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Blood on the Bark
When a murdered guard is found tangled in the branches of the World Tree, disgraced warrior Kaela expects a routine investigation.
Instead, she’s forced to partner with Hian—a brilliant Flora investigator, former friend, and the last man she ever wanted at her side.
Their hunt for a killer leads beyond the safety of the World Tree into the human kingdoms, where another corpse waits beneath cursed branches, old political tensions are stirring, and the murder may be tied to a conspiracy threatening everything their people have built.
Kaela trusts instinct and steel. Hian trusts reason and old lore. They have spent years resenting each other.
Now they have to survive together.
As danger closes in and the road forces old wounds open, animosity gives way to a bond neither can deny. But with assassins moving in the shadows and a war hidden in the roots of history ready to bloom, surrendering to desire may be the most dangerous risk of all.
In a world grown from living branches and blood-soaked bark, love may be the one thing more perilous than betrayal.
Blood on the Bark is a slow-burn fantasy romance filled with murder, magic, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a richly imagined world of beastkin, living forests, and ancient secrets.
Instead, she’s forced to partner with Hian—a brilliant Flora investigator, former friend, and the last man she ever wanted at her side.
Their hunt for a killer leads beyond the safety of the World Tree into the human kingdoms, where another corpse waits beneath cursed branches, old political tensions are stirring, and the murder may be tied to a conspiracy threatening everything their people have built.
Kaela trusts instinct and steel. Hian trusts reason and old lore. They have spent years resenting each other.
Now they have to survive together.
As danger closes in and the road forces old wounds open, animosity gives way to a bond neither can deny. But with assassins moving in the shadows and a war hidden in the roots of history ready to bloom, surrendering to desire may be the most dangerous risk of all.
In a world grown from living branches and blood-soaked bark, love may be the one thing more perilous than betrayal.
Blood on the Bark is a slow-burn fantasy romance filled with murder, magic, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a richly imagined world of beastkin, living forests, and ancient secrets.
- GenresFantasy
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 24, 2026
About the author
Emily Hickey
5 booksA reader who occasionally writes, and far more often, forgets to add books she finished to her Goodreads account.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Dnf at 55% (chapter 23). So, I was lied to. I saw the book promoted on reddit r/fantasyromance with a trope map promising me grumpy fmc x sunshine mmc, and that was the biggest reason I requested the book (and also because fmc looks like Casca from Berserk). What do you expect when a character is described as "sunshine"? Cheerful, optimistic, bubbly, supportive, extroverted, kind etc. Right? Someone who shines the light inside the grumpy character's darkness. Well, that's not the case here.
Kaela, our "grumpy" character, is actually pretty cool. It's clear something happened in the past that got her demoted and treated with suspicion and lack of respect, but she's enduring it without much complaint, even when she's being bullied and abused, she's helpful and competent. She holds a grudge, but rightfully so, since it's getting her punched and demeaned. She can shapeshift into a cat-like beast, she's experienced, cautious bordering on paranoid, overly self-reliant and proud, but also isn't needlessly cruel or rude, maybe a bit curt. She's basically my type of fmc.
Hian seems to be living a privileged life where he's oblivious to any injustices happening, either people of higher station abusing power, or people of lower station being mistreated. He's very naive and clueless, but acts like a know-it-all, often pushing his very stupid ideas forward. He can't believe anything he thinks could be wrong, even when confronted with proofs he keeps dismissing it and denying. He also disregards Kaela's warnings and walks straight into danger or blabs stuff he should keep secret. He also seems to have contributed to Kaela's demotion in the past, but he shows no guilt or remorse, rather he looks down upon her. In short, he was an insufferable, stuck up, judgemental, spoiled brat.
In the part I've read, he showed her kindness once - carrying her when she had an injured leg, and only at the very end of their trek - while at this point she already saved his life multiple times. He also constantly tried to stop her from killing their enemies, which got them into further trouble and other people killed.
Maybe thanks to some lengthy character development this guy gets his head out of his ass, but I got tired waiting for him to show any signs of bettering himself.
As for the rest of the story: the writing is passable, albeit rough around the edges. For example sometimes after the scene break it's not very clear whose pov are we next in. There was a passage where I thought it was Hian's pov, but it was Lorcan's, and I had to backtrack and figure out who got grabbed, because I had the wrong person in mind. Especially since it was advertised as dual POV, so how come side characters like Lorcan are getting pov too? I don't mind multi-pov but be clear about it.
Sometimes it would also read fairly unedited, like multiple sentences in a row starting with "Hian", no stylistic variation.
The worldbuilding is very interesting and unique, especially everything about Flora people who have grass instead of hair and don't eat food but photosynthesize.
There are some plot conveniences, or maybe just characters being stupid - there was a situation where they had a choice This made little sense except "the plot needed it".
This was also marketed as fantasy romance, but so far the extent of the romance was Kaela noticing Hian is handsome and Hian looking at her crotch when she was undressed to tend to an injury, and then feeling embarrassed. Seriously, this guy was so useless. Hurt/comfort where? When he was undressed as a prisoner, at least Kaela prioritized helping him, rather than ogling him.
I liked her as a character, the down on her luck person who makes mistakes but tries her best. Hian though? He was Not It.
Anyway, this is an okay read as an adventure/intrigue fantasy with interesting worldbuilding inspired by Night Elf Druids from World of Warcraft (they have a World Tree), and "black cat" energy fmc, as long as you disregard everything it was marketed as, or maybe are willing to wait ages until the "fantasy romance with sunshine mmc and hurt/comfort" actually materializes. To be clear, I don't mind no spice, I don't even mind no romance, but I do mind misleading marketing and being duped. Also I do mind a stuck up jerk mmc who gets the fmc into trouble, and then she's the one to suffer all the consequences while he gets away scot free.
Is this book role reversal? Maybe if we consider mmc being a gender-swapped "too stupid to live spoiled princess who's told not to do something and does it anyway and then needs to be saved from the ordeal". But I never liked that type of a character, even in its female iteration.
That would be 4 star for the book, -1 star for bait&switch marketing, therefore a 3.
Thank you Emily Hickey and BookSirens for the ARC.
Kaela, our "grumpy" character, is actually pretty cool. It's clear something happened in the past that got her demoted and treated with suspicion and lack of respect, but she's enduring it without much complaint, even when she's being bullied and abused, she's helpful and competent. She holds a grudge, but rightfully so, since it's getting her punched and demeaned. She can shapeshift into a cat-like beast, she's experienced, cautious bordering on paranoid, overly self-reliant and proud, but also isn't needlessly cruel or rude, maybe a bit curt. She's basically my type of fmc.
Hian seems to be living a privileged life where he's oblivious to any injustices happening, either people of higher station abusing power, or people of lower station being mistreated. He's very naive and clueless, but acts like a know-it-all, often pushing his very stupid ideas forward. He can't believe anything he thinks could be wrong, even when confronted with proofs he keeps dismissing it and denying. He also disregards Kaela's warnings and walks straight into danger or blabs stuff he should keep secret. He also seems to have contributed to Kaela's demotion in the past, but he shows no guilt or remorse, rather he looks down upon her. In short, he was an insufferable, stuck up, judgemental, spoiled brat.
In the part I've read, he showed her kindness once - carrying her when she had an injured leg, and only at the very end of their trek - while at this point she already saved his life multiple times. He also constantly tried to stop her from killing their enemies, which got them into further trouble and other people killed.
Maybe thanks to some lengthy character development this guy gets his head out of his ass, but I got tired waiting for him to show any signs of bettering himself.
As for the rest of the story: the writing is passable, albeit rough around the edges. For example sometimes after the scene break it's not very clear whose pov are we next in. There was a passage where I thought it was Hian's pov, but it was Lorcan's, and I had to backtrack and figure out who got grabbed, because I had the wrong person in mind. Especially since it was advertised as dual POV, so how come side characters like Lorcan are getting pov too? I don't mind multi-pov but be clear about it.
Sometimes it would also read fairly unedited, like multiple sentences in a row starting with "Hian", no stylistic variation.
The worldbuilding is very interesting and unique, especially everything about Flora people who have grass instead of hair and don't eat food but photosynthesize.
There are some plot conveniences, or maybe just characters being stupid - there was a situation where they had a choice This made little sense except "the plot needed it".
This was also marketed as fantasy romance, but so far the extent of the romance was Kaela noticing Hian is handsome and Hian looking at her crotch when she was undressed to tend to an injury, and then feeling embarrassed. Seriously, this guy was so useless. Hurt/comfort where? When he was undressed as a prisoner, at least Kaela prioritized helping him, rather than ogling him.
I liked her as a character, the down on her luck person who makes mistakes but tries her best. Hian though? He was Not It.
Anyway, this is an okay read as an adventure/intrigue fantasy with interesting worldbuilding inspired by Night Elf Druids from World of Warcraft (they have a World Tree), and "black cat" energy fmc, as long as you disregard everything it was marketed as, or maybe are willing to wait ages until the "fantasy romance with sunshine mmc and hurt/comfort" actually materializes. To be clear, I don't mind no spice, I don't even mind no romance, but I do mind misleading marketing and being duped. Also I do mind a stuck up jerk mmc who gets the fmc into trouble, and then she's the one to suffer all the consequences while he gets away scot free.
Is this book role reversal? Maybe if we consider mmc being a gender-swapped "too stupid to live spoiled princess who's told not to do something and does it anyway and then needs to be saved from the ordeal". But I never liked that type of a character, even in its female iteration.
That would be 4 star for the book, -1 star for bait&switch marketing, therefore a 3.
Thank you Emily Hickey and BookSirens for the ARC.
May 5, 2026
It is a very intresting worldbulding with fauna and flora magic. The story is about Hian and Kaela, two rivals inspectors that have to work together to save the flora how are been slaughter by human and understand why they want their blood.
I like their quest, her friendship with Lorcan (the human that lost her parents and Kaela made her second in comand) and their conection with the trees. But Hian did annoyed me a lot of times for be so naive and kinda stupid to Kaela.
I like their quest, her friendship with Lorcan (the human that lost her parents and Kaela made her second in comand) and their conection with the trees. But Hian did annoyed me a lot of times for be so naive and kinda stupid to Kaela.
May 3, 2026
I would like to thank the author of Blood on the Bark for providing me with an ARC. The story was an adventurous fantasy, which I appreciated. However, I think the book could benefit from a prologue introducing the world or a glossary to help clarify the different species. Overall, I enjoyed the read and appreciate the opportunity to explore this story.
Review of advance copy
Haunting, atmospheric, and quietly powerful
Blood on the Bark is the kind of story that creeps under your skin slowly, wrapping you in its eerie atmosphere before you even realise how invested you’ve become.
From the start, there’s a strong sense of unease woven through the narrative—like something isn’t quite right beneath the surface. The writing leans into that beautifully, creating a moody, almost suffocating tension that lingers long after you’ve put the book down. It’s less about constant action and more about the quiet, creeping dread—and it works incredibly well.
I really connected with the emotional core of the story. The characters felt layered and real, especially in the way they carried their pasts and the weight of their choices. There’s a rawness to their struggles that made the story hit harder, even in its quieter moments.
The setting deserves a mention too—it felt alive in its own way. Dark, immersive, and at times almost oppressive, it added so much to the overall tone of the book and helped elevate the tension throughout.
If I had one small critique, it would be that the pacing occasionally slowed a bit too much in the middle, and I found myself wanting certain plot threads to tighten slightly. But the payoff was still satisfying and emotionally resonant.
Overall, this is a beautifully written, haunting read that leans into atmosphere and emotion over fast-paced action. If you enjoy stories that are a little dark, a little unsettling, and deeply immersive, this one is definitely worth your time.
Blood on the Bark is the kind of story that creeps under your skin slowly, wrapping you in its eerie atmosphere before you even realise how invested you’ve become.
From the start, there’s a strong sense of unease woven through the narrative—like something isn’t quite right beneath the surface. The writing leans into that beautifully, creating a moody, almost suffocating tension that lingers long after you’ve put the book down. It’s less about constant action and more about the quiet, creeping dread—and it works incredibly well.
I really connected with the emotional core of the story. The characters felt layered and real, especially in the way they carried their pasts and the weight of their choices. There’s a rawness to their struggles that made the story hit harder, even in its quieter moments.
The setting deserves a mention too—it felt alive in its own way. Dark, immersive, and at times almost oppressive, it added so much to the overall tone of the book and helped elevate the tension throughout.
If I had one small critique, it would be that the pacing occasionally slowed a bit too much in the middle, and I found myself wanting certain plot threads to tighten slightly. But the payoff was still satisfying and emotionally resonant.
Overall, this is a beautifully written, haunting read that leans into atmosphere and emotion over fast-paced action. If you enjoy stories that are a little dark, a little unsettling, and deeply immersive, this one is definitely worth your time.
Review of advance copy received from Author
It took me a little while to get into this book and I think that was because I was having a hard time understanding all the different life forms in this fantasy story the author created. Once I got a few chapters in and understood who the main characters were, I could not put the book down. I ran through the story in hours because the writing was that good. The story itself about two star crossed lovers that were never meant to be together, suddenly thrust together and having to save the world on top it? This book was action packed and never slowed down. This book also is a slow burn romance with not very much spice so it is great for most readers. I cannot wait to follow the story of Kaela and Hain into Book 2.
Just to make reading the book a little easier:
Flora-plant based life forms that are usually green and have grass or leaves for hair; they can grow vines out of their bodies and don't need to eat because they photosynthesize; name-Sylvani (Hian-MMC)
Fauna-what you would see as a shifter in other paranormal books; can change into an animal and is stronger than most other beings; name-animal they are + kin (for example: wolf-kin, bear-kin) (Kaela-FMC)
Human- normal people that live outside of the world tree and have no powers
Give this book a shot if you love fantasy it really was amazing and I hope this helps! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Just to make reading the book a little easier:
Flora-plant based life forms that are usually green and have grass or leaves for hair; they can grow vines out of their bodies and don't need to eat because they photosynthesize; name-Sylvani (Hian-MMC)
Fauna-what you would see as a shifter in other paranormal books; can change into an animal and is stronger than most other beings; name-animal they are + kin (for example: wolf-kin, bear-kin) (Kaela-FMC)
Human- normal people that live outside of the world tree and have no powers
Give this book a shot if you love fantasy it really was amazing and I hope this helps! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The characters were unique, the world building was good, and the premise was clear. I think the things that knocked my review down to 3 stars was 1) the pacing, and 2) the use of wording sometimes. The pacing was very up and down, where some places were super slow and other times (especially the ending) were very fast. I would've wished for a little more development in the ending, it felt like it was slightly rushed and I finished the book a little confused. The word choice in places felt understated, especially in what should have been extreme fight scenes felt a little washed over and monotone. I really enjoyed these characters though! The idea of Flora and Fauna species was so cool to me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I liked this book. Though a little difficult to get into, the story did manage to hook my attention and keep it. I thought the interactions between the characters were interesting and the plot line good. So, why didn't I give it five stars? The character and world descriptions were a little too lacking. Even after finishing the story, I don't know what the MFC looked like in either form, and the same with the MMC. In my opinion, when a writer is creating a character so far away from human, it should be described clearly.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
This book was sooo incredibly amazing!! It started off a little slow and it took some time to understand the different creatures and worldbuilding, but once I understood the different creatures, I couldn't put the book down! Hian and Kaela are such wonderful characters and I keep craving more of them. The plot was also very intriguing and it was difficult to stop once I started.
Overall a wonderful book definitely worth reading.
Overall a wonderful book definitely worth reading.
Review of advance copy
ARC READ: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Blood on the Bark took me a minute to get into, but once I understood what was going on, I really appreciated the world and character building.
Hian and Kaela’s second-chance romance was my favorite part and kept me invested the whole time. I definitely had moments of yelling “just tell them how you feel!” Overall, a really enjoyable read.
Blood on the Bark took me a minute to get into, but once I understood what was going on, I really appreciated the world and character building.
Hian and Kaela’s second-chance romance was my favorite part and kept me invested the whole time. I definitely had moments of yelling “just tell them how you feel!” Overall, a really enjoyable read.
April 28, 2026
fun romance among the chaos
I loved reading the adventure in this book unfolding. It was fun to read about the different aspects of the characters lives and how they lived. The ending HAD to be my favorite part. I can’t wait to read more about these characters and where their adventure will go.
I loved reading the adventure in this book unfolding. It was fun to read about the different aspects of the characters lives and how they lived. The ending HAD to be my favorite part. I can’t wait to read more about these characters and where their adventure will go.
May 11, 2026
Review from ARC copy.
Just couldn’t fully get into the story as much as I was hoping to.
Just couldn’t fully get into the story as much as I was hoping to.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews