The Hostage of Camelot Book 1: A spicy Captive Romance, Forced Proximity, Touch her and Die Romantasy in King Arthur’s Court

by Amber Thorne

Britain in the early Middle Ages. A time of magic, adventure and war. King Arthur's British coalition is fighting back against the advancing Germanic tribes. To secure a peace treaty, the 18-year-old Saxon princess Emma is brought to Camelot as a hostage. What nobody at Arthur’s court realises, however, is that Emma is also a spy, tasked with infiltrating the enemy alliance. To achieve this, she will stop at nothing - especially not sex and seduction...

This page-turning romantasy novel combines steamy scenes (spice level 3/5) with a gripping historical thriller plot and a modern reimagining of the legendary figures from Arthurian legend.

Captive Romance, Forced Proximity, Touch her and Die, Reverse Harem, Chosen One.

329 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2026

Reviews

[Paloma]

The Hostage of Camelot is a great read for those Arthurian enthusiasts with dash of spice.

I enjoyed the plot and the characters. Though it doesn't follow the story of King Arthur directly, there are certain aspects of it that touch upon the tale we all know.

Emma's character was a hot mess and she was all over the place. But it is understandable based on the precarious situation she has found herself in.

This does feel like the first book in a series/trilogy so I enjoyed the bits of information we were given. Based on this, I look forward to reading further books and learning more about their world.

Thank you Book Sirens for this eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Amber]

The story is alright, and the writing is solid. I found myself wanting to know what happens next. However, the narrative does lean toward telling rather than showing. The characters frequently explain to each other information that the reader needs for context, which is informative but could have been woven in more elegantly throughout the story.

The historical research appears thorough, and I only noticed small inaccuracies.

Regarding what the book promises versus what it delivers, there are some significant disconnects. The story is spicy with voyeurism and encounters with other women, and the protagonist is technically a captive who arrives at an enemy court. However, beyond some hateful glances from certain characters, she essentially has a free life and walks around as she pleases. I expected more suspicious characters and greater secrecy about them giving her information, especially as she's only been there a week. This aspect falls flat for me.

The forced proximity element is also unclear—forced proximity to whom, exactly?
And the "touch her and die" romantasy premise simply doesn't hold up. There is no romance because there is no love interest, so who would even deliver or enact such a threat?

The book would have been better positioned as a historical fantasy about a spy willing to do anything for information, including r*pe.

What troubles me most is the use of a staged r*pe as the method to bring down P, despite my despising his faith-induced self-righteousness. This approach feels deeply wrong. It mirrors exactly what victims face in real life—the dismissal of their experiences because some women have fabricated allegations for revenge. Using this tactic as a plot device undermines the gravity of actual assault and sends a problematic message. There were other possibilities that could have served the narrative without this particular choice.

All in all, the book was okay.

[Lilith's_Library_]

Thank you so much to Amber Thorne for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. 💙

Step into the legendary halls of Camelot where danger, desire, and destiny collide… 🗡️✨

The Hostage of Camelot delivers a deliciously addictive romantasy filled with tension, forbidden attraction, and the kind of forced proximity that keeps you turning the pages. From the moment the story begins, you’re thrown into a world of power struggles, secrets, and a connection that neither character can easily ignore.

The chemistry between the characters was one of my favourite parts of this story. The push and pull, the moments of vulnerability hidden beneath the tension, and the undeniable spark made their dynamic so much fun to follow. If you love the “touch her and die” trope with a side of danger and obsession, this one absolutely brings the heat. 🔥

Amber Thorne creates a captivating blend of Arthurian legend and romantasy, giving readers a world filled with intrigue, passion, and high stakes. The atmosphere of Camelot adds that perfect layer of mystery and magic, making this a thrilling escape for fantasy romance lovers.

If you’re looking for a story packed with:
⚔️ Captive romance
🔥 Forced proximity
🖤 Touch her and die energy
🏰 Arthurian-inspired fantasy
✨ Spicy romantasy tension

…then The Hostage of Camelot deserves a spot on your TBR!

I’m excited to see what comes next in this series because this first adventure has definitely left me wanting more. 💙

[Colleen]

There were elements of this book I genuinely enjoyed, especially the historical setting in the centuries after Rome left Britain and the inclusion of familiar figures from the Round Table. Those aspects were creative and engaging, and I appreciated the author’s effort to bring a unique perspective to this era. The writing was also readable and descriptive in a great way.

However, the story didn’t match the expectations set by the series description: “A Spicy Captive Romance, Forced Proximity, Touch Her and Die Romantasy.” Book 1 did not read as a romance to me. I found myself waiting for the emotional connection or relationship development, but it never appeared. I plan to continue with the next book to see if those elements emerge later in the series.

I also struggled with several scenes involving intimacy. The lack of consent in multiple encounters made those moments uncomfortable to read, and it affected my ability to connect with the characters — including the main character.

Still, I appreciate the creativity behind the worldbuilding and the author’s dedication to reimagining Arthurian lore. I’m hopeful that book 2 will bring more of the romantic and emotional depth I was expecting.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julia Nolan]

So, IMO, the first half or so of this book doesn’t quite know what it wants to be. It reads like a pretty typical retelling of Arthurian legend. Which isn’t bad, per se, but also didn’t quite thrill me. (Emma, to me, feels a bit too self-insert-y for me to read an otherwise relatively by the numbers Arthurian retelling. To be fair, the world building was well done and there was nothing *wrong* with it. I just didn’t love it.)

At about the half way mark, though, this story gets GOOD. Our protagonist, Emma, slowly bangs her way through the luminaries of Arthurian legend and it is hot. (Perhaps all the more so for sometimes being unexpected. I loved a particular scene with Guinevere, although there were a number of standouts.)

So if you’re willing to be patient, this novel is for you. (And again, I do wish to empathize that the first part of this novel isn’t *bad*. It just felt slower and more historical than the blurb and cover promised. But then, once that was over, things got steamy fast.)

[Shu]

I’m not sure if there is really a romantic relationship between the FMC (Emma) and the MMCs (didn’t interact much with who readers would think are the main men). There is also two scenes of FF so Emma may have at least one woman in her harem? There’s a few scenes with the women at least so there’s a relationship there if Emma does end up with one of them. Readers don’t really know who Emma will end up with at the end or the main characters as the book is written in third/fourth person but in Emma’s “viewpoint.” I do feel sorry for Percival somewhat as he was tricked but didn’t try to fix anything with Emma and was mean to her with their interactions. Emma isn’t all innocent too as she is working as a spy for her father (or trying). The writing is good with enough world/plot buildup but would probably be better in first person so readers “see” each characters’ viewpoints/emotions. It’s mainly from Emma’s “viewpoint” so we don’t get to see what the other characters are doing.

[Morgana Lefaye]

This book didn’t do it for me. I like Arthurian legends that are mystical and magical, and I like Arthurian legends that try to imagine what the real history behind the legends could be, without any magic, but this was kind of trying to do both at once, and that didn’t work. I found the character of Emma, the Saxon hostage, rather unsympathetic and also impossibly clever (no one learns to speak possible Latin in a couple of weeks, and her grasp of internal politics of Camelot just was too good to be credible). It was also not remotely romantic, and the spice scenes were rather distasteful. .I read the first three or so chapters and then I skimmed through to the end so in a sense I finished it, but I never went back and actually carefully read the rest of the book. I would not recommend this book and do not intend to read the rest of the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Frank]

This was a brilliant first book to start the trilogy!

The main characters (especially Emma) are excellent. (It is so unfair on her, especially when she is a full-grown princess being treated as if she were a child.)

I loved the introduction, description, and exit of the Lady of the Lake.

In fact, the descriptive passages throughout painted such a rich picture that the reader is really drawn into the book.

The humour was delightful throughout the book - necessary at times as some of the other action is dark and distinctly not amusing.

This has some interesting [in a good way] interpretations of the Arthurian legends (especially Parsival & Morgana) however my favourite remains Emma - she has very good character development in this book.

I can't wait to read the next volume!


(I was fortunate to receive an ARC however the above is, as ever, my own opinion.)

[Samantha]

The writing for The Hostage of Camelot was good, possibly the best part of the book. For the lost part, it was polished and the story flowed nicely from one scene to the next. Some of the dialogue, however, is written to be modern and that pulled me out of the story. I don't see where reverse harem, touch her and die, or forced proximity come into play with the story, though. I also forgot that Emma was in Camelot to be a spy a lot of the time. I certainly forgot that she was meant to be a hostage. Most of her actions seem like pure luck on her part. As for being a romance, where is the romance? Every situation has been either voyeurism or non-consentual one-time occurrences.

I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bailey Masters]

Review of an advanced reader’s copy

The Hostage of Camelot was a good book. I enjoyed the plot and thought it had a good story. Amber Thorne’s writing was pretty solid. She left me constantly curious and wanting to know what’s happening next. However, I think she could’ve used more detailed writing and woven aspects of the story together more seamlessly.

There were aspects of the story that were a little confusing to me or weren’t quite what I was expecting. It’s a story about a hostage but it’s not a typical hostage situation. The title also implies that it’s a very spicy book but in my opinion, there’s not that much spice. Overall, I’d say it’s a good palate cleanser and quick read.

* I received an ARC copy for free. I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

[noelle]

Thanks to BookSirens and Ms. Thorne for the opportunity to read this book!

The Hostage of Camelot is my first Amber Thorne book. It was a solid story, with writing that was decent and the premise is captivating. However, what fell flat for me was the characterization of Emma herself. This may change, as I do intend to re-read this book another time. I felt that, on this read, Emma was a bit all over the place as a character and this really showed at the beginning.

Though it felt like an Arthurian novel, I felt like there could be MORE there. But, I suppose, that's what book 2 is for eh? Overall, a solid read. I'll pick up book 2 of this trilogy for sure.

⭐️: 3.75 of 5
🌶: 2.5 of 5

[Becky]

This is a good book if you like that sort of thing. It's not my usual genre but I like Arthur so gave it a go. It wasn't completely for me in the end, however it is well written with developed characters. I did not enjoy some of the intimate scenes due to the circumstances around them (spoilers). I did enjoy the overarching story line and related to most of the characters. I enjoyed the references to the history of the time, especially the uses for old Roman buildings, which helped to paint a rich description of the setting.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[BlueFalkon95]

Hostage of Camelot begins in a slow paced process, a little bit boring yet interesting enough to continue reading. The story is not of the same of a King Arthur book that I read years ago. Just a mega amount of battle scenes and certain characters reminded me of certain types of people I don’t want to be around. I had to remind myself that the characters are not real and they won’t hurt me. The story left on a great cliffhanger which I am left wondering on what will happen next.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.