it wasn't enough and the queen passed away.
When the prince... lied about the reason his mother passed away... Rose was stripped of her magic, cast into the slums, and abandoned by the kingdom...
A once in a century tournament is coming up, and if you win, you receive a blessing from the goddess of life... Rose wants to enter to win her magic back...
The catch... everyone else in this tournament has magic.
The OTHER CATCH... the prince... will be competing as well...
The tension? The hate? It's so desperate and all consuming I could TASTE IT.
The spice? Sweat inducing.
The stakes? Holy shit... I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
The trials? So unique and heart poundingly intense....
The heartbreak... OUCH.
The betrayal... oh my god I have no words.
You know that scene in Charles Angeles when Drew Barrymore realizes what's going on with Sam Rockwell and you're left feeling confused and like... flabbergasted... you're almost in a dreamlike twilight zone state of shock?
Ya... that happened to me here.
The found family. The entire cast of characters had me enthralled.
This is epic. The world is fleshed out and exciting. I feel like screaming I feel like jumping up and down I'm so obsessed.
The female main character? One of my all time favorites. Ever.
The male main character? Jaw meet floor he's so hot so confident so tortured and his back story is so ridiculously layered and complicated... I'm still begging to know more about him.
The magic is so cool I could throw up.
The way the story unravels is going to have you gripping the edge of your seat. I'm talking heart racing wanting to rip your hair out... it's painful... and so exciting.
It's an intricate story but at the same time so easily digestible you'll literally fly through it.
It's got trials, magic, giants, gods, BONDED DIRE WOLVES.... betrayal, secrets...
Tension. Tension. Tension. Did I mention... tension.
The action is insane. I'm serious these are some of the best trials I have ever read.
It's tender... weep from your eyes snot dripping down your face tender.
There’s loss and heartache that breaks you and there's trust and perseverance that rebuilds you.
There's... A LOT of questions I have... after finishing this book that are literally going to keep me up at night until I can get my hands on the second book...
Simply put... I'm blown away.
June 10, 2026
Imagine you are starved, cold, stripped of everything, about to enter the competition of death where you might not make it through, and the first thing you think of is: “let me pack my nexplanon”
like girl, be so for real pack some bread or something
you know this is why I respect peeta so much, he saw the girl he liked and didn’t try to sleep with her, he said you know what I’m going to feed her bc you know what we don’t have in this dead world
FOOD
peeta mellark, I’m sorry I never treasured you like I should have
like girl, be so for real pack some bread or something
you know this is why I respect peeta so much, he saw the girl he liked and didn’t try to sleep with her, he said you know what I’m going to feed her bc you know what we don’t have in this dead world
FOOD
peeta mellark, I’m sorry I never treasured you like I should have
May 17, 2026
4.5 stars - Will come back w more thoughts later but this is a classic romantasy but executed so well??
April 11, 2026
I’m actually not sure how there are so many high starred ratings for this book. 20 chapters in and it’s basically just ‘he’s hot, oh he’s even hotter, I shouldn’t be distracted by his oh-so-muscley chest but I am.’ Like, what?? I’m surprised the FMC can even hold a dagger with how trembling she gets from being in the vicinity of a man for more than 2 seconds. Insta crushes are crazy to have when you’re apparently starved, in pain and worried about dying. I just couldn’t suspend my belief enough to keep reading.
Review of advance copy received from Author
WOW.
This audiobook has everything. A gripping pacy story, characters that make your heart ache. The narrators? Sublime. This is a dual narration and it is WONDERFUL. I am so ready for book 2!
This audiobook has everything. A gripping pacy story, characters that make your heart ache. The narrators? Sublime. This is a dual narration and it is WONDERFUL. I am so ready for book 2!
reading
June 26, 2026PLEASE live up to the hype 😩🤞
March 11, 2026
I REALLY wanted to like this , just as much as people loved it but it honestly took me forever to get into it . To a point where I had to drag it out . I Wanted to DNF it but I decided to push through - the only thing that saved me was the storyline of when Rose gave into Kyor and how much they yearned for each other . Other than that the story was just okay .
How it ended was complete and utter bullshit 😂😂😂😂😂 I felt as though it could’ve ended in a BETTER way and a better plot , but overall it was an ok book .
Would I recommend it ? Of course ; just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s not for someone else .
Will I be reading the next book in the series ? Maybe but I’m in no rush .
How it ended was complete and utter bullshit 😂😂😂😂😂 I felt as though it could’ve ended in a BETTER way and a better plot , but overall it was an ok book .
Would I recommend it ? Of course ; just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean it’s not for someone else .
Will I be reading the next book in the series ? Maybe but I’m in no rush .
June 24, 2026
⭐️⭐️✨
This book had me completely hooked for the first half.
From the very beginning there was always something happening, the pacing was strong, and I was genuinely invested in the story. I loved Rose as a main character and the position she found herself in. The stakes felt high, the world was interesting, and I kept finding excuses to pick the book back up because I needed to know what happened next.
What really kept me turning the pages was the mystery. There were so many little hints and pieces of foreshadowing sprinkled throughout the story that had me convinced something big was coming. Jonas especially gave me that feeling from the start, there was just something slightly off about him that kept me suspicious. Benny and his group also felt like they were hiding secrets, and the story did a great job of making me believe all these threads were building toward something significant.
Unfortunately, somewhere around the 60% mark, the story seemed to lose momentum.
The plot that had been moving so well suddenly felt like it stalled, and the tone shifted into something much more YA than I was expecting. The enemies-to-lovers romance started strong, but once the relationship developed, I felt like the prince lost a lot of what made his character compelling in the first place. The sharp edges that made him interesting seemed to disappear, and the romance ended up feeling a little immature compared to the tension and chemistry that came before it.
My biggest disappointment was that many of the mysteries and hints I’d been so invested in never really landed for me. The foreshadowing had me expecting bigger payoffs, bigger twists, or revelations that would completely change how I viewed the story. Instead, when the answers finally came, they felt underwhelming compared to the anticipation the book had built.
The ending was the biggest letdown. After such a strong start, I was hoping for something that would leave me reeling, but instead it felt rushed and surprisingly flat. I finished the book feeling more frustrated than satisfied, which is a shame because for the first half I genuinely thought this was heading toward a much higher rating.
Overall, I loved the premise, loved Rose, and absolutely flew through the first 50%, but the second half couldn’t quite maintain the same magic.
This book had me completely hooked for the first half.
From the very beginning there was always something happening, the pacing was strong, and I was genuinely invested in the story. I loved Rose as a main character and the position she found herself in. The stakes felt high, the world was interesting, and I kept finding excuses to pick the book back up because I needed to know what happened next.
What really kept me turning the pages was the mystery. There were so many little hints and pieces of foreshadowing sprinkled throughout the story that had me convinced something big was coming. Jonas especially gave me that feeling from the start, there was just something slightly off about him that kept me suspicious. Benny and his group also felt like they were hiding secrets, and the story did a great job of making me believe all these threads were building toward something significant.
Unfortunately, somewhere around the 60% mark, the story seemed to lose momentum.
The plot that had been moving so well suddenly felt like it stalled, and the tone shifted into something much more YA than I was expecting. The enemies-to-lovers romance started strong, but once the relationship developed, I felt like the prince lost a lot of what made his character compelling in the first place. The sharp edges that made him interesting seemed to disappear, and the romance ended up feeling a little immature compared to the tension and chemistry that came before it.
My biggest disappointment was that many of the mysteries and hints I’d been so invested in never really landed for me. The foreshadowing had me expecting bigger payoffs, bigger twists, or revelations that would completely change how I viewed the story. Instead, when the answers finally came, they felt underwhelming compared to the anticipation the book had built.
The ending was the biggest letdown. After such a strong start, I was hoping for something that would leave me reeling, but instead it felt rushed and surprisingly flat. I finished the book feeling more frustrated than satisfied, which is a shame because for the first half I genuinely thought this was heading toward a much higher rating.
Overall, I loved the premise, loved Rose, and absolutely flew through the first 50%, but the second half couldn’t quite maintain the same magic.
July 16, 2026
I was expecting this book to be amazing after all the hype, but.. for me, this one is over-hyped.
3 ⭐️
1.25 🌶
What's inside:
- Romantasy
- Deadly Trials
- Found Family
- Enemies to Lovers
- Lost Magic
- Hiddent Magic
- Slow Burn
- Gods & Goddesses
- Royal Court Intrigue
- Forced Proximity
- Dire Wolves
-- I should have known a man who kissed like a storm would only ever leave destruction in his wake. --
I will say it's a decent book, and I did enjoy it. But, after all the influencers raving and saying it was the next big book to blow up, it just wasnt as good as I was expecting.
This was just like most every other romantasy book out there, there isnt really anything that sets it apart or makes it special. I laughed a few times and enjoyed the story overall, and yes, I am going to read the second book and see what happens next. It was good to read once, but it's just not something that blew my mind or made me obsessed with the book like I had expected.
Kyor, the prince, is all hot and broody, and has super-strong storm powers. He is the reason the FMCs mother was killed and she wants vengeance. Of course, when they both enter the same competition and they are forced to be around each other, sparks fly and they each realize the other may not be as bad as they thought.
I dunno, maybe it's just me because the reviews for this book are pretty stellar, but seriously I don't get it. It's a copy paste of most every other romantasy book I've ever read, and this one didnt even make me really feel something or get super invested in the characters.
3 ⭐️
1.25 🌶
What's inside:
- Romantasy
- Deadly Trials
- Found Family
- Enemies to Lovers
- Lost Magic
- Hiddent Magic
- Slow Burn
- Gods & Goddesses
- Royal Court Intrigue
- Forced Proximity
- Dire Wolves
-- I should have known a man who kissed like a storm would only ever leave destruction in his wake. --
I will say it's a decent book, and I did enjoy it. But, after all the influencers raving and saying it was the next big book to blow up, it just wasnt as good as I was expecting.
This was just like most every other romantasy book out there, there isnt really anything that sets it apart or makes it special. I laughed a few times and enjoyed the story overall, and yes, I am going to read the second book and see what happens next. It was good to read once, but it's just not something that blew my mind or made me obsessed with the book like I had expected.
Kyor, the prince, is all hot and broody, and has super-strong storm powers. He is the reason the FMCs mother was killed and she wants vengeance. Of course, when they both enter the same competition and they are forced to be around each other, sparks fly and they each realize the other may not be as bad as they thought.
I dunno, maybe it's just me because the reviews for this book are pretty stellar, but seriously I don't get it. It's a copy paste of most every other romantasy book I've ever read, and this one didnt even make me really feel something or get super invested in the characters.
March 6, 2026
“because you’re trusting and want to think the best of people. and that’s not a bad thing.”
—
this gave me powerless x fourth wing vibes in the best way. the plot was so entertaining and fast paced that i didn’t want to put it down. the trials, the twists, and the magic system were all super unique.
rose was such an intriguing fmc. she’s lost literally everything and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it back, but i loved that she never lost that part of herself that still wanted to help others, even when it meant putting herself at risk.
kyor. a new storm daddy… sat. the things that came out of this man’s mouth should actually be illegal. someone should’ve sedated me. the slow burn enemies to lovers ATE and the spice?? i had to go reconnect with nature.
benny my love!!! he’s such a perfect friend and so precious. protect him at all costs i stg. oh and jonas… don’t pmo. he was literally dain but worse lol.
the betrayals went crazy and imma need book two immediately because i have questions and i will not be okay until things are addressed. i’m crashing out.
“𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝒊 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝒊 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍. 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒊 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕.”
—
this gave me powerless x fourth wing vibes in the best way. the plot was so entertaining and fast paced that i didn’t want to put it down. the trials, the twists, and the magic system were all super unique.
rose was such an intriguing fmc. she’s lost literally everything and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it back, but i loved that she never lost that part of herself that still wanted to help others, even when it meant putting herself at risk.
kyor. a new storm daddy… sat. the things that came out of this man’s mouth should actually be illegal. someone should’ve sedated me. the slow burn enemies to lovers ATE and the spice?? i had to go reconnect with nature.
benny my love!!! he’s such a perfect friend and so precious. protect him at all costs i stg. oh and jonas… don’t pmo. he was literally dain but worse lol.
the betrayals went crazy and imma need book two immediately because i have questions and i will not be okay until things are addressed. i’m crashing out.
“𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆. 𝒊 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝒊 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍. 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒊 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕.”
April 2, 2026
another fail
The most boring fantasy I’ve read so far. There is no substance to the book just a whole lot of nothing
The most boring fantasy I’ve read so far. There is no substance to the book just a whole lot of nothing
September 25, 2026
Connect with me!
✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph ✏ TikTok ✏ Facebook
Web of Vows and Vengeance reminded me why I love romantasy. Rose is a witty and intelligent underdog fighting through a deadly tournament to save her sister. Prince Kyor is the brooding and lightning wielding royal she has every reason to hate. Then, Aria Ashbrook puts them together and lets the banter do its thing. Prince Kyor, the man that you are.
The Tournament of the Gifting gives Rose a chance to reclaim everything her family lost after Kyor’s childhood accusation destroyed their lives. Rose enters without magic and faces competitors who have every advantage over her. The trials bring monsters, gods, deadly rivals, and danger. The relationships remain the focus of the story. Trial based fantasies are rarely my favorite, but I loved this story because the characters are not buried beneath the intricies of the competition.
Rose and Kyor have the best chemistry. Their hostility slowly shifts into attraction as forced proximity complicates what Rose believes about him. Their banter is sharp, flirty, and ridiculously entertaining. Rose can hold her own against him too. Kyor is a sexy, brooding man and Rose is a witty woman who wants him despite every reason she should not. I was happy.
Llinos deserves her own appreciation because that woman had me laughing out loud. Her solution to Rose’s romantic triangle problems was to think about getting Kyor and Jonas naked so Rose could have both men. I respected the commitment Llinos had for improving Rose's life with questionable advice. Llinos brought so much humor and personality to Rose’s found family that the twist involving her was devastating. I needed ten business days to process what happened.
Ashbrook makes the characters easy to care about. The friendships matter. The attraction feels magnetic. Rose’s determination to save Kay gives the tournament reasoning beyond simply surviving the trials. Kyor’s secrets leave uncertainty surrounding his history with Rose which makes their growing connection complicated rather than convenient.
The final portion slows as the story shifts toward court politics and renewed distrust of Kyor. I wanted Rose and Kyor together more than I wanted another reason for Rose to question him. The cliffhanger certainly accomplished its mission. Book two is now required reading because I need Kyor to start clearing up whatever is happening immediately.
I cannot believe more romantasy readers are not talking about Web of Vows and Vengeance. The writing flows beautifully, the relationships take priority, the characters inspired actual emotional attachment, and the romance is exactly what I wanted. Kyor and Rose have my attention and Aria Ashbrook has me running directly toward the sequel.
✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph ✏ TikTok ✏ Facebook
Web of Vows and Vengeance reminded me why I love romantasy. Rose is a witty and intelligent underdog fighting through a deadly tournament to save her sister. Prince Kyor is the brooding and lightning wielding royal she has every reason to hate. Then, Aria Ashbrook puts them together and lets the banter do its thing. Prince Kyor, the man that you are.
The Tournament of the Gifting gives Rose a chance to reclaim everything her family lost after Kyor’s childhood accusation destroyed their lives. Rose enters without magic and faces competitors who have every advantage over her. The trials bring monsters, gods, deadly rivals, and danger. The relationships remain the focus of the story. Trial based fantasies are rarely my favorite, but I loved this story because the characters are not buried beneath the intricies of the competition.
Rose and Kyor have the best chemistry. Their hostility slowly shifts into attraction as forced proximity complicates what Rose believes about him. Their banter is sharp, flirty, and ridiculously entertaining. Rose can hold her own against him too. Kyor is a sexy, brooding man and Rose is a witty woman who wants him despite every reason she should not. I was happy.
Llinos deserves her own appreciation because that woman had me laughing out loud. Her solution to Rose’s romantic triangle problems was to think about getting Kyor and Jonas naked so Rose could have both men. I respected the commitment Llinos had for improving Rose's life with questionable advice. Llinos brought so much humor and personality to Rose’s found family that the twist involving her was devastating. I needed ten business days to process what happened.
Ashbrook makes the characters easy to care about. The friendships matter. The attraction feels magnetic. Rose’s determination to save Kay gives the tournament reasoning beyond simply surviving the trials. Kyor’s secrets leave uncertainty surrounding his history with Rose which makes their growing connection complicated rather than convenient.
The final portion slows as the story shifts toward court politics and renewed distrust of Kyor. I wanted Rose and Kyor together more than I wanted another reason for Rose to question him. The cliffhanger certainly accomplished its mission. Book two is now required reading because I need Kyor to start clearing up whatever is happening immediately.
I cannot believe more romantasy readers are not talking about Web of Vows and Vengeance. The writing flows beautifully, the relationships take priority, the characters inspired actual emotional attachment, and the romance is exactly what I wanted. Kyor and Rose have my attention and Aria Ashbrook has me running directly toward the sequel.
Did Not Finish
July 18, 2026DNF at 48%
This is hurting me more than it's going to hurt you. I had sky high hopes for this one. Every time I came across this book on social media, everyone was singing its praises from the high heavens. I actually made it a point to wait for a few books to be published so a possible cliffhanger wouldn't hurt me. I should have just put myself out of this misery way back when I first saw this and kept it pushing. It would have been less disappointing that way. Even my favorite male narrator (Anthony Palmini) couldn't save this one for me. H*ll, I gave this book an extra 30% listen because I had such high hopes that Anthony would make this worth it for me. Sorry to say, Anthony, it's not you, it's me.
The main issue I had was with the story. The only way I can explain it is that it was plain. In the sense that it tried very hard to keep my interest, but it fell flat every time. The writing was great. The overall pace was slower, but would also have been fine if any of the characters had been entertaining enough to keep my attention.
After all of that, I was just done with this book. I thought I was starting a romantasy that was going to become my new favorite personality. Instead it just became a great big reminder that not all that shines is gold and that a lot of hyped up books have and will disappoint me. And that's ok ♡
This is hurting me more than it's going to hurt you. I had sky high hopes for this one. Every time I came across this book on social media, everyone was singing its praises from the high heavens. I actually made it a point to wait for a few books to be published so a possible cliffhanger wouldn't hurt me. I should have just put myself out of this misery way back when I first saw this and kept it pushing. It would have been less disappointing that way. Even my favorite male narrator (Anthony Palmini) couldn't save this one for me. H*ll, I gave this book an extra 30% listen because I had such high hopes that Anthony would make this worth it for me. Sorry to say, Anthony, it's not you, it's me.
The main issue I had was with the story. The only way I can explain it is that it was plain. In the sense that it tried very hard to keep my interest, but it fell flat every time. The writing was great. The overall pace was slower, but would also have been fine if any of the characters had been entertaining enough to keep my attention.
After all of that, I was just done with this book. I thought I was starting a romantasy that was going to become my new favorite personality. Instead it just became a great big reminder that not all that shines is gold and that a lot of hyped up books have and will disappoint me. And that's ok ♡
April 4, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 This was such a fun one!! Loved the found family!!
March 5, 2026
I need to start by saying: that ending! I am not okay, and I mean that as the highest compliment a book can receive. I finished this and immediately started spiraling because I need book two yesterday.
I haven't been pulled into a story this fast in a long time. From the first pages, Web of Vows and Vengeance had its hooks in me and never once let go. Aria Ashbrook keeps the pace relentless, not frantic, just alive and the story never drags or stalls. Every chapter earns its place.
Rose is exactly the kind of FMC I've been looking for without knowing it. She's resilient, caring, and deeply emotional, and somehow none of those traits make her feel fragile. She carries so much and never loses herself. I adored her completely.
And Kyor..... The mouth on that man. I am fully obsessed, and a massive thank you to Anthony Palmini for bringing him to life so perfectly in the audiobook. The duet narration is absolutely sublime. Both narrators are divine, and the performance elevated an already incredible story into something I'll be thinking about for weeks.
The found family and side characters deserve their own paragraph. They added so much texture and emotional weight to the story. The kind of depth that makes a world feel real and makes you genuinely care about everyone on the page.
Do yourself a favor: clear your schedule, start the audio, and try to prepare for that ending!
I haven't been pulled into a story this fast in a long time. From the first pages, Web of Vows and Vengeance had its hooks in me and never once let go. Aria Ashbrook keeps the pace relentless, not frantic, just alive and the story never drags or stalls. Every chapter earns its place.
Rose is exactly the kind of FMC I've been looking for without knowing it. She's resilient, caring, and deeply emotional, and somehow none of those traits make her feel fragile. She carries so much and never loses herself. I adored her completely.
And Kyor..... The mouth on that man. I am fully obsessed, and a massive thank you to Anthony Palmini for bringing him to life so perfectly in the audiobook. The duet narration is absolutely sublime. Both narrators are divine, and the performance elevated an already incredible story into something I'll be thinking about for weeks.
The found family and side characters deserve their own paragraph. They added so much texture and emotional weight to the story. The kind of depth that makes a world feel real and makes you genuinely care about everyone on the page.
Do yourself a favor: clear your schedule, start the audio, and try to prepare for that ending!
Read
March 5, 2026✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✧
4 stars
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ʀᴇᴀᴅ 3.5.26
overview
to say i was not expecting that ending would be AN UNDERSTATEMENT. i've been struggling with the worst books recently, and let's just say this felt like book vacation. where the writing lacks, the plot makes up because boy, was this a wild ride.
the main character, rose, is a former noble who's been stripped of her magic after an incident years before. she and her sister are just barely staying afloat in the slums, when an opportunity to enter the tournament of the gifting arises. the high risk, high reward tournament offers a way out of their situation, and of course, hot men.
if you know me, then you know i loooove badass fmcs. in the beginning, while she definitely has a badass attitude, she lacks in skills and ability *cough* magic *cough*, so one of the best parts of this book was watching her grow into her own skin.
so, this book is a love triangle, but i'm going to focus on kyor, cause oh mah gawd, this man is HOT. while he is similar to every other romantasy mmc in morally grey fashion, he's also a little bit quirky. in a good way, i promise. instead of shadows, he wields storms and lightning (which definitely makes for some interesting smut). he's also the KING of yearning- i swear, half of this book is him being hot as hell, and the other half is him yearning.
with that being said, the smut was decidedly not that good, but in the general scheme of things, it's easy enough to skip over. the best part of their relationship was the tension before they actually got together, which was gold.
as advertised, this book is enemies to lovers, but i found that their relationship became a bit toxic and all consuming as the book continued. and not in a good "i hate you so much that i'm going to kiss you way" but more of a "screw the plot, lets fuck our way out of this" way. this book is also supposedly a dark romance, but it wasn't too dark romance wise in my opinion. while some of the plot content could be triggering, the actual romance is smut.
the plot shares similarities with many other romantasies (morally grey, magicless fmc, fmc warrior arc, deadly trials, etc.), but i found that the plot twists made it unique. i was genuinely on the verge of tears in one scene, which says something because the only books that i've ever cried for are fourth wing and acotar.
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇꜱ
⟢ morally grey characters
⟡ deadly trials
⟢ touch her and die
⟡ YEARNINGGGG
⟢ found family
⟡ single pov
⟢ storm wielder
⟡ revenge arc
my somewhat unhinged thoughts reading quotes from this book
"i’m not him to you. i’m not your prince. your kingdom’s heir. your whatever else other people call me. i’m yours. that’s it. you understand? i’m yours, even if you’re not mine. even if this isn’t the same for you as it is for me. if you don’t …"
SDLKFSDKJKDNFKDNSFKLSDNM
"in a purely platonic way, obviously. the last thing this group can deal with is a love triangle becoming a love quadrilateral, and to be fair, you probably wouldn’t be my first choice out of the trio of possibilities."
that one side character keeping it real
"a corkscrew twists my insides as i consider the conversation we were having just before seiren’s latest episode."
is she getting fucked by a duck?? (iykyk)
"if you’re going for the heart, don’t go for the centre. you’ll hit the sternum and the bone’s too thick there. go to the left, between the ribs. that’s the best shot."
are we joking? blowjobs are the best way to a mans heart
"no one can hold themselves against it. every single person drops to the ground."
*evil smirk*
‘you are the reason i can’t think. can’t sleep. can’t stop imagining the way it would feel if it was my fingers and not my power doing this.’
what the hell is stoping you, dipshit?
♪⋆.˚ now playing: ᴏɴᴡᴀʀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘᴡᴀʀᴅ ʙʏ ᴛᴏᴍᴍᴇᴇ ᴘʀᴏꜰɪᴛᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʟᴇᴜʀɪᴇ
“𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘥? 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦? 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥? 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦?”
overall, if you're looking for a fast paced romantasy (thats also on KU!!), this is a good choice. plus, this is the author's debut, so i can't wait to see where her career leads
4 stars
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ʀᴇᴀᴅ 3.5.26
overview
to say i was not expecting that ending would be AN UNDERSTATEMENT. i've been struggling with the worst books recently, and let's just say this felt like book vacation. where the writing lacks, the plot makes up because boy, was this a wild ride.
the main character, rose, is a former noble who's been stripped of her magic after an incident years before. she and her sister are just barely staying afloat in the slums, when an opportunity to enter the tournament of the gifting arises. the high risk, high reward tournament offers a way out of their situation, and of course, hot men.
if you know me, then you know i loooove badass fmcs. in the beginning, while she definitely has a badass attitude, she lacks in skills and ability *cough* magic *cough*, so one of the best parts of this book was watching her grow into her own skin.
so, this book is a love triangle, but i'm going to focus on kyor, cause oh mah gawd, this man is HOT. while he is similar to every other romantasy mmc in morally grey fashion, he's also a little bit quirky. in a good way, i promise. instead of shadows, he wields storms and lightning (which definitely makes for some interesting smut). he's also the KING of yearning- i swear, half of this book is him being hot as hell, and the other half is him yearning.
with that being said, the smut was decidedly not that good, but in the general scheme of things, it's easy enough to skip over. the best part of their relationship was the tension before they actually got together, which was gold.
as advertised, this book is enemies to lovers, but i found that their relationship became a bit toxic and all consuming as the book continued. and not in a good "i hate you so much that i'm going to kiss you way" but more of a "screw the plot, lets fuck our way out of this" way. this book is also supposedly a dark romance, but it wasn't too dark romance wise in my opinion. while some of the plot content could be triggering, the actual romance is smut.
the plot shares similarities with many other romantasies (morally grey, magicless fmc, fmc warrior arc, deadly trials, etc.), but i found that the plot twists made it unique. i was genuinely on the verge of tears in one scene, which says something because the only books that i've ever cried for are fourth wing and acotar.
⋮ ⌗ ┆ ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇꜱ
⟢ morally grey characters
⟡ deadly trials
⟢ touch her and die
⟡ YEARNINGGGG
⟢ found family
⟡ single pov
⟢ storm wielder
⟡ revenge arc
my somewhat unhinged thoughts reading quotes from this book
"i’m not him to you. i’m not your prince. your kingdom’s heir. your whatever else other people call me. i’m yours. that’s it. you understand? i’m yours, even if you’re not mine. even if this isn’t the same for you as it is for me. if you don’t …"
SDLKFSDKJKDNFKDNSFKLSDNM
"in a purely platonic way, obviously. the last thing this group can deal with is a love triangle becoming a love quadrilateral, and to be fair, you probably wouldn’t be my first choice out of the trio of possibilities."
that one side character keeping it real
"a corkscrew twists my insides as i consider the conversation we were having just before seiren’s latest episode."
is she getting fucked by a duck?? (iykyk)
"if you’re going for the heart, don’t go for the centre. you’ll hit the sternum and the bone’s too thick there. go to the left, between the ribs. that’s the best shot."
are we joking? blowjobs are the best way to a mans heart
"no one can hold themselves against it. every single person drops to the ground."
*evil smirk*
‘you are the reason i can’t think. can’t sleep. can’t stop imagining the way it would feel if it was my fingers and not my power doing this.’
what the hell is stoping you, dipshit?
♪⋆.˚ now playing: ᴏɴᴡᴀʀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘᴡᴀʀᴅ ʙʏ ᴛᴏᴍᴍᴇᴇ ᴘʀᴏꜰɪᴛᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ꜰʟᴇᴜʀɪᴇ
“𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘥? 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦? 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥? 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦?”
overall, if you're looking for a fast paced romantasy (thats also on KU!!), this is a good choice. plus, this is the author's debut, so i can't wait to see where her career leads
March 16, 2026
This is about as basic as romantasy gets and it is very obviously inspired by a lot of the genre’s biggest hits from the past few years. It also has absolutely no reason to be this long. The audiobook is genuinely great though. Anthony Palmini is basically delivering Kingfisher 2.0, and the narration is the only reason I didn’t DNF.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Web of Vows and Vengeance by Aria Ashbrook is the book up for review, and I'm beginning to realize how much I love Romantacy. This will be my second 5 star book of 2026. I was both reading and listening to this book to maximize both experiences.
As for the reading part: this book is very well written. I like the flow of the writing. It's easy to get into and it keeps its strength throughout the book.
As for the listening part: it translates to audio very well, and I feel this is part of the strength at which it was written in the first place. This book was narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb and Anthony Palmini, and I cannot stress how good of a job they both did. The way I wouldn't have been able to get through the spicy scenes if I had to read this book out loud. 😂😭 They both nailed it perfectly.
As for the story itself: it was quite a wild ride! I love books that keep progressing with each chapter. It was simple but informative when it needed to be, and it was dramatic and extra when it needed to be. I loved the characters. Even the side characters added so much drama. Our main female character, Rose, gets shafted by pretty much everyone else's mistakes and jealousy that stems from her parents, but she never lets it hinder her. Her weaknesses come from being too trusting. It was a good theme for her throughout the book. It created a unique dynamic between her and all the other characters, including her love interest.
The spice, though minimal (it's the first book, duh) was REALLY good. It was built up like a true enemies to lovers story should. It was placed in the parts where it actually made sense and also added to the progression of the story.
This book DOES HAVE CONTENT WARNINGS and I would recommend reading them before picking this one up. The death of the inner circle character(s) was a big one in my opinion.
Overall, this was an extremely strong start to a series. I am really looking forward to the next book coming out this summer. If you like dramatic stories with strong female main characters that overcome the odds, I would recommend this one to you.
Thank you The Nerd Fam and Aria Ashbrook for sending me both a physical copy and audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it and genuinely loved this book. My full review will be on my Goodreads.
As for the reading part: this book is very well written. I like the flow of the writing. It's easy to get into and it keeps its strength throughout the book.
As for the listening part: it translates to audio very well, and I feel this is part of the strength at which it was written in the first place. This book was narrated by Amanda Leigh Cobb and Anthony Palmini, and I cannot stress how good of a job they both did. The way I wouldn't have been able to get through the spicy scenes if I had to read this book out loud. 😂😭 They both nailed it perfectly.
As for the story itself: it was quite a wild ride! I love books that keep progressing with each chapter. It was simple but informative when it needed to be, and it was dramatic and extra when it needed to be. I loved the characters. Even the side characters added so much drama. Our main female character, Rose, gets shafted by pretty much everyone else's mistakes and jealousy that stems from her parents, but she never lets it hinder her. Her weaknesses come from being too trusting. It was a good theme for her throughout the book. It created a unique dynamic between her and all the other characters, including her love interest.
The spice, though minimal (it's the first book, duh) was REALLY good. It was built up like a true enemies to lovers story should. It was placed in the parts where it actually made sense and also added to the progression of the story.
This book DOES HAVE CONTENT WARNINGS and I would recommend reading them before picking this one up. The death of the inner circle character(s) was a big one in my opinion.
Overall, this was an extremely strong start to a series. I am really looking forward to the next book coming out this summer. If you like dramatic stories with strong female main characters that overcome the odds, I would recommend this one to you.
Thank you The Nerd Fam and Aria Ashbrook for sending me both a physical copy and audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it and genuinely loved this book. My full review will be on my Goodreads.
March 18, 2026
This is fabulous!! 🖤🖤
I really loved how we had a great balance of action, twists, romance and spice.
While also having me second guessing and such a lovely found family 🫶
Absolutely love how original the trials felt and everyone’s different magic was so cool!
Rose is a true one!! I love how she stuck to her beliefs no matter what and didn’t let others sway her!! She’s a fighter through and through!
If you loved Fourth Wing and Dire bound you’re definitely gonna want to pick this!
I’m very intrigued to see where this story goes because that ending definitely makes you want more.
This is absolutely a must read for all Romantasy lovers ♥️
I really loved how we had a great balance of action, twists, romance and spice.
While also having me second guessing and such a lovely found family 🫶
Absolutely love how original the trials felt and everyone’s different magic was so cool!
Rose is a true one!! I love how she stuck to her beliefs no matter what and didn’t let others sway her!! She’s a fighter through and through!
If you loved Fourth Wing and Dire bound you’re definitely gonna want to pick this!
I’m very intrigued to see where this story goes because that ending definitely makes you want more.
This is absolutely a must read for all Romantasy lovers ♥️
September 11, 2026
this was illegally good... 5 stars! ✨✨✨✨✨ can't wait to read the next one!
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