Aveline has been molded into the perfect weapon for the throne. As the Crown’s executioner, she stands before silent crowds and publicly condemns magic users who refuse to serve the kingdom. Feared across the realm and bound to the Crown by duty, she has become the living symbol of the kingdom’s ruthless war against magic.
But the greatest lie in the kingdom… is her.
Behind the blade and the blood, Aveline carries a dangerous secret—one that forces her to live as one of the most hated and feared women in the realm.
She endures it for one reason.
As long as the kingdom believes she is its perfect weapon, her younger sister will never have to become one.
Riven has come to the capital searching for hidden magic before the kingdom can destroy it. When he hears of the infamous Blood Princess, he believes he has found the enemy he needs to stop.
Until the night he follows her into the forest and discovers the truth.
Bound by a dangerous secret and a mysterious thread of magic neither of them can explain, Aveline and Riven are drawn into a web of rebellion, fading magic, and dangerous alliances.
Because mercy is a dangerous thing in a kingdom built on fear.
And even the most perfect illusion cannot last forever.
Thank you SO much, Dominique for the ARC 😊 I love supporting indie authors!!
The Crimson Threads was absolutely not what I expected, at all. The Blood Princess was a fantastic concept. A kingdom executioner who’s actually not executing anyone?? She’s a magic user who’s freeing her kith & kin?? All the while, doing it under the nose of her overbearing, evil parents, the king and queen? Dang. I really, really loved it.
You can’t see what’s coming at the end. And talking about the end, WHAT was that cliffhanger???? Emotional damage, that’s what.
By the end of this book, I do feel a little lost in the world itself, but I think it was done on purpose. I’ve read plenty of books that are setting up for multiples afterwards that do the same thing. It’s like sweet torment, LAWL.
Aveline is such a deep character. She’s had to serve her kingdom and has been molded into a weapon all her life. Finally, when she starts to realize that there’s more for her life than essentially indentured servanthood, she faces political unrest and turmoil. Girl cannotttt catch a break. I also like Riven. He’s loyal, patient, and loving. Jareth deserves better, tbh. What a baller.
I loved this book and can’t wait to see what the freaaaakkkk happens next!!
What an amazing book. It had me captivated throughout the whole book.
FMC she is a strong character and I love her so much. She is an executioner for the kingdom. But there is a lot more to her than that.
MMC is witty and very devoted when his mind is made up on something.
The banter the twist and turns in this book will have you on the edge of your seat. Even when I was not reading I still needed to know what was going to happen next. What a brilliant book
Aveline is the Blood Princess, a royal executioner tasked with ending the lives of magic users in her kingdom.
Although we see chapters from both FMC Aveline's and MMC Riven's perspectives, Aveline felt to me like a much more fleshed out character with a more complex backstory. Early on we learn that Aveline is working to save the magic users she is tasked to kill. The story opens with one of the strongest chapters in the book. We feel the rain coming down in the square and picture Aveline's badass red leather outfit.
I found the magic system to be unique, and it was interesting to visualise magic as "threads". The storyline around the history of magic, types of magic and persecution of magic wielders within this world was conveyed well throughout the book. The rate at which new information was provided to the reader made the overarching storyline intriguing.
The progression of the relationship between Aveline and Riven, which dominates the book, unfortunately felt predictable. Towards the end of the story we learn more about their connection, but without this context the storyline about the relationship, to me, felt cliched at times. I wouldn't categorise this story as enemies to lovers or slow-burn. Aveline's decisions in her interactions with other characters also seemed to be at odds with the danger we are told she could be in from trusting people in the high-stakes political landscape.
Two things took this book from a three star to a four star read for me. The first is this quote (MMC to FMC): ""For wanting you like this," he said at last. "Not for a night. Not for comfort. Not for distraction. I mean wanting you in a way that alters the rest of my life."" The second is the final chapter, which was fast-paced and action-packed. I didn't see the huge reveal about one character in particular coming, and it has made the next book a must-read for me.
Overall I enjoyed The Crimson Threads and would recommend it. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to be an ARC reader. I received an early copy of this book and am sharing my honest thoughts.
Huge thanks to the author, Dominique Knight, for an ARC copy to read and review.
The Crimson Threads kicks off with Aveline, 'The Blood Princess', eldest daughter of the King and Queen, who is positioned as the Blade,the royal executioner. However, we very quickly discover that there is much more to Aveline's actions than swing, kill, next.
The story takes off at a fast pace, refreshingly accelerating the plot and the action, something many stories struggle with.
We meet Riven, we meet Jareth, and a smattering of other characters with roles to play in this interesting book.
So, to my thoughts:
What a fun read! I found Aveline and Riven's characters delightful, with the depth of Aveline's in particular drawing me in. I felt so much for her in the first quarter of the book, and wanted to give her a safe space to just be a girl. The added banter with Jareth solidified their troupe for me.
The romance had me squealing and smiling and giggling before I realised I was doing it all out loud.
That ending?! I NEED the next one! I need to know who is on who's side, because it feels like all bets are off right now! I was absolutely glued to this read throughout the entire 2nd half picturing what was around the corner.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys - badass FMCs/badass women in general - romance - yearning - magic - plot twists
I'd rather not extend this review too much further as I want to make sure it's readable for those who are avoiding spoilers, so some extra notes that don't reveal too much: - yes, there is a small measure of (tasteful) smut - yes, there is blood and death - magic, threats, greater threats - unexpected allies, unexpected enemies - um, cliffhanger?!
I loved the plot and story line, I can say that I’ve never read a book with a bad ass FMC executioner, and magic that she has! It was a nice change for a fantasy book!
The book is very fast paced to start it gets you hooked right away. I will say I wish things were a little slowed down on certain aspects such as Lin revealing her self to Jareth and Riven. She is described as calculated, and precise. It seems fitting that she would be hesitant to trust them so quickly. I hope we see a little bit more of her backstory in the next book. I need to see Rivens “who hurt you” phase. Haha (but that’s just my personal opinion.)
I am a little confused with the magic system and world. There wasn’t a lot of world building, so I’m a little unsure as to where everybody’s from where they’re going in the book. A map might help that, so I may be jumping the gun and the author has planned to make one or explain things better. I would find it very helpful. As well as the magic system I’ve only read three to four different types of magic so far described in the book. There could be an intention behind this I don’t know, but some details on how it all works would benefit me as a reader in the next book. I would love to understand the system a little bit better! :)
All in all I will give this a 3 star! The creativity and unique magic she has in this book is keeping me intrigued, as well the authors attention to detail to setting the scene is very good. Can I just say.. that cliff hanger!! My jaw dropped at that ending. Looking forward to seeing what happens next!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4.5 stars ***ARC Review*** Magic isn’t accepted, unless it serves the crown. Refusal, if found, means death. Aveline (FMC), the kingdom’s executioner, who is also known as the Blood Princess. Aveline delivers death without mercy. The people fear her for her cruelty when it comes to her duty to the crown. Riven (MMC), risking it all for the people he cares for, a rebellion, and to save people who have magic in their blood. He swears to eliminate the biggest threat to the cause he’s fighting for, the Blood Princess.
Secrets could unravel it all. Loyalties may be tested. Everything they thought they knew could change. What will it cost them to save those they love?
Dominique, author, has you questioning at every turn. What you thought would happen, was completely not it. You think you have things figured out, as you progress through the story, but then you’re hit with a surprise! Character build has been amazing, as you unexpectedly get hit with a “wait what” moment for pretty much every character introduced thus far. The story is absolutely immersive, and the descriptive writing has you painting a picture in your mind for each scene.
Devastating cliff hanger that had me screaming internally!! Dominique, I need the next book in the series!!!
Aveline is the weapon her king and queen wield without mercy—feared across the kingdom as the Blood Princess and forced to carry out the crown’s brutal war against magic.
Shaped into the perfect executioner, she stands before silent crowds and condemns those accused of powers the kingdom refuses to tolerate. But behind the title and the fear she inspires, Aveline is hiding secrets that could change everything.
When Riven arrives in the capital hunting for magic, he believes the Blood Princess is the very enemy he’s been searching for—until one encounter forces him to question everything he thought he knew.
As loyalties begin to fracture and truths come dangerously close to the surface, the line between weapon and woman starts to blur.
With forbidden tension, layered secrets, and a romance that builds in all the right ways, The Crimson Threads delivers a gripping story that ends on a cliffhanger you will not see coming.
I haven’t read a book in a long time that made me want to keep reading like this one did. From the start, I was completely hooked, always wanting to read just one more chapter. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I was wrong—in the best way. The twists kept me guessing and made it impossible to put down. The pacing was great and kept the story moving without ever feeling rushed. What really stood out to me was the writing itself—the author has such a beautiful, almost poetic way of putting things into words. There were so many lines that just stuck with me and made the whole story feel even more immersive. I’m already looking forward to the second book and can’t wait to see what happens next. Definitely a must read—highly recommend!
Yeah this book was amazing! I adored the concept of the executioner not actually killing people but saving them! I love Avaline! Her character is so deep. Her parents molded her into a weapon but what they dont expect is her own will. She's not their weapon. What she does with her talents and gifts had me in actual tears. She fought against them. Her own family to save others like her. I adored everything about this book. Its such an emotional story but also a story of bravery and fighting for what is right even against the odds!!! I love Avaline and she will go right up there with my other FMCs like Aelin and so many other great ones!! That cliffhanger killed me. Its one of the worst ones ive had to read and deal with!!! Why are some of the best books have the worst cliffhangers?
I absolutely loved this story and honestly didn’t want it to end.
The Crimson Threads completely pulled me in from the beginning, but it was Lin and Riven who made it unforgettable. Their relationship is full of tension, emotion, and steady development that kept me invested the entire time.
The twists genuinely surprised me, and the world and magic added such a strong layer of depth to the story.
And that ending… I had to just sit there for a minute and process everything. It definitely left me wanting more.
If you enjoy fantasy with
✨ High stakes ✨ Tension-filled slow burn ✨ Magic ✨ Bad Ass MFC ✨ A strong “touch her and die” dynamic
Was given this book as an Arc to give my honest feedback.
It took me a while to get thru the first couple of chapters as I felt that it was too overly descriptive. Once it got into the swing of things thou I found it extremely hard to put down!!
Great main characters, good slow burn which I appreciated as it wasnt rushed. So many twists, I am usually able to predict what is going to happen but the ending on this book threw me right off. So spoiler, it does finish on a cliff hanger.
Loved the book, cant wait to read the next book in this series.
Keep up the solid mahi Dominique, you truely have a gift.
Just finished this ARC and I’m honestly still processing. The concept immediately pulled me in—an executioner who secretly saves people instead of killing them was so well done.
Avaline completely stole my heart. Raised to be a weapon, yet she chooses her own path, even when it means standing against her own family to protect others like her. That really stayed with me.
It’s such an emotional and powerful story, centred around doing what’s right no matter the cost. Avaline is easily up there with my favourite FMCs.
And that ending… genuinely cruel. I need to read the next book immediately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I loved this story! It started off kind of slow and I gave it a chance and it did not disappoint. The characters and story were very well written. The story flowed very well and the further you get into it the more intriguing it got. It was definitely a different kind of magical/romance book. I definitely felt connected to each character and felt their feelings while reading. I did have a couple of chuckles while reading as well. I loved that Raven and Aveline had a playfulness about them from time to time and they were not just serious all the time. The cliffhanger was a doozy, but I saw that coming. Cannot wait to read book 2 to find out what happens next.
I really enjoyed all the twists and turns of this book, and the ending was very unexpected, leaving me desperate for the second book! It didnt get into magic systems too deeply, but the explanation that there is is a bit different from other books I’ve read and an interesting take. Aveline doesn’t really seem to know very much about her own magic, so definitely wonder if she might be more powerful than we are led to believe. Riven and Aveline 😍 slow burn and yearning. Loved it. Would recommend
Okay so I actually loved the base of the story, the drama, the conflict. I loved the magical aspects and generally the idea which I felt was fresh. I read A LOT of fantasy/ romantasy and at some point the books start running together and sounding the same so having something so different is exciting to read. Definitely recommend giving this a read, excited to know what happens in book 2
I could not put this book down. With a twist and turn at every corner it had me hooked. The character development was great and each character was not quite who I thought they were. And that cliffhanger at the end!! Did not see that coming. Can't wait (hopefully) for book number two!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The story had me hooked from the first chapter and I can’t wait for the next one! I found the story to be well thought out, I think Aveline had a lot of depth and I was rooting for her and Riven from very early on.
This book is honestly so, so good. The story pulls you in right away, the characters are strong and layered, and the writing keeps you hooked from beginning to end. It’s one of those books where you think just one more chapter… and suddenly it’s way too late.
Aveline and Riven… I absolutely loved the build-up between them. It felt natural, intense, and had me completely invested in their story.
This is easily in my top 4 reads—and that says a lot.
And then… the ending.
Yes, there is a cliffhanger. And not just any cliffhanger—one of those endings where you’re staring at the page like… really?! That’s where you stop?! 😩
I love it and hate it at the same time, because now I’m completely hooked and I need the next book.
Amazing, addictive, and slightly cruel at the end—exactly the kind of book that stays with you.