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Ashen Blade
He's spent eighty years hunting the only woman who's ever made him feel alive…
In a war between moonlit paladins and ancient vampires, Knight-General Elarian has one obsession: killing Lucan Valmere, the immortal Blooded Prince who has escaped her blade eleven times.
When Elarian is finally given the chance to infiltrate the vampire court alone, she believes she's one step closer to ending the war. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a world of decadent cruelty, dangerous secrets, and forbidden desire.
Lucan Valmere was never meant to live again. Bound to the master who forged him into the perfect weapon of charm and terror, he was forced to bury the remnants of his humanity long ago. Finding the Ashen Blade was supposed to end his obsession; instead, the truth buried between them threatens everything he's been made to believe.
...and now that he finally has her, letting her go isn't an option.
In a war between moonlit paladins and ancient vampires, Knight-General Elarian has one obsession: killing Lucan Valmere, the immortal Blooded Prince who has escaped her blade eleven times.
When Elarian is finally given the chance to infiltrate the vampire court alone, she believes she's one step closer to ending the war. Instead, she finds herself trapped in a world of decadent cruelty, dangerous secrets, and forbidden desire.
Lucan Valmere was never meant to live again. Bound to the master who forged him into the perfect weapon of charm and terror, he was forced to bury the remnants of his humanity long ago. Finding the Ashen Blade was supposed to end his obsession; instead, the truth buried between them threatens everything he's been made to believe.
...and now that he finally has her, letting her go isn't an option.
489 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2026
About the author
D. Kathleen McAteer
4 books41 followersAs an author, D. Kathleen combines her love of fantasy, dark romance, and mental health awareness.
An only child, from a young age D. Kathleen always felt more at home with her nose in a book, preferably something with magic, mythical beasts, and a badass female protagonist. Combined with far too many times watching movies like Beauty and the Beast, Labyrinth, and Bram Stoker's Dracula, it was always a foregone conclusion that she would end up falling for the morally grey villain.
D. Kathleen currently resides in Southwest Washington with her husband, two cats, and a plethora of wild birds demanding offerings. When not working, writing, or reading, she can be found outside in her gardens, marveling at the beauty of nature.
An only child, from a young age D. Kathleen always felt more at home with her nose in a book, preferably something with magic, mythical beasts, and a badass female protagonist. Combined with far too many times watching movies like Beauty and the Beast, Labyrinth, and Bram Stoker's Dracula, it was always a foregone conclusion that she would end up falling for the morally grey villain.
D. Kathleen currently resides in Southwest Washington with her husband, two cats, and a plethora of wild birds demanding offerings. When not working, writing, or reading, she can be found outside in her gardens, marveling at the beauty of nature.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
October 29, 2026
Thank you to D for letting me on her street team and for an ARC of this!
D? You will be hearing from me in the groupchat about this 😡🖤 (I loved it)
I absolutely adored Lucan and Elarian’s story. There were times where you wouldn’t have been able to rip this book out of my hands because of how addicting it was to read.
Lucan and Elarian have been obsessed with each other for centuries. Both claiming they want to kill each other yet somehow never following through on it. I really enjoyed the push and pull we get from them and how they clearly can despise each other at times but when they give in... they go all in, consequences be damned. Also “Darling” is one of my fav nicknames for a character and I melted when it was used.
For your knowledge: I finished this book and said “What the fuck D” and then frantically swiped on my phone to try to find a groupchat because of how this book ended. I truly can’t wait for book 2 and I am forever gratful to have. found this book and D.
My one request? GIVE ME MORE OF MY MAN JACE! (I was so unprepared how much much he stole my heart during this)
What you can expect:
🦇 Dark Vampire Romantasy
🖤 Morally gray FMC
😈 Morally black MMC
🩸 Vampire prince × moon elf assassin
🗡️ Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers
🔗 Captor/captive
🍆 Pierced MMC
🎭 Masquerade espionage & deadly court intrigue
🧠 Mental health & trauma rep
🌈 Queer rep
✨ Gods, curses & celestial magic
🧚🏻♀️ Fey creatures & animal allies
D? You will be hearing from me in the groupchat about this 😡🖤 (I loved it)
I absolutely adored Lucan and Elarian’s story. There were times where you wouldn’t have been able to rip this book out of my hands because of how addicting it was to read.
Lucan and Elarian have been obsessed with each other for centuries. Both claiming they want to kill each other yet somehow never following through on it. I really enjoyed the push and pull we get from them and how they clearly can despise each other at times but when they give in... they go all in, consequences be damned. Also “Darling” is one of my fav nicknames for a character and I melted when it was used.
For your knowledge: I finished this book and said “What the fuck D” and then frantically swiped on my phone to try to find a groupchat because of how this book ended. I truly can’t wait for book 2 and I am forever gratful to have. found this book and D.
My one request? GIVE ME MORE OF MY MAN JACE! (I was so unprepared how much much he stole my heart during this)
What you can expect:
🦇 Dark Vampire Romantasy
🖤 Morally gray FMC
😈 Morally black MMC
🩸 Vampire prince × moon elf assassin
🗡️ Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers
🔗 Captor/captive
🍆 Pierced MMC
🎭 Masquerade espionage & deadly court intrigue
🧠 Mental health & trauma rep
🌈 Queer rep
✨ Gods, curses & celestial magic
🧚🏻♀️ Fey creatures & animal allies
October 6, 2026
So I received this book as an ARC (forever thankful to the author) and when I eventually got it, I completely forgot what the book was about because I had signed up so long ago. Initially I was like what the hell is going on because there are sooo many moving pieces & parts to understand but once it gets going… it’s going and it’s good.
Lucan & Elarian have a fantastic story. A true enemies to lovers trope and a beautiful one at that. A story that transcends centuries and boggles your mind more times than I can count. But it was everything. The world building was poetic, chaotic and immersive. The part where Elarian is more than just a moon elf.. you could feel the understanding between them. Or when Aurelion showed up at the palace, I started sweating because I was so nervous as to what would happen.
Overall, I give this book a 4.5/5. I look forward to seeing how the story progresses in the next book because the last 2 pages had me SCREAMING!!
Lucan & Elarian have a fantastic story. A true enemies to lovers trope and a beautiful one at that. A story that transcends centuries and boggles your mind more times than I can count. But it was everything. The world building was poetic, chaotic and immersive. The part where Elarian is more than just a moon elf.. you could feel the understanding between them. Or when Aurelion showed up at the palace, I started sweating because I was so nervous as to what would happen.
Overall, I give this book a 4.5/5. I look forward to seeing how the story progresses in the next book because the last 2 pages had me SCREAMING!!
November 2, 2026
This is my honest review of an ARC.
Ashen Blade is a dark romantasy, kinda on the darker side of the genre's scale, especially during 3/4 of the book, but at the same time the romance had an interesting type of chemistry that left me intrigued in a way I was not expecting, and the hot scenes were...as intended (the dynamic was very effective).
Yes, this is not my usual gere, but I like to get out of my comfort zone from time to time, and I would definitely read the second part. As one would expect, this first book establishes a lot of the emotional groundwork and the development of the main characters with their relationship, and to show us just how fucked up they are (and why they work so well together). The vampire court was fun to see, as little as we got, and the lore has a lot of potential, for what we learned here. I have questions and I'm interested in the answers.
The main reason of my rating is because I didn't fully connect with the characters, and was just going along with the ride, as I was pretty judgy towards them with their inner dialogue lol, then I felt bad for being so judgy because of their backstories...like they were hot messes and objectively bad people (which I'm not judging about their whole relationship because of the genre...much. It did get me a little uncomfortable for the human side of the vampires' world -you know, food-, but the focus here is the dark romance, so this is really not a complaint, but an "ok, so I couldn't help but notice...), and I was not in the best mood for romance this week, so there may be a disconnection there too. I would recommend it to fans of dark romantasy and dark romance in general, though, because when the plot went a step further, it went to places.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity!
Ashen Blade is a dark romantasy, kinda on the darker side of the genre's scale, especially during 3/4 of the book, but at the same time the romance had an interesting type of chemistry that left me intrigued in a way I was not expecting, and the hot scenes were...as intended (the dynamic was very effective).
Yes, this is not my usual gere, but I like to get out of my comfort zone from time to time, and I would definitely read the second part. As one would expect, this first book establishes a lot of the emotional groundwork and the development of the main characters with their relationship, and to show us just how fucked up they are (and why they work so well together). The vampire court was fun to see, as little as we got, and the lore has a lot of potential, for what we learned here. I have questions and I'm interested in the answers.
The main reason of my rating is because I didn't fully connect with the characters, and was just going along with the ride, as I was pretty judgy towards them with their inner dialogue lol, then I felt bad for being so judgy because of their backstories...like they were hot messes and objectively bad people (which I'm not judging about their whole relationship because of the genre...much. It did get me a little uncomfortable for the human side of the vampires' world -you know, food-, but the focus here is the dark romance, so this is really not a complaint, but an "ok, so I couldn't help but notice...), and I was not in the best mood for romance this week, so there may be a disconnection there too. I would recommend it to fans of dark romantasy and dark romance in general, though, because when the plot went a step further, it went to places.
Thank you to the author for the opportunity!
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review!
If you are looking for morally black, this is the book for you. Vampires, Elves, so much blood, so much spice, and definitely a ton of gasps as the toxicity between the MMC and FMC rapidly grew. But in the end, all that angst, the danger, the attempt at control lead towards a climatic ending that left us asking, now what?
Definitely check your trigger warnings because there was a lot to unpack.
I will say the overall story was enjoyable and got super good towards the last quarter of the book. First part was a slower pace as I just wanted the 2 characters to be in each other's faces.
They both suffer massive past trauma that shaped who they became. Some questions are left unanswered that I hope will be revealed in the next book.
This is definitely an enemies to forced control to lovers storyline where the more you want them to give into their feelings, the more unhinged it became
If you are looking for morally black, this is the book for you. Vampires, Elves, so much blood, so much spice, and definitely a ton of gasps as the toxicity between the MMC and FMC rapidly grew. But in the end, all that angst, the danger, the attempt at control lead towards a climatic ending that left us asking, now what?
Definitely check your trigger warnings because there was a lot to unpack.
I will say the overall story was enjoyable and got super good towards the last quarter of the book. First part was a slower pace as I just wanted the 2 characters to be in each other's faces.
They both suffer massive past trauma that shaped who they became. Some questions are left unanswered that I hope will be revealed in the next book.
This is definitely an enemies to forced control to lovers storyline where the more you want them to give into their feelings, the more unhinged it became
October 26, 2026
Thank you to the author for this arc <3
Check triggers :) This is a dark romance/fantasy.
The worldbuilding & descriptions were dense and lyrical. The level of detail made it easy to feel immersed in the world.
The dynamic between the MCs, Elarian & Lucan, is very dark and very complicated. This is a true-enemies-lovers slow-burn, and the 'romance' is all about obsession and possession. The hate and attraction are warring with one another.
I am looking forward to this duet's next installment and seeing how these characters evolve!
Check triggers :) This is a dark romance/fantasy.
The worldbuilding & descriptions were dense and lyrical. The level of detail made it easy to feel immersed in the world.
The dynamic between the MCs, Elarian & Lucan, is very dark and very complicated. This is a true-enemies-lovers slow-burn, and the 'romance' is all about obsession and possession. The hate and attraction are warring with one another.
I am looking forward to this duet's next installment and seeing how these characters evolve!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I ate this book up, please read your trigger warnings before beginning because after all this is a dark romance. The enemies to lovers was giving within this read not the I just hate him giving but the I've made weapons to destroy him type. The spice in this book was giving warm sunny day on the beach with a margarita in hand watching the ocean not to hot but just right. If you love a dark fantasy romance, touch her and die, and a strong warrior fmc then this is the read for you. Highly Recommend! I got this arc via the author and this is my voluntary review.
November 1, 2026
Visceral, dark and full of passion. I really enjoyed this read. Elarian is such a cool and tough assassin FMC and Lucan is a dark and unhinged vampire MMC. Two broken people out to kill each other who become lovers and unlikely allies. Their connection is dark, sad, and passionate. D has really created something special here and I am super excited to see where their story goes.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Vampire Prince x Elf Assassin, Morally Black MMC, Political Intrigue, Morally Grey FMC, Enemies to Allies & Captor/Captive.
This was a super fun read! It had beautifully described scenes and locations, great world building, along with dark and troubled characters.
This was definitely darker than I was expecting, with a healthy dose of gore and I loved it.
High levels of spice.
Intricate court/political dynamics, a cruel vampire lord, and two enemies moving through a complicated dynamic towards potential allies.
This was a super fun read! It had beautifully described scenes and locations, great world building, along with dark and troubled characters.
This was definitely darker than I was expecting, with a healthy dose of gore and I loved it.
High levels of spice.
Intricate court/political dynamics, a cruel vampire lord, and two enemies moving through a complicated dynamic towards potential allies.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Y'all, this book!! I absolutely love a good dark romantasy, and Ashen Blade definitely delivered! Vampires, assassins, enemies-to-lovers, morally gray characters, secrets, and spice?! YES PLEASE!
Elarian and Lucan had me completely invested in their story! Elarian is a fierce assassin who has spent years hunting Lucan, a vampire prince. You would think wanting someone dead would make things pretty straightforward, right? WRONG! The tension between these two is absolutely insane!
I loved that Elarian wasn't some helpless female character waiting for someone to save her. She's strong, stubborn, and determined, but she also has vulnerabilities that make her feel more real. And then there's Lucan! Y'all, that man is a whole walking red flag! But apparently, I have a thing for fictional red flags because I couldn't get enough of him!
What really kept me reading was how complicated everything became. There were secrets, questionable decisions, and moments when I genuinely didn't know who to trust. I found myself going back and forth between wanting these two to figure things out and wanting to knock some sense into both of them!
The chemistry was definitely there, but I also enjoyed that their relationship wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There's anger, mistrust, obsession, and so much emotional baggage between them. Their interactions had me frustrated one minute and completely hooked the next!
I also really enjoyed the darker atmosphere and the mystery woven throughout the story. Just when I thought I was starting to understand everything, something else would happen that made me question what I thought I knew.
And THAT ENDING?! Excuse me?! How am I supposed to be okay with finishing a book like that and not immediately having the next one in my hands?! I have questions, and I NEED answers!
D. Kathleen McAteer definitely has my attention with this one! If you love dark fantasy romance with vampires, morally gray men, strong female characters, dangerous secrets, and plenty of tension, you absolutely need to read Ashen Blade!
Seriously, don't just add it to your TBR. GO GET THIS BOOK!
Please check the content warnings before reading, as this is a darker romance.
Elarian and Lucan had me completely invested in their story! Elarian is a fierce assassin who has spent years hunting Lucan, a vampire prince. You would think wanting someone dead would make things pretty straightforward, right? WRONG! The tension between these two is absolutely insane!
I loved that Elarian wasn't some helpless female character waiting for someone to save her. She's strong, stubborn, and determined, but she also has vulnerabilities that make her feel more real. And then there's Lucan! Y'all, that man is a whole walking red flag! But apparently, I have a thing for fictional red flags because I couldn't get enough of him!
What really kept me reading was how complicated everything became. There were secrets, questionable decisions, and moments when I genuinely didn't know who to trust. I found myself going back and forth between wanting these two to figure things out and wanting to knock some sense into both of them!
The chemistry was definitely there, but I also enjoyed that their relationship wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There's anger, mistrust, obsession, and so much emotional baggage between them. Their interactions had me frustrated one minute and completely hooked the next!
I also really enjoyed the darker atmosphere and the mystery woven throughout the story. Just when I thought I was starting to understand everything, something else would happen that made me question what I thought I knew.
And THAT ENDING?! Excuse me?! How am I supposed to be okay with finishing a book like that and not immediately having the next one in my hands?! I have questions, and I NEED answers!
D. Kathleen McAteer definitely has my attention with this one! If you love dark fantasy romance with vampires, morally gray men, strong female characters, dangerous secrets, and plenty of tension, you absolutely need to read Ashen Blade!
Seriously, don't just add it to your TBR. GO GET THIS BOOK!
Please check the content warnings before reading, as this is a darker romance.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.25 Stars | 39.75/50
Ashen Blade by D. Kathleen McAteer is the first book in the Eventide Oaths duet, and it was absolutely not the fantasy romance I expected to pick up after months of reading mafia and contemporary romance.
And honestly? It took me a little while to fall into it.
I started this book somewhat half-heartedly, listening (I use Read to Speech in Apple Accessibility options). more to get the gist of the story and looking at it through a somewhat critical lens. I was paying attention to how the world was built, how the characters developed, and where the story was going.
Then something happened.
I literally found myself asking out loud, “What just happened?”
That was the moment this book got my attention.
I went back and started listening again, this time actually hearing the story rather than simply processing it. Somewhere along the way, I became invested. Really invested. Suddenly I needed to know what was going to happen to Elarian and Lucan, and I found myself looking at the story through their eyes rather than through my reviewer brain.
Elarian is an elf from the Evermist who has one very clear objective: kill Lucan.
Lucan, however, is a vampire prince under the grace of his maker, Aurelion, and he has very different plans for Elarian.
Including making her his pet.
And this is where the dark romance designation absolutely earns its place. This isn’t a soft, comfortable romance where everyone communicates beautifully and makes emotionally healthy decisions. There is power, possession, danger, obsession, and a relationship dynamic that is deliberately uncomfortable at times.
Which, considering the Wild Margins ranking system, means this book definitely wandered into the darker edges of the map. 🖤
One of my favorite moments was actually a very small one.
Elarian says “thank you” after Lucan simply passes her a tray of food.
On the surface, it is such an insignificant gesture. But it felt like a turning point. Not just for Lucan and Elarian, but for Elarian herself. That tiny acknowledgment represented a shift she was struggling desperately to accept. And watching her wrestle with that change was one of the moments that made her character feel particularly real to me.
McAteer’s world-building is another strong point. The descriptions are detailed enough that I could genuinely envision the environments, kingdoms, and fantasy elements without feeling like I was drowning in exposition. The world feels established, and I found myself wanting to know more about it.
My biggest struggle was with the character names. Several of the names were similar enough that I occasionally had to stop and remind myself who was who. I’ll also admit that I was so thoroughly invested in Elarian and Lucan that I didn’t give the secondary characters as much mental real estate as they probably deserved. That’s less a criticism of the characters themselves and more a reflection of where my attention was firmly planted.
Overall, Ashen Blade surprised me.
What started as a book I was listening to half-heartedly became one that made me stop, rewind, and start again because I suddenly realized I was in the story.
And that, for me, is one of the best things a book can do.
Final Wild Margins Score: 39.75/50
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an ARC of Ashen Blade from the author, D. Kathleen McAteer, in exchange for an honest review.
My thoughts and rating are my own.
Ashen Blade by D. Kathleen McAteer is the first book in the Eventide Oaths duet, and it was absolutely not the fantasy romance I expected to pick up after months of reading mafia and contemporary romance.
And honestly? It took me a little while to fall into it.
I started this book somewhat half-heartedly, listening (I use Read to Speech in Apple Accessibility options). more to get the gist of the story and looking at it through a somewhat critical lens. I was paying attention to how the world was built, how the characters developed, and where the story was going.
Then something happened.
I literally found myself asking out loud, “What just happened?”
That was the moment this book got my attention.
I went back and started listening again, this time actually hearing the story rather than simply processing it. Somewhere along the way, I became invested. Really invested. Suddenly I needed to know what was going to happen to Elarian and Lucan, and I found myself looking at the story through their eyes rather than through my reviewer brain.
Elarian is an elf from the Evermist who has one very clear objective: kill Lucan.
Lucan, however, is a vampire prince under the grace of his maker, Aurelion, and he has very different plans for Elarian.
Including making her his pet.
And this is where the dark romance designation absolutely earns its place. This isn’t a soft, comfortable romance where everyone communicates beautifully and makes emotionally healthy decisions. There is power, possession, danger, obsession, and a relationship dynamic that is deliberately uncomfortable at times.
Which, considering the Wild Margins ranking system, means this book definitely wandered into the darker edges of the map. 🖤
One of my favorite moments was actually a very small one.
Elarian says “thank you” after Lucan simply passes her a tray of food.
On the surface, it is such an insignificant gesture. But it felt like a turning point. Not just for Lucan and Elarian, but for Elarian herself. That tiny acknowledgment represented a shift she was struggling desperately to accept. And watching her wrestle with that change was one of the moments that made her character feel particularly real to me.
McAteer’s world-building is another strong point. The descriptions are detailed enough that I could genuinely envision the environments, kingdoms, and fantasy elements without feeling like I was drowning in exposition. The world feels established, and I found myself wanting to know more about it.
My biggest struggle was with the character names. Several of the names were similar enough that I occasionally had to stop and remind myself who was who. I’ll also admit that I was so thoroughly invested in Elarian and Lucan that I didn’t give the secondary characters as much mental real estate as they probably deserved. That’s less a criticism of the characters themselves and more a reflection of where my attention was firmly planted.
Overall, Ashen Blade surprised me.
What started as a book I was listening to half-heartedly became one that made me stop, rewind, and start again because I suddenly realized I was in the story.
And that, for me, is one of the best things a book can do.
Final Wild Margins Score: 39.75/50
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an ARC of Ashen Blade from the author, D. Kathleen McAteer, in exchange for an honest review.
My thoughts and rating are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2026
🖤Gothic dark romantasy
🩸Vampire prince × moon elf assassin
🖤Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers
🩸Morally gray FMC
🖤Morally black vampire prince
🩸Captor/captive
🖤Pierced MMC
🩸Masquerade espionage & deadly court intrigue
🖤Mental health & trauma rep
🩸Queer rep
🖤Gods, curses & celestial magic
🩸Fey creatures & animal allies
🖤Book one of a duet
♥️♥️Thank you so much to D. Kathleen McAteer for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own♥️♥️
first of all, I wouldn’t say this book is bad, but I wouldn’t say I particularly loved it either. It’s engaging and enjoyable enough to keep me interested, and I’m definitely still curious to see how Elarian and Lucan’s story unfolds!🥰
I really like the premise. both are 'hunters' from their respective clans: Elarian, an elf known as the Ashen Blade, is ordered to kill Lucan, the 'Blooded Prince' of the vampires, while Lucan is ordered to capture the Ashen Blade. for centuries, they’ve been chasing and clashing with each other without ever managing to kill one another. and it’s not just because they’re obsessed with each other, but also because if either of them finally succeeded in killing their target, what would they even have left to live for?
although the plot and storyline need a bit of attention to follow, I think the book does a good job of delivering the internal struggles Elarian and Lucan face as they struggle between their duties and what they truly want... everything they do, every decision they make, somehow comes back to the other person. they’ve become so deeply intertwined in each other’s lives that neither can imagine a purpose without the other. despite being sworn enemies, their journey, shaped by duty, obsession, and the weight of their pasts, gradually becomes less about killing each other and more about finding a way to survive and be together...the very person they were once meant to destroy becomes the person they can’t imagine living without :''')
and while I enjoyed the story overall, some parts especially early on, felt a little repetitive.. :( and when Elarian infiltrates the vampire court disguised as a courtesan and Lucan knows exactly who she is, he then parades her around, even keeping her naked in front of his court, all under the guise of hiding her identity, like... how exactly is showing her off and treating her like a trophy, often while she’s completely naked, supposed to help hiding who she is?🙃 the story really starts picking up around the 70% mark when Elarian and Lucan begin working together and giving in to their feelings for each other, I found myself much more invested in their relationship and where things are heading
overall, it was a good read, even if it didn’t completely blow me away the ending definitely left me wanting more! and now I’m really curious to see what happens next...can’t wait for book twooo🤩
🩸Vampire prince × moon elf assassin
🖤Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers
🩸Morally gray FMC
🖤Morally black vampire prince
🩸Captor/captive
🖤Pierced MMC
🩸Masquerade espionage & deadly court intrigue
🖤Mental health & trauma rep
🩸Queer rep
🖤Gods, curses & celestial magic
🩸Fey creatures & animal allies
🖤Book one of a duet
♥️♥️Thank you so much to D. Kathleen McAteer for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own♥️♥️
Why did she not kill me? Why did I not want her to kill me?
first of all, I wouldn’t say this book is bad, but I wouldn’t say I particularly loved it either. It’s engaging and enjoyable enough to keep me interested, and I’m definitely still curious to see how Elarian and Lucan’s story unfolds!🥰
She would become his obsession until it fucking destroyed him.
I really like the premise. both are 'hunters' from their respective clans: Elarian, an elf known as the Ashen Blade, is ordered to kill Lucan, the 'Blooded Prince' of the vampires, while Lucan is ordered to capture the Ashen Blade. for centuries, they’ve been chasing and clashing with each other without ever managing to kill one another. and it’s not just because they’re obsessed with each other, but also because if either of them finally succeeded in killing their target, what would they even have left to live for?
Gods, she hated him. And he fucking despised how much he needed her. How he only felt a glimmer of something, anything besides numb nothingness in her presence
although the plot and storyline need a bit of attention to follow, I think the book does a good job of delivering the internal struggles Elarian and Lucan face as they struggle between their duties and what they truly want... everything they do, every decision they make, somehow comes back to the other person. they’ve become so deeply intertwined in each other’s lives that neither can imagine a purpose without the other. despite being sworn enemies, their journey, shaped by duty, obsession, and the weight of their pasts, gradually becomes less about killing each other and more about finding a way to survive and be together...the very person they were once meant to destroy becomes the person they can’t imagine living without :''')
and while I enjoyed the story overall, some parts especially early on, felt a little repetitive.. :( and when Elarian infiltrates the vampire court disguised as a courtesan and Lucan knows exactly who she is, he then parades her around, even keeping her naked in front of his court, all under the guise of hiding her identity, like... how exactly is showing her off and treating her like a trophy, often while she’s completely naked, supposed to help hiding who she is?🙃 the story really starts picking up around the 70% mark when Elarian and Lucan begin working together and giving in to their feelings for each other, I found myself much more invested in their relationship and where things are heading
overall, it was a good read, even if it didn’t completely blow me away the ending definitely left me wanting more! and now I’m really curious to see what happens next...can’t wait for book twooo🤩
October 3, 2026
I received an ARC from the author for my truthful review - thank you for the opportunity to read this book before publication. Unfortunately, this book was not a pleasant read for me. I made it around 55% of the way through the book before I had to DNF it - which is EXTREMELY rare for me. But I couldn't take the repetitive nature of this story anymore, it felt like I was stuck in quicksand - turning the pages but the story was barely progressing at all. Firstly, there was a lot of ambitious world-building in this book, yet I felt like it was just dumped on the reader and not properly explained. I was constantly questioning who people were, what their roles meant and just exactly how this fantasy world operated. If you're going to write a lore rich world, you need to do better at explaining it. This is mostly directed at Elarian's side, Lucan's vampire court was easy enough to understand, but the lore behind the moon elves was complex and not well described.
Finally when Lucan and Elarian meet in his court, all either can talk about (more specifically Elarian) is how much she hates her enemy and wants to kill him but then also desires him like no other. That is what honestly made me put down the book halfway through, it was constantly rehashing the same tired point. Readers understand...she hates him but she wants him. But constantly describing how she wants to kill him only to be like I want him to hold me - over and over again I just started to roll my eyes. Also when Elarian pretends to be a dhampir and she genuinely thinks she fooled Lucan, an old vampire, by putting on a mask. Like girl you can't be serious, I thought it had to be a joke. Then her cover name is....ELIYN which is basically her own name. Damn you can't make this shit up. My other main complaint about the book other than its horrible repetitive nature is the fact she keeps repeating Lucan's full name. It's cringe and like it doesn't have the impact that the author thinks it does. Lucan Valmere this and Lucan Valmere that - I am serious she fully name dropped him twice within the same page once! Why are we doing that? It's also done far too many times - I could handle a few, but like I said, it happened constantly.
Anyway, you can take my review with a grain of salt because I didn't actually finish the book, but I really don't think a good ending could have saved this book for me. I thought it was too slow of a story and it was just rehashing the same selling point over and over. I did think Lucan was a hottie vampire prince (in a messed up way of course) and hello his gold piercings...like fuck yeah. But again, it wasn't enough to save this book in my opinion. Wishing the author luck in their launch of this book and grateful they gave me the chance to read and review it.
Finally when Lucan and Elarian meet in his court, all either can talk about (more specifically Elarian) is how much she hates her enemy and wants to kill him but then also desires him like no other. That is what honestly made me put down the book halfway through, it was constantly rehashing the same tired point. Readers understand...she hates him but she wants him. But constantly describing how she wants to kill him only to be like I want him to hold me - over and over again I just started to roll my eyes. Also when Elarian pretends to be a dhampir and she genuinely thinks she fooled Lucan, an old vampire, by putting on a mask. Like girl you can't be serious, I thought it had to be a joke. Then her cover name is....ELIYN which is basically her own name. Damn you can't make this shit up. My other main complaint about the book other than its horrible repetitive nature is the fact she keeps repeating Lucan's full name. It's cringe and like it doesn't have the impact that the author thinks it does. Lucan Valmere this and Lucan Valmere that - I am serious she fully name dropped him twice within the same page once! Why are we doing that? It's also done far too many times - I could handle a few, but like I said, it happened constantly.
Anyway, you can take my review with a grain of salt because I didn't actually finish the book, but I really don't think a good ending could have saved this book for me. I thought it was too slow of a story and it was just rehashing the same selling point over and over. I did think Lucan was a hottie vampire prince (in a messed up way of course) and hello his gold piercings...like fuck yeah. But again, it wasn't enough to save this book in my opinion. Wishing the author luck in their launch of this book and grateful they gave me the chance to read and review it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
"He had heard battlefields louder than that. He had listened to kingdoms collapse beneath the screams of dying men. Yet nothing had ever sounded so catastrophic as the quiet rhythm of blood escaping the woman he had promised would never again suffer by his hand."
Perfect for fans of "The Poisoner" series and the "Dracula" duet by Karina Halle. You do not want to miss out on this new dark vampire romantasy that gives the perfect fall vibes. 🦇🖤 (Spoilers in the very last paragraph but I don't want to discourage you from reading this review!!)
There are truly so many things I loved about this book so I feel like I should make a list of some of my favorites:
- SHADOW DADDY (we love that 😋)
- Badass assassin FMC (this isn't an "oh look I just learned I have powers and am magically going to become the most powerful elf in all the lands!" in 400 pages type of book. Elarian is already THAT girl)
- The writing & setting felt very gothic and poetic. One thing about me; I LOVE a gothic romance so I was hooked from page one
- when Lucan couldn't overcome obstacles, Elarian took them on for him and vice versa. Truly wonderful allies and lovers (idc if they aren't supposed to represent a healthy relationship, I dream of a love like this)
- Love that spans centuries (even if they don't recognize it)
I love a spicy book and this did not disappoint but, honestly, it is not what stuck out to me the most. I feel like McAteer found the perfect balance between plot and romance that every dark romantasy needs and I will forever compare books to this one.
********* SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT *********
I'm SO excited for book 2 and to see where the world takes Elarian & Lucan now that they have (most likely) temporarily escaped Aurelion's clutches. I also hope we get to learn more about Elarian's past. I need to know more about her mother and why she went from Saelith to Elarian 🤞🏽
Perfect for fans of "The Poisoner" series and the "Dracula" duet by Karina Halle. You do not want to miss out on this new dark vampire romantasy that gives the perfect fall vibes. 🦇🖤 (Spoilers in the very last paragraph but I don't want to discourage you from reading this review!!)
There are truly so many things I loved about this book so I feel like I should make a list of some of my favorites:
- SHADOW DADDY (we love that 😋)
- Badass assassin FMC (this isn't an "oh look I just learned I have powers and am magically going to become the most powerful elf in all the lands!" in 400 pages type of book. Elarian is already THAT girl)
- The writing & setting felt very gothic and poetic. One thing about me; I LOVE a gothic romance so I was hooked from page one
- when Lucan couldn't overcome obstacles, Elarian took them on for him and vice versa. Truly wonderful allies and lovers (idc if they aren't supposed to represent a healthy relationship, I dream of a love like this)
- Love that spans centuries (even if they don't recognize it)
I love a spicy book and this did not disappoint but, honestly, it is not what stuck out to me the most. I feel like McAteer found the perfect balance between plot and romance that every dark romantasy needs and I will forever compare books to this one.
********* SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT *********
I'm SO excited for book 2 and to see where the world takes Elarian & Lucan now that they have (most likely) temporarily escaped Aurelion's clutches. I also hope we get to learn more about Elarian's past. I need to know more about her mother and why she went from Saelith to Elarian 🤞🏽
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of advance copy received from Author.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC copy of your book! I was so intrigued by the synopsis and themes, and very excited to sink my teeth (😉) into it.
Firstly, I did finish the book! The premise captured my interest enough to see it through, and when the plot was progressing, I was invested. Unfortunately, those moments felt few and far between, and the pacing just didn't quite work for me.
Particularly with smuttier books, I need a little something to keep me hooked. Either give me a well-paced plot to keep things interesting between the spicy moments, or so much spice that the plot doesn't matter. 😅 Unfortunately, I felt this book fell somewhere in the middle without quite hitting either sweet spot.
I also found the writing included a lot of descriptive passages which were quite repetitive at times. Found it interrupted and weighed down the flow. There were several conversations between characters where I had to backtrack and reread to remember what was actually being discussed.
Another struggle was feeling like I'd stepped into this world halfway through an ongoing story. It was clear there was significant history between the two MCs, but I often felt that context was missing. Rather than being intrigued by their past and slowly having those secrets revealed throughout, I found myself confused and the significance of certain moments didn't land for me. 😬
As for the spice, I enjoyed aspects of it, and I thought the degradation kink scenes were written well. ☺️ That said, I was expecting a fair bit more spice than what was delivered!
Ultimately, I think the premise had potential, but the pacing, repetitive descriptions, and lack of context made it difficult for me to connect with the story as much as I'd hoped. While this one wasn't quite the right fit for me, I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy and wish the author all the best with their writing journey! 💕
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC copy of your book! I was so intrigued by the synopsis and themes, and very excited to sink my teeth (😉) into it.
Firstly, I did finish the book! The premise captured my interest enough to see it through, and when the plot was progressing, I was invested. Unfortunately, those moments felt few and far between, and the pacing just didn't quite work for me.
Particularly with smuttier books, I need a little something to keep me hooked. Either give me a well-paced plot to keep things interesting between the spicy moments, or so much spice that the plot doesn't matter. 😅 Unfortunately, I felt this book fell somewhere in the middle without quite hitting either sweet spot.
I also found the writing included a lot of descriptive passages which were quite repetitive at times. Found it interrupted and weighed down the flow. There were several conversations between characters where I had to backtrack and reread to remember what was actually being discussed.
Another struggle was feeling like I'd stepped into this world halfway through an ongoing story. It was clear there was significant history between the two MCs, but I often felt that context was missing. Rather than being intrigued by their past and slowly having those secrets revealed throughout, I found myself confused and the significance of certain moments didn't land for me. 😬
As for the spice, I enjoyed aspects of it, and I thought the degradation kink scenes were written well. ☺️ That said, I was expecting a fair bit more spice than what was delivered!
Ultimately, I think the premise had potential, but the pacing, repetitive descriptions, and lack of context made it difficult for me to connect with the story as much as I'd hoped. While this one wasn't quite the right fit for me, I appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy and wish the author all the best with their writing journey! 💕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐ 3.75/5 Stars — A Slow Burn That Really Means SLOW!
This book was a journey, and I mean that in more ways than one!
I'll start by saying that the writing is beautiful, poetic, and incredibly descriptive. However, for me, that was also one of its biggest challenges. There were times when I felt like I was reading more about the surroundings, clothing, and atmosphere than the actual story. The amount of detail made it difficult to get into a rhythm, and I frequently found myself reading a chapter or two before needing a break.
It took me approximately 150 pages to really feel invested in the story. The shifting timelines and memories added layers to the characters, but they also made the beginning somewhat confusing. I kept waiting for the main characters to actually interact!
And when they finally did? THAT was what I'd been waiting for!
The tension between Ela and Lucan was fantastic. Their complicated history, mutual hatred, undeniable attraction, and the gradual unraveling of their connection made for some incredibly intriguing moments. I especially enjoyed watching their relationship evolve as pieces of their past began falling into place.
There were revelations I genuinely didn't see coming, and once the story found its footing, I became much more interested in what would happen next.
By the time I reached the final stretch, however, I was ready for the story to wrap up. It wasn't necessarily that the pacing had slowed, but after more than 400 pages of elaborate descriptions, complicated histories, and a very gradual buildup, I was ready for the conclusion. Once the final events were set in motion, I found myself thinking, We've taken so long to get here. Now let's get there!
I understand that this is a duology and that some mysteries and conflicts are intentionally being saved for book two. I don't mind unanswered questions, especially when they leave me wanting more.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the story itself more than the experience of reading it. Readers who love lush, poetic prose, intricate worldbuilding, and an exceptionally slow-burning enemies-to-lovers romance may appreciate this one more than I did.
Despite my struggles with the pacing, I became genuinely invested in Ela and Lucan, and I'm interested in seeing where their story goes next.
3.75 stars! A compelling story that required a little more patience than I anticipated, but one I'm not quite ready to walk away from.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was a journey, and I mean that in more ways than one!
I'll start by saying that the writing is beautiful, poetic, and incredibly descriptive. However, for me, that was also one of its biggest challenges. There were times when I felt like I was reading more about the surroundings, clothing, and atmosphere than the actual story. The amount of detail made it difficult to get into a rhythm, and I frequently found myself reading a chapter or two before needing a break.
It took me approximately 150 pages to really feel invested in the story. The shifting timelines and memories added layers to the characters, but they also made the beginning somewhat confusing. I kept waiting for the main characters to actually interact!
And when they finally did? THAT was what I'd been waiting for!
The tension between Ela and Lucan was fantastic. Their complicated history, mutual hatred, undeniable attraction, and the gradual unraveling of their connection made for some incredibly intriguing moments. I especially enjoyed watching their relationship evolve as pieces of their past began falling into place.
There were revelations I genuinely didn't see coming, and once the story found its footing, I became much more interested in what would happen next.
By the time I reached the final stretch, however, I was ready for the story to wrap up. It wasn't necessarily that the pacing had slowed, but after more than 400 pages of elaborate descriptions, complicated histories, and a very gradual buildup, I was ready for the conclusion. Once the final events were set in motion, I found myself thinking, We've taken so long to get here. Now let's get there!
I understand that this is a duology and that some mysteries and conflicts are intentionally being saved for book two. I don't mind unanswered questions, especially when they leave me wanting more.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the story itself more than the experience of reading it. Readers who love lush, poetic prose, intricate worldbuilding, and an exceptionally slow-burning enemies-to-lovers romance may appreciate this one more than I did.
Despite my struggles with the pacing, I became genuinely invested in Ela and Lucan, and I'm interested in seeing where their story goes next.
3.75 stars! A compelling story that required a little more patience than I anticipated, but one I'm not quite ready to walk away from.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 5, 2026
What a fun read for this time of year. This book is an enemies to lovers, slow burn, banter, vampire romance. When I say slow burn, it is a centuries long game between Elarian, a moon elf, and Lucan, a vampire lord. Elarian is a deadly assassin known as Ashen Blade, who has been trying to kill Lucan for centuries. Lucan is a vicious vampire prince. Over the centuries, they both have left physical scars of failed attempts at killing each other. A curious question….if she is such a good assassin, how come it has taken so long for her to kill him with how many times they have fought? Elarian infiltrates the castle and impersonates a Courtesan thinking she will get close to the vampire prince and finally be able to kill them. She thinks he is oblivious to who she actually is, and thinks he is falling for her trap by taking her back to his quarters. Little did she know, he knew exactly who she was as soon as he saw her, but wanted to play her game. Even once she realizes he knows who she is, she cannot stop herself from a physical night with him. Once that happens, neither of them can seem to get enough of each other. Lucan chains Elarian up to keep her close. Through the days of her capture by Lucan, the dangerous game they are playing becomes even more dangerous. Elarian starts fighting back less and Lucan starts to be more gentle and show acts of kindness. Elarian starts developing nightly fevers and bloodwine helps for a while and then she notices that when she wakes up she has bite marks on her wrists and the fever has simmered down. She starts to question what she is. Lucan discovers what she is. Lucan uses the Ashen Blade to kill vampires in his court he wants rid of. This makes their already dangerous game even more dangerous as this increases the questionable feelings they have for each other. In the end, how safe is it for them to be together? You will have to wait for book two to find out!
October 31, 2026
Ashen Blade had so many elements that should have been a perfect match for me: fantasy, elves, vampires, intriguing world-building, and a morally grey, undeniably attractive vampire MMC. On paper, this felt like exactly the kind of book I'd devour.
One thing I can say without hesitation is that the writing is beautiful. D. Kathleen McAteer has a lyrical style that creates some genuinely vivid moments and gives the story an atmospheric feel. There were flashes of really promising world-building too, and as someone who reads fantasy largely for immersive settings, that was what kept me turning the pages.
That said, I struggled with the pacing. The story often felt laboured, and there were lengthy sections where it seemed like things weren't progressing, rather circling round on itself. I kept waiting for the plot to fully hit its stride, but it never quite reached the level of momentum I was hoping for.
I'm also a little on the fence about the FMC. For someone who repeatedly presents herself as a badass, some of her choices left me questioning the logic behind her plans. I wanted to connect with her more than I ultimately did.
The romance and spice were enjoyable enough, but I had anticipated something much darker and more intense based on the premise. That's very much a personal preference, though, rather than a criticism of the book itself.
Ultimately, I loved the idea of this story more than the execution. The tropes, the world, and that hot vampire hero all had me excited going in, but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. Still, I can absolutely see why many readers will enjoy it, especially those who appreciate lush prose, slow-burn pacing, and fantasy worlds with plenty of potential to explore.
Thank you to the author for the ARC opportunity. My review is left willingly, and represents my own views.
One thing I can say without hesitation is that the writing is beautiful. D. Kathleen McAteer has a lyrical style that creates some genuinely vivid moments and gives the story an atmospheric feel. There were flashes of really promising world-building too, and as someone who reads fantasy largely for immersive settings, that was what kept me turning the pages.
That said, I struggled with the pacing. The story often felt laboured, and there were lengthy sections where it seemed like things weren't progressing, rather circling round on itself. I kept waiting for the plot to fully hit its stride, but it never quite reached the level of momentum I was hoping for.
I'm also a little on the fence about the FMC. For someone who repeatedly presents herself as a badass, some of her choices left me questioning the logic behind her plans. I wanted to connect with her more than I ultimately did.
The romance and spice were enjoyable enough, but I had anticipated something much darker and more intense based on the premise. That's very much a personal preference, though, rather than a criticism of the book itself.
Ultimately, I loved the idea of this story more than the execution. The tropes, the world, and that hot vampire hero all had me excited going in, but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. Still, I can absolutely see why many readers will enjoy it, especially those who appreciate lush prose, slow-burn pacing, and fantasy worlds with plenty of potential to explore.
Thank you to the author for the ARC opportunity. My review is left willingly, and represents my own views.
November 4, 2026
I would like to say thank you for the arc
Well, this book was an experience! If you love dark romantasy, morally questionable characters, vampires, elves, and an enemies-to-lovers romance filled with obsession, tension, and spice, then Ashen Blade deserves a spot on your TBR!
Elarian and Lucan have such an intense dynamic. After decades of trying to destroy one another, finding themselves tangled up in something much more complicated made their relationship fascinating. I loved the push and pull, the underlying obsession, and the question of whether they'd become each other's salvation or downfall.
The worldbuilding was another highlight. McAteer creates a dark, atmospheric fantasy world filled with magic, secrets, dangerous politics, and complicated histories. There's so much happening beneath the surface that kept me wanting to learn more.
And let's talk about Lucan! This morally dark, possessive vampire prince brings ALL the intensity. His relationship with Elarian is messy, complicated, and definitely not for anyone looking for a fluffy romance. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the darker romantic elements add plenty of tension.
I did feel some portions could have moved faster, and the worldbuilding occasionally required extra attention. Still, the character dynamics, emotional tension, and unfolding secrets kept me invested.
PLEASE make sure to check the trigger warnings before picking this one up, this is a genuinely dark romance with some intense themes and content.
Overall, Ashen Blade delivered a fun mix of dark fantasy, forbidden attraction, dangerous secrets, and complicated characters. The ending left me wanting answers, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where Elarian and Lucan's story goes next!
Well, this book was an experience! If you love dark romantasy, morally questionable characters, vampires, elves, and an enemies-to-lovers romance filled with obsession, tension, and spice, then Ashen Blade deserves a spot on your TBR!
Elarian and Lucan have such an intense dynamic. After decades of trying to destroy one another, finding themselves tangled up in something much more complicated made their relationship fascinating. I loved the push and pull, the underlying obsession, and the question of whether they'd become each other's salvation or downfall.
The worldbuilding was another highlight. McAteer creates a dark, atmospheric fantasy world filled with magic, secrets, dangerous politics, and complicated histories. There's so much happening beneath the surface that kept me wanting to learn more.
And let's talk about Lucan! This morally dark, possessive vampire prince brings ALL the intensity. His relationship with Elarian is messy, complicated, and definitely not for anyone looking for a fluffy romance. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the darker romantic elements add plenty of tension.
I did feel some portions could have moved faster, and the worldbuilding occasionally required extra attention. Still, the character dynamics, emotional tension, and unfolding secrets kept me invested.
PLEASE make sure to check the trigger warnings before picking this one up, this is a genuinely dark romance with some intense themes and content.
Overall, Ashen Blade delivered a fun mix of dark fantasy, forbidden attraction, dangerous secrets, and complicated characters. The ending left me wanting answers, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where Elarian and Lucan's story goes next!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this as an ARC in return for an honest review (always incredibly thankful & honored to do so), here is what I thought~
I want to start off by saying, I thought a whole lot about this one before deciding on my final rating. I ultimately felt lost in the tangle of the plot more often than not, I am sad to say… I think the writing was just a little bit confusing & hard to follow. That being said though, I do think it is an interesting plot overall. Keeping me invested enough to want to see how this story would pan out.
I think where this story really hurt my rating was just the simple thought that the FMC ever thought this plan was going to work, especially how the MMC has been having this back & forth with her for forever… It sort of tamped down her character for me when I think she is ideally supposed to be seen as intellegent.
Spice was alright. I think I thought it was going to be darker than it ultimately turned out to be (which is just a personal preference really). Maybe could have been leaned into morally black territory more, but I still had fun. Who doesn’t like a little shadow play & a tasty cunty man?
All that being said, I don’t think this is a bad book. 3 stars is seen as scary (& I know it would be harder for an author to see, I get that), but I still think there are going to be people out there that love this. You can tell the author put a lot into this story & loves these characters. I think it is for someone, just maybe not for me. I like the idea a lot honestly. So though it wasn’t for me, I still recommend looking into it yourself before judging it. Especially if you love a spicy male, like the MMC you’ll find here.
I want to start off by saying, I thought a whole lot about this one before deciding on my final rating. I ultimately felt lost in the tangle of the plot more often than not, I am sad to say… I think the writing was just a little bit confusing & hard to follow. That being said though, I do think it is an interesting plot overall. Keeping me invested enough to want to see how this story would pan out.
I think where this story really hurt my rating was just the simple thought that the FMC ever thought this plan was going to work, especially how the MMC has been having this back & forth with her for forever… It sort of tamped down her character for me when I think she is ideally supposed to be seen as intellegent.
Spice was alright. I think I thought it was going to be darker than it ultimately turned out to be (which is just a personal preference really). Maybe could have been leaned into morally black territory more, but I still had fun. Who doesn’t like a little shadow play & a tasty cunty man?
All that being said, I don’t think this is a bad book. 3 stars is seen as scary (& I know it would be harder for an author to see, I get that), but I still think there are going to be people out there that love this. You can tell the author put a lot into this story & loves these characters. I think it is for someone, just maybe not for me. I like the idea a lot honestly. So though it wasn’t for me, I still recommend looking into it yourself before judging it. Especially if you love a spicy male, like the MMC you’ll find here.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I would probably give this book a rang of 3.5- 4 stars. I’m not quite sure what I would rate this book. (Since we can’t to half stars).
I received this as an Arc. Just want to say thank you to the author (anyone else involved). I’ll be completely honest with my review (as I always am). I like to include no spoilers to the best of my ability.
I would say about 20% of the first part of the book is slow. I had to push through while reading it. (Maybe it’s because I read it on my phone, personally it’s harder to read books that way). It did have a strong opening.
After the ~20 (maybe to even 25%) of the book it started to kick off. From there it was a straight read. You had two enemies that joined together both get something they wanted. With of course a lot of sex in the middle. (Make sure to read trigger warnings).
Some of the triggers are;
- abusive parent/child relationship
- Psychological, verbal, and physical abuse between MC’s
- BDSM scenes (with shadow play)
- blood play
- murder, death, self-harm, drugging, and gore.
(Make sure to read the trigger warnings and do what’s best for your health)
Some themes are;
- Shadow Daddy
- A hot badass assassin
- touch her and you die
- Dark romance between an elf and vampire
(Many others, read to find out).
Elaira is a moon elf assassin who was tasked (as well as wanting to) with killing the big bad vampire prince, Lucan. They are both (probably) equally obsessed with one another and for some reason they just can’t kill one another. Nothing could possibly go wrong of not killing eachother….
I am excited for the second book, to see where their story ends. If it’s happy.. or devastating.
I received this as an Arc. Just want to say thank you to the author (anyone else involved). I’ll be completely honest with my review (as I always am). I like to include no spoilers to the best of my ability.
I would say about 20% of the first part of the book is slow. I had to push through while reading it. (Maybe it’s because I read it on my phone, personally it’s harder to read books that way). It did have a strong opening.
After the ~20 (maybe to even 25%) of the book it started to kick off. From there it was a straight read. You had two enemies that joined together both get something they wanted. With of course a lot of sex in the middle. (Make sure to read trigger warnings).
Some of the triggers are;
- abusive parent/child relationship
- Psychological, verbal, and physical abuse between MC’s
- BDSM scenes (with shadow play)
- blood play
- murder, death, self-harm, drugging, and gore.
(Make sure to read the trigger warnings and do what’s best for your health)
Some themes are;
- Shadow Daddy
- A hot badass assassin
- touch her and you die
- Dark romance between an elf and vampire
(Many others, read to find out).
Elaira is a moon elf assassin who was tasked (as well as wanting to) with killing the big bad vampire prince, Lucan. They are both (probably) equally obsessed with one another and for some reason they just can’t kill one another. Nothing could possibly go wrong of not killing eachother….
I am excited for the second book, to see where their story ends. If it’s happy.. or devastating.
Did Not Finish
November 6, 2026I unfortunately struggled to connect with this book and ultimately decided to DNF.
I think a large part of my difficulty came down to the writing style. The prose is very atmospheric and descriptive, with frequent figurative language and dramatic, almost theatrical dialogue. While I appreciate descriptive writing and enjoy books that explore complex ideas and themes, I found that some of the descriptions felt overly elaborate for the actions being portrayed.
There were also moments when I struggled to visualize exactly what was happening in a scene. I occasionally had to reread sentences and paragraphs to understand the physical actions or follow the flow of events. Rather than drawing me further into the story, this made reading feel more effortful than enjoyable.
I think this ultimately comes down to personal preference. I enjoy writing that gives me something to interpret, whether that's psychological depth, symbolism, foreshadowing, or complex character motivations. However, I struggled to find that same engagement here, and the descriptive style became an obstacle to my enjoyment.
I don't think this is necessarily a book that won't work for other readers. Those who enjoy elaborate, atmospheric prose and dramatic fantasy dialogue may find a lot to appreciate. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right writing style for me.
As I didn't get far enough into the book, I can't fairly comment on the overall plot or character development. This is simply my experience with the opening chapters.
I want to thank Kathleen Mcateer for providing me with an ARC of Ashen Blade in exchange for my honest review.
I think a large part of my difficulty came down to the writing style. The prose is very atmospheric and descriptive, with frequent figurative language and dramatic, almost theatrical dialogue. While I appreciate descriptive writing and enjoy books that explore complex ideas and themes, I found that some of the descriptions felt overly elaborate for the actions being portrayed.
There were also moments when I struggled to visualize exactly what was happening in a scene. I occasionally had to reread sentences and paragraphs to understand the physical actions or follow the flow of events. Rather than drawing me further into the story, this made reading feel more effortful than enjoyable.
I think this ultimately comes down to personal preference. I enjoy writing that gives me something to interpret, whether that's psychological depth, symbolism, foreshadowing, or complex character motivations. However, I struggled to find that same engagement here, and the descriptive style became an obstacle to my enjoyment.
I don't think this is necessarily a book that won't work for other readers. Those who enjoy elaborate, atmospheric prose and dramatic fantasy dialogue may find a lot to appreciate. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right writing style for me.
As I didn't get far enough into the book, I can't fairly comment on the overall plot or character development. This is simply my experience with the opening chapters.
I want to thank Kathleen Mcateer for providing me with an ARC of Ashen Blade in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Arc review
Thank you, D.Kathleen McAteer for this book! I got into it thinking it is a vampire romantsy, but is not quite it. A poetic story, beautifully written, Ashen Blade makes tou wonder how Elarian and Lucan spent 300 years apart and 80years hating each other.
She is a somehow peculiar Elf, he is a vampire prince that deeply hates his lord and father. She hates him because she was raised and indoctrinated to, he fights her because that is what vampires do: fight the silver elves, whose blood can kill him.
Elarian gets to infiltrate Lucan's castle and starts killing vampires and by some turn of events gets to be tied by the vampire. Their relation shifts into something else, where the line of hate moves more towards love. It’s a subtle shift, that appears at first through small gestures, small change of words and culminates in shifting from terrible violence to small touches.
Elarian's point of view is rather interesting as it gradually shifts and she starts to understand the machinations that others set into place for her. Lucan's on the other hand shows his true feelings and his disturbing life under Aurelion's rule.
The descriptions and the entire worldbuild is unique, with interesting characters and well described places.
I am really invested in this story, and now I am waiting for the second part of the duet!
For me, it's a 4.5⭐️ book, as I got a bit hard into the story, but it progressed nicely and got me hooked!
I have received this book as ARC from D. Kathleen McAteer and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Thank you, D.Kathleen McAteer for this book! I got into it thinking it is a vampire romantsy, but is not quite it. A poetic story, beautifully written, Ashen Blade makes tou wonder how Elarian and Lucan spent 300 years apart and 80years hating each other.
She is a somehow peculiar Elf, he is a vampire prince that deeply hates his lord and father. She hates him because she was raised and indoctrinated to, he fights her because that is what vampires do: fight the silver elves, whose blood can kill him.
Elarian gets to infiltrate Lucan's castle and starts killing vampires and by some turn of events gets to be tied by the vampire. Their relation shifts into something else, where the line of hate moves more towards love. It’s a subtle shift, that appears at first through small gestures, small change of words and culminates in shifting from terrible violence to small touches.
Elarian's point of view is rather interesting as it gradually shifts and she starts to understand the machinations that others set into place for her. Lucan's on the other hand shows his true feelings and his disturbing life under Aurelion's rule.
The descriptions and the entire worldbuild is unique, with interesting characters and well described places.
I am really invested in this story, and now I am waiting for the second part of the duet!
For me, it's a 4.5⭐️ book, as I got a bit hard into the story, but it progressed nicely and got me hooked!
I have received this book as ARC from D. Kathleen McAteer and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 20, 2026
Let’s start this off by saying what a sexy ride this has been! Dark romance between an elf and a vampire prince yea sign me up. That being said this is a dark romance so triggers may apply.
We have our lovely elf beauty who has once mission in life to slay and slaughter the vampire kingdoms who they claim the gods abandoned. In her way lies our Vampire prince. They have battled throughout the years never fully able to commit either to death. Leaving a new scar on eachother every battle. Yet the magnetic pull to eachother forever keeps the game alive. As the ashen blade she has one role, to bring the prince to his knees and return with his head. So what is a women to do? Simple infiltrate the castle and work your way to the prince no matter what.
This book is heavy on the “romance” and by romance I mean graphic sexual depictions (much to my enjoyment) while you read you will get character growth and I wish we got more of the back story of the prince and his trauma. It was brought up but never in detail and I feel like we would bond with him more that being said this is just book one so his story could be waiting for us. I felt more connected to the FMC during this read which might be the intention I mean the book is named after her. I’m fully intrigued to see where the story goes and to continue to fall for these characters and the adorable fey wolves please be more of them!!! If fantasy and dark romance mingled together is your personal pleasure then I would recommend this. I will be here awaiting book two and looking at all the book art 😉
Review of advance copy received from Author
[Spoiler-free - ARC - review]
In a sentence: An aching story of mutual obsession where pain is pleasure and humiliation is freedom.
In a quote: “Gods, he wanted to live inside her veins, to feel that frantic rhythm beneath his fingertips as her blood rushed around him until he drowned in her warmth.”
CW: This is a dark romantasy and as such, shares explicit content common to dark romance such as dubious consent, amongst other adult themes. Suffice to say, if you are uncertain dark romantasy is suited to your sensibilities, please avail yourself of the trigger warnings provided by the author.
Opinion in full: As thirsty as the vampires you read about? There’s plenty in McAteer’s devious tale to leave you quenched (or drenched). Though, there is much more to this beautifully written exploration of finding love within the cracks of self-loathing than carnal pleasures.
The utter relief of submission and the complexities of being treated as an object are explored. As are grief and toxic parental figures.
“She loathed returning to the place where she lost her childhood, but gained a purpose.”
McAteer has built an immersive world where elves are in perpetual war with vampires, replete with pagan-like ceremonies, star-born magic and liminal worlds where phantoms of the past lurk. Together with gothic castles, depraved vampire feasts and bloody politics, McAteer teases a wider world I am very much looking forward to exploring in later releases.
And with that cliffhanger of an ending? I’m sure you’ll soon be joining me in pining for book two.
In a sentence: An aching story of mutual obsession where pain is pleasure and humiliation is freedom.
In a quote: “Gods, he wanted to live inside her veins, to feel that frantic rhythm beneath his fingertips as her blood rushed around him until he drowned in her warmth.”
CW: This is a dark romantasy and as such, shares explicit content common to dark romance such as dubious consent, amongst other adult themes. Suffice to say, if you are uncertain dark romantasy is suited to your sensibilities, please avail yourself of the trigger warnings provided by the author.
Opinion in full: As thirsty as the vampires you read about? There’s plenty in McAteer’s devious tale to leave you quenched (or drenched). Though, there is much more to this beautifully written exploration of finding love within the cracks of self-loathing than carnal pleasures.
The utter relief of submission and the complexities of being treated as an object are explored. As are grief and toxic parental figures.
“She loathed returning to the place where she lost her childhood, but gained a purpose.”
McAteer has built an immersive world where elves are in perpetual war with vampires, replete with pagan-like ceremonies, star-born magic and liminal worlds where phantoms of the past lurk. Together with gothic castles, depraved vampire feasts and bloody politics, McAteer teases a wider world I am very much looking forward to exploring in later releases.
And with that cliffhanger of an ending? I’m sure you’ll soon be joining me in pining for book two.
November 6, 2026
This was a great read. There is a pronunciation guide, which I love to have. (Maps, glossaries and pronunciation guides are some of my favorite fantasy book add-ons.) There is action almost from the start. It isn't drawn out with a lot of exposition.
We have two tortured souls, drawn together by war and hatred. Lycan and Elarian, vampire and moon elf, they have been trying to kill each other for almost a century. They get close enough to do it, but always seem to stop with just a scar to show for it.
Their war with the vampires cared little for things like blood loyalties over doctrine. She Who Is Death declared the creatures the enemy, and thus the moon elves fought, even if they lost their chance at an afterlife.
Elarian, the Ashen Blade, is released from service, she tells her superior she will return with Lucan's head this time. She travels through the Evermist, with the guidance of Fey Wolves, to get to where Lucan's palace is. She infiltrates the palace, and tries to kill him, he catches her at it. Then things really get interesting.
Always so beautiful when you bleed for me, elf. Lucan’s perfect, ashen-gray face flashed before her, quickly followed by his hands covered in her blood
Over all a great read, definitely recommend. A must-read for vampire and elf lovers alike.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ashen Blade - D. Kathleen McAteer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Five dark bloody stars ☄️❤️🔥
🧛💖🧝🏻♀️🔪🩸🖤❤️🔥
✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ he falls first
✔️ vampire prince x moon elf
✔️ spice 🔥🌶️
✔️ dark romance - trauma bonding, twisted love, bloodplay (he is a vampire!)
- check trigger warnings - read at your own risk - be ready for your latest obsession
I devoured this book!!! Thank you to D. Kathleen McAteer + her team for the ARC (Advanced reader copy) of this. Highkey devastated we have to wait until APRIL for part 2! Like GIIIIIIIRL. What’s a girl gotta do for more? Cuz 😘👀
Just a taste:
“Defiant. Furious. Heartbreakingly alive. She was probably coming for him right now. Honing her blade, oiling her boots. Gods, she hated him. And he fucking despised how much he needed her. How he only felt a glimmer of something, anything besides numb nothingness in her presence.”
“Good, she thought. Let him lose sleep. Let him see her shadow in every corner, her silver glinting each time he closed his eyes. She would become his obsession until it fucking destroyed him.”
Elarian & Lucan are beautifully broken, dark and depraved in their love and obsession - may they haunt your mind & dreams the way they haunt each other’s souls.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Five dark bloody stars ☄️❤️🔥
🧛💖🧝🏻♀️🔪🩸🖤❤️🔥
✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ he falls first
✔️ vampire prince x moon elf
✔️ spice 🔥🌶️
✔️ dark romance - trauma bonding, twisted love, bloodplay (he is a vampire!)
- check trigger warnings - read at your own risk - be ready for your latest obsession
I devoured this book!!! Thank you to D. Kathleen McAteer + her team for the ARC (Advanced reader copy) of this. Highkey devastated we have to wait until APRIL for part 2! Like GIIIIIIIRL. What’s a girl gotta do for more? Cuz 😘👀
Just a taste:
“Defiant. Furious. Heartbreakingly alive. She was probably coming for him right now. Honing her blade, oiling her boots. Gods, she hated him. And he fucking despised how much he needed her. How he only felt a glimmer of something, anything besides numb nothingness in her presence.”
“Good, she thought. Let him lose sleep. Let him see her shadow in every corner, her silver glinting each time he closed his eyes. She would become his obsession until it fucking destroyed him.”
Elarian & Lucan are beautifully broken, dark and depraved in their love and obsession - may they haunt your mind & dreams the way they haunt each other’s souls.
September 29, 2026
Release date: Oct 31,2026
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
🧛🏻🧝🏻♀️Vampires and Elves
😈Morally black MMC
🖤Morally Grey FMC
⛓️Captor/Captive
🥵Dark and Spicy
🩸Vampire prince x moon elf assassin
🗡️Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers
🍆Pierced MMC
🎭Masquerade espionage & deadly court intrigue
🧠Mental health & trauma rep
🌈Queer rep
✨Gods, curses & celestial magic
🧚Fey creatures & animal allies
Quotes:
“Your heart stutters so beautifully, pet, a man's voice whispered. I wonder if you might sing louder for me.”
Review:
Review of advance copy received from author
Check trigger warnings - read at your own risk
I desperately took my time, not wanting to have the book end. Loving this book so much that I’m afraid of whatever the ending was going to leave on a cliffhanger till book two comes out 🫠😩
This was is a prefect spooky read for Halloween, a dark vampire romance with a shadow daddy. Going into this book I was expecting broken, dark obsession and I wasn’t disappointed. Especially Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers, I eat those books up every time.
The danger, secrets, difficult choices and the yearning of a moon elf that sings Lucan dead heart sing.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
🧛🏻🧝🏻♀️Vampires and Elves
😈Morally black MMC
🖤Morally Grey FMC
⛓️Captor/Captive
🥵Dark and Spicy
🩸Vampire prince x moon elf assassin
🗡️Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers
🍆Pierced MMC
🎭Masquerade espionage & deadly court intrigue
🧠Mental health & trauma rep
🌈Queer rep
✨Gods, curses & celestial magic
🧚Fey creatures & animal allies
Quotes:
“Your heart stutters so beautifully, pet, a man's voice whispered. I wonder if you might sing louder for me.”
Review:
Review of advance copy received from author
Check trigger warnings - read at your own risk
I desperately took my time, not wanting to have the book end. Loving this book so much that I’m afraid of whatever the ending was going to leave on a cliffhanger till book two comes out 🫠😩
This was is a prefect spooky read for Halloween, a dark vampire romance with a shadow daddy. Going into this book I was expecting broken, dark obsession and I wasn’t disappointed. Especially Enemies to extremely reluctant allies to lovers, I eat those books up every time.
The danger, secrets, difficult choices and the yearning of a moon elf that sings Lucan dead heart sing.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is the first of a two part series and I can’t wait for book 2. This one had some very dark elements to it, as do most books that contain vampires and elves, especially when they are fighting each other. This one also contains some dark spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ so check the triggers.
Now, the enemies to lovers is so strong in this one. Not just a “I hate him” kind of enemies. This is a “I have been trying to unalive him for decades and it is the only thing left for me to live for” kind of enemies. Elarian was created to be a weapon to destroy Lucan. Elarian and Lucan’s hatred for each other is legendary. The intense feelings through this book are amazing.
The world and character building are on point, and held me in a way that had me devouring this book in one day.
Cliffhangers like this are painful, but not as evil as others. Very thankful that I only have to wait until April for book 2.
This one contains:
🖤 Dark Fantasy Romance
🩸 Vampire Romance
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
🔥 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Morally Grey MMC
⚔️ Strong Warrior FMC
🔥 Touch Her and Die Energy
🖤 Forced Proximity
🩸 Immortal MMC
⚔️ Cat and Mouse
🔥 Dangerous Attraction
🖤 Secrets and Lies
⚔️ Rival Factions
🔥 Slow Burn Tension
🖤 Dark Secrets and Hidden Truths
🩸 Captive / Captor Vibes
Now, the enemies to lovers is so strong in this one. Not just a “I hate him” kind of enemies. This is a “I have been trying to unalive him for decades and it is the only thing left for me to live for” kind of enemies. Elarian was created to be a weapon to destroy Lucan. Elarian and Lucan’s hatred for each other is legendary. The intense feelings through this book are amazing.
The world and character building are on point, and held me in a way that had me devouring this book in one day.
Cliffhangers like this are painful, but not as evil as others. Very thankful that I only have to wait until April for book 2.
This one contains:
🖤 Dark Fantasy Romance
🩸 Vampire Romance
⚔️ Enemies to Lovers
🔥 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Morally Grey MMC
⚔️ Strong Warrior FMC
🔥 Touch Her and Die Energy
🖤 Forced Proximity
🩸 Immortal MMC
⚔️ Cat and Mouse
🔥 Dangerous Attraction
🖤 Secrets and Lies
⚔️ Rival Factions
🔥 Slow Burn Tension
🖤 Dark Secrets and Hidden Truths
🩸 Captive / Captor Vibes
Review of advance copy received from Author
I want to, first and foremost, both thank the author for the oportunity to ARC read this book and wish her the bestest of lucks once the book is out in the world for everyone to read and enjoy!
Now, I am aware that a lot of people consider anything below 4 stars a bad rating, so I want to be extremly clear when I say I do not mean them as a bad rating at all. The book is interesting, intriging and certainly built in a way that, to me, felt like a new take on both fae and vampire, even if it works within certain cliches of its genre. I think, however, that while I personally like the topics and tropes it uses, the execution wasn't for me. In the end, of course, whether or not my niche views and preferences are suited for this book has little to nothing to do with the objective approach I want to take when it comes to speaking about it.
So, while I personally didn't find the book a new favourite of mine, I do think it is a good book that will amaze a lot of people, as it has so far a lot of my ARC readers peers. Alas, I do recomend giving it a go, for I think that, even if you don't end up loving it, you will for sure read a book that's enjoyable.
Now, I am aware that a lot of people consider anything below 4 stars a bad rating, so I want to be extremly clear when I say I do not mean them as a bad rating at all. The book is interesting, intriging and certainly built in a way that, to me, felt like a new take on both fae and vampire, even if it works within certain cliches of its genre. I think, however, that while I personally like the topics and tropes it uses, the execution wasn't for me. In the end, of course, whether or not my niche views and preferences are suited for this book has little to nothing to do with the objective approach I want to take when it comes to speaking about it.
So, while I personally didn't find the book a new favourite of mine, I do think it is a good book that will amaze a lot of people, as it has so far a lot of my ARC readers peers. Alas, I do recomend giving it a go, for I think that, even if you don't end up loving it, you will for sure read a book that's enjoyable.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Genuinely, I feel like the bones are there for this story but it just didn’t quite hit for me. It has everything I want! A dark, brooding bad boy vampire, a sexually repressed elf, breaking free from subjugation, a little bit of mystery, a healthy dose of spice, and a lot-a-bit of trauma. The writing is beautiful and descriptive, D really puts you in the story. However, I struggled with the pacing and writing. Some of the things that, for me, didn’t work.
* I wasn’t invested in the characters. I feel like all I know about them is their complicated desire for each other.
* Some plot points felt rushed for the sake of the story. The main thing for me was the end of the book, it felt like emotional whiplash with the main character doing a full 360 within the span of a single chapter.
* The writing was repetitive and it felt like I was being told the message I was supposed to be taking away from this book rather than being shown it.
Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it and the ending definitely has me enticed to continue on with the second book in the duology.
Thank you to the author for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
* I wasn’t invested in the characters. I feel like all I know about them is their complicated desire for each other.
* Some plot points felt rushed for the sake of the story. The main thing for me was the end of the book, it felt like emotional whiplash with the main character doing a full 360 within the span of a single chapter.
* The writing was repetitive and it felt like I was being told the message I was supposed to be taking away from this book rather than being shown it.
Overall, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it and the ending definitely has me enticed to continue on with the second book in the duology.
Thank you to the author for providing an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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