WOW.. I was able to read this book as an ARC and I am so blessed. This book was deliously dark, haunting, and intriguing. From the first page it pulls you in, and keeps you guessing. The magic, the creatures, the bonds, amazing. The cliffhanger 😳 need the second book immediately. This book was worth the read, highly recommend!
This book completely pulled me into its dark, haunting world from the very first chapter. It Was Written in Blood is the kind of story that wraps around you like a spell and refuses to let go.
The atmosphere is beautifully eerie and rich with tension. Every page feels drenched in secrets, fate, and the kind of magic that always comes with a cost. The worldbuilding is vivid without being overwhelming, and the story slowly unravels layers of mystery that kept me fully hooked.
The characters are complex and emotionally charged. Their struggles, loyalties, and desires feel real, and the chemistry between them crackles beneath the surface. There’s a constant push and pull between destiny and choice that adds so much depth to the story.
What I loved most was the tone of the book. It has that deliciously dark romantasy vibe with danger, curses, and the feeling that something powerful is always lurking just beneath the surface. Every revelation made me want to keep turning pages.
The ending? Absolutely brutal in the best possible way. The kind that leaves you staring at the last page thinking, I need the next book immediately.
If you love dark fantasy, layered characters, and stories where fate and bloodlines intertwine, this one is definitely worth the read.
Highly recommend for fans of dark romantasy with a haunting edge. 🖤📖✨
I was given the opportunity to read this book as part of the ARC readers through Social Media, and boy am I glad I signed up for it. I've had trouble getting into books before, but this one was action packed from the beginning. There's a fair amount of world building, but I was hooked and finished in a couple of days, wanting more. I laughed, cheered on the characters, and taken breaks when I felt it was too much for my body to handle the suspense, only to come back and cheer some more. I hope she's a fast writer, because I need more! The ending leaves you hanging in only the most suspenseful way she can. I'll definitely be on the lookout for when the next book comes out.
Lucky enough to have been able to read the ARC - and I am so glad that Kate trusted me with a copy! I cannot wait for the second book to be released as it was quite the cliffhanger. Highly recommend!
I was blessed to be able to ARC read this book. Kate Sullivan knocked it out of the park with this book! I was invested with the characters from page one. The relationship between Magnus, Ares, Emmy, and Esra keeps you guessing. There are twists and turns that I didn't see coming and just a little bit of spice to bring everything together.
I won't talk about the story as I don't want to give anything away. I will tell you that this book deserves more stars than I can give.
All I will say is, if you read this book, you won't be disappointed!
ARC Review! Rating: 4.5 stars, rounding to 5 for Goodreads :)
Emmy is just trying to earn enough money to travel north to save her sister from a danger she doesn’t know is there, as the sisters have not seen each other since they were babies and the warnings of Auralei’s fate come to Emmy only in dreams. Little does Emmy know that taking a job as a guard for the arrogant heir to the Norreno line will lead her down an entangled path to fight back against the darkness that is spreading from the north and seeks to end all magic in its path.
Kate Sullivan’s It Was Written In Blood does an excellent job of creating intrigue and a feeling of yearning for Emmy to reconnect with her roots, find her family, and learn more about the secrets of her past all while she strengthens her own magic and creates a bond with a man whom she feels confused by at every turn.
This book drew me in right away with the dynamic between Esra and Emmy that starts in the very beginning, and with the looming threat of the darkness that I knew Emmy would eventually play a role in fighting. I enjoyed the slow burn of connection between Emmy and Ezra, and could feel the yearning and confusion that Emmy tried to make sense of while also fighting the connection that has drawn them together. Their union in the end of the book felt satisfying but also left me wanting more, just like with my desire to know more about Esra, his family, the blood bond between them, and the secrets that he keeps from Emmy while also making it impossible for her not to become involved in his quest.
My critique comes in the form of only wanting to know more about these characters and the secrets that have yet to be exposed! I really enjoyed Emmy’s internal dialogue and her growth with her powers throughout the book, but I did find her somewhat purposefully obtuse at points when she ignores the signs of more magic lurking around her in the form of Esra and her own sister’s warning about their fates.
Even so, I flew through reading this first book and I cannot wait to see what comes next for these characters!
This book was really good! I found it very difficult to put down at times. “One more chapter please!” I really appreciate the fact that it doesn’t drag on in any moment. I could see other authors having this same story drag on for chapters that I would deem as unnecessary. I love the FMC and the MMC. I fell even more for both of them as the book continues. I appreciate the secrecy of certain aspects of this story and that was one of my favorite parts of this book. I like the spice level too. Some books linger too long in the spicy areas and this one was just right and just enough for my tastes. I would put this book near the top of my lists near ACOTAR and TOG series. It’s a quick read and I think I could’ve read it in a week if I didn’t have a new job. The cliff hanger!!!!!!! This author definitely knows how to keep you wanting more. Now I cannot wait for a book two! I definitely recommend putting this on your TBR. Thankful to have had the opportunity to read this ARC!
Love this book!! I need the next book in the series now LOL. 😝
I received an ARC for this book from the author Kate Sullivan and I was intrigued right from the start and the story kept pulling me in deeper to the point that I was so hooked that I couldn’t read anything else until I finished this book. Because I myself don’t typically like to know too much about the actual story, I’m just going to leave you with some major aspects and if this sounds intriguing to you then you should definitely read this book!
There’s secrecy, rival families, magic, magic wielding and unicorns!! a blood bond and a curse that is spreading throughout the land killing magical beings in its wake and a women determined to find her sister at any cost, and a favourite of mine, an annoyingly exceedingly broody MMC.
If you’re new to fantasy or romantasy I think this would be a great book to start your reading journey!
Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book!
The Darkness is coming!! I cannot wait for you all to read this book! I had such a hard time putting it down! I was given an advanced copy to read and….OMG! This follows Emmeline who is searching for her sister before magic is consumed by the darkness. Magic is coveted by those who don’t have it. There are unicorns and curses and a quest and a broody love interest. There is such a cliffhanger at the end but I have a feeling it will be worth it! @authorKateSullivan 📚 #booklover #bookshelf
I have to say that I am so lucky that I was able to read the ARC of It Was Written in Blood!!
I was drawn into a story that had great world building, characters that kept me guessing the entire time, a wicked awesome slow burn that had me reeling, and that cliffhanger!! I am hooked on this series and cannot wait to see what happens.
Kate Sullivan has done written an excellent book that is action-packed, yet emotional at the same time. I definitely recommend reading this book.
This book was fun and captivating. It kept me intrigued from the beginning. I couldn’t stop reading. I was hooked cannot wait for the rest of the series. This author has taken me out of my reading slump.
I really enjoyed this book love the storyline, character development, character driven plot but with enough world building. Loved the twists and secrets magic dying and what not to love and hooking enough I want no need book 2
This book captivated me from the beginning, it’s so well written and the world building is brilliant as it’s not overwhelming, it’s easy to follow. It was written in blood keeps you wanting more and couldn’t put it down
The mystery of this story is great, all the secrets that unfold throughout keeps you questioning everything. The bonds between the characters is great and each of them have a different connection which makes the book so enticing.
I enjoyed the romance aspect of the book and the friendly banter between Emmy & Magnus.
The ending of this book left it as such a cliff hanger, I cannot wait to read the second book!!
need the second book immediately!! i’m obsessed with the characters, the magic, the creatures and plot twists. absolutely amazing, i’m so grateful i had the opportunity to read the ARC for this
It Was Written in Blood, by Kate Sullivan, is the first book in the Curse of Dark series. I was super excited to receive an ARC copy of this book. I had read her Solstice Witch series prior and really enjoyed it. But I have to say, this book is even better. It captures your attention from the very beginning, and I couldn’t put it down, because I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. There were a couple of plot twists that I didn’t see coming, which I enjoy, I don’t mind when I see them coming either, but it is always nice to be surprised. The magic system is also really unique. I am looking forward to seeing more of the different types of magic in this world in the next book. If you like slow burn romantasy books, I highly recommend this. The tension between Esra and Emmy is on point, and then there is Magnus, he is one of my favorite side characters ever. I can’t wait to read book two in this series; it will be a must read for me. I will be waiting on the edge of my seat for it, because what a cliff hanger.
Wow, I devoured this book, and I need the next one yesterday! I was hooked from the first chapter and when I had to put it down, I was constantly thinking about it and counting the minutes till I could pick it back up again. This dark fantasy had everything, magic, slow burn romance, unicorns! Emmy the FMC is flawed, yet relatable and tenacious. Esra is the brooding, guarded, handsome, stoic MMC. The yearning pull between these two had me craving their closeness. I also have to mention Magnus, the rich and love sick character who's character just get better as the story continues. There are twists, action, betrayal and some spice all mixed into this first book of this series. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, or who is looking to dive in to the fantasy world. I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to read this ARC. Thank you Kate Sullivan for this opportunity
the second i saw Kate was writing a book in this genre i was SO excited, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. this is the kind of book where reading it feels like you’re watching a movie. i’m so invested in these characters and this story, i need the next book immediately. so grateful i got an ARC, Kate’s books are always something to look forward to!
An epic tale of mystery and magic that ends in a cliffhanger. The story is woven through different lands and people. There is betrayal, friendship and an unbreakable bond. The characters have their own unique personalities and even a learning disability. Recieved the ARC book
Was lucky enough to get ahold of an ARC. This was a delight to read and with a different type of atmosphere than what I usually see with fantasy. I cannot recommend this enough.