Dhampira

by Amy Pennza

A long-lost noble of the ruthless vampire court discovers she might not need to choose between her two suitors in this blood-pounding new romantasy from the USA Today bestselling author of the Bitten and Bound series.

Corinthe has spent a lifetime longing for excitement outside her sleepy human village. As a dhampir born of a human mother and vampire father, her unique abilities make her desired by those who lurk across the Feyline—the boundary that keeps the magical realm in perpetual twilight where vampires hold dominion. To stay safe, she’s concealed her supernatural strength and taste for blood from her human neighbors, but when her yearning for excitement accidentally exposes her gifts, she is captured to sell to the highest bidder.

Terrified, she expects the worst. But rescue comes in the form of Vander, a handsome stranger who whisks her from the auction stage and across the Feyline . . . where he reveals himself to be a vampire knight of King Rasimir’s court. Notorious for his cruelty, the deranged king is determined to extend his rule to the farthest reaches, and Vander has been tasked with delivering Corinthe to him.

Now a pawn in the vampire court, Corinthe learns that Rasimir intends to marry her off to the arrogant Prince Lorcan and exploit her daywalking abilities for his own gain. But a wedding isn’t the only obstacle in her path to freedom. While Vander burns with dangerous charm, Lorcan watches her with hungry eyes. And both men claim they can help her—if she can trust them.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Vampires, Why Choose, Paranormal, Adult

477 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2026

About the author

Amy Pennza is a USA Today Bestselling Author of steamy fantasy romance. After becoming a lawyer because everyone insisted writing wasn’t a “real job,” she stubbornly wrote anyway—and is delighted to have proved them wrong. She’s grateful to spend her days crafting dirty, swoony books about magic, swords, and unforgettable characters. She lives in the Great Lakes region with her husband and five children.

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Reviews

[Liana Gold · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5! Just because something is featured on Allurial with a gorgeous cover that’s hard to resist, it doesn’t mean that the book is amazing. I hate to be this person to give a known author a poor rating but to be honest, this was not good & I am kind of shocked that Allurial featured this book—have they looked at the writing? Are we just featuring something because something looks pretty and the spice level is hot? Are we overlooking everything else? How about giving us a great story with amazing character development and dynamics, a plot and something to hold on to??

I’m very thankful that I received this ARC and started reading this PRIOR to Allurials released feature… I was already 30% in and not enjoying it, so I selected a different book for JUNE & I am so happy that I did because it would honestly suck owning a beautiful book and not having a good time.

The world building & pacing was the biggest flop in this book. We are introduced to a lot of different creatures/entities and none are explained. We jump from scene to scene without any proper transitions, so the writing is very choppy and doesn’t flow naturally…everything feels forced as much as it feels superficial. It was also very repetitive, we are given PAGES of the same thing only to find more pages of the same thing explained to us again like we are toddlers.

Don’t let me get started with main characters. The romance between the 3 of them was so cringy. I know the author is spice heavy, but the way she represented the characters here with their bickering was not attractive, felt very juvenile and not even slightly charming. There is no build up in terms of chemistry and spice. As an example at 49% the main female protagonist states she wouldn’t tie herself to any man she didn’t love and knows that the two MMCs are playing a game with her yet by 52% she is literally begging Vander for a release and his fingers wind up in her underwear. We went from cold to hot instantly and it’s just NOT DONE RIGHT. It almost feels like this is in the wrong genre. It's less focused on the 'romantasy' aspect and more on 'erotica', which I do not enjoy.

The inconsistency in the main female character was too prominent and didn’t only apply to sexual urges but to everything else as well. Will expand in my review. Everything was just messy, felt incomplete. And the ENDING.. what was that? I mean it wrapped up faster than I am able to turn on my DYSON.


FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW!




A dhampir is one born of a human mother and a vampire father. Corinthe possesses supernatural strength and unique abilities that make her desired by many. She is captured to be sold to the highest bidder. From hungry eyes and dangerous charms, she becomes a pawn in the vampire court.




Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Amy Pennza for an early copy.

Publication date: June 16, 2026

[Sophie ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t believe a 5 star book finally found me!!!

This was, in a word, perfection. The writing, the characters, and the plot hit every single mark for me. If you love high-stakes vampire courts and incredible chemistry, you need to read this!

The relationship between Corinthe, Vander, and Lorcan was my absolute favorite part, obviously. What really made the book for me was the depth given to everyone. Lorcan’s backstory was completely heartbreaking, and seeing the complexity of Vander’s connection to Rasimir added such a great layer of tension.

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ yes, it’s explicit and yes, it’s plentiful! These scenes were so spicy, but they still felt layered and so meaningful. I absolutely loved watching them build their bond through those moments. The wedding night, in particular, was everything.

I’m already desperate for the next book. After that ending, I’m crossing my fingers that we add the werewolf to the romance mix because that would be an absolute dream.

Tropes: Why Choose | Arranged Marriage | Forced Proximity | Deranged Villain

─ ✦ ────

✎ᝰ.┊ pre-read: I don’t think I ever read a Why Choose before, and I’m curious to know what I’m missing! Plus I’m in a major vampire mood right now. Why have one brooding vampire when you can have two?

⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

”I would never be Rasimir’s pretty monster. But I was more than willing to be his undoing.”

• all types of magical creatures
• a steadfast fmc
• the boyfriends are also boyfriends
• a truly despicable antagonist
• strong mother / daughter relationship
• gradual romance that makes sense
• draining blood allows the use of different magic

i really loved how the world building had a clear direction, while still having room to open and expand in the rest of the series. Corinthe is a dhampir, that’s been raised by her mother to protect herself and never let anyone know that she is one. she gets thrown into the vampire court, where she has to cover up her true strength and abilities so she won’t be used for them.
King Rasimir was the WORST, i wanted to choke him.

”Eyes on me, Corinthe, because no force in this world or any other could make me take mine off you.”

the two mmc’s : Vander and Lorcan were so different but equally as appealing. Vander’s sarcasm and blunt attitude was my favorite, the way he kept dragging Lorcan was so funny. Lorcan is the more tortured of the two and his backstory was so sad. he was also the one who took initiative the most to make the hard decisions when it came to his vampire side. i loved the dynamic they all had together and how Corinthe’s ties to her mother never wavered.. can’t wait for the next book!

➘ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[minnie. [so in love for a daugher from hell] · Rating 5 out of 5]

── .✦ 4.5 stars! .ᐟ ⌗

𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 .ᐟ review #19

𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: june 16th

⤿ 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: 06.09.26 - 06.15.26
⤿ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 16+
⤿ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 4/5
⤿ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: explicit sex, trafficking scene

«Eyes on me, Corinthe, because no force in this world or any other could make me take mine off you.»

𐔌🩸 06.16.26 ⸝⸝ basically what happens when the long lost princess of the ruthless vampire court is a dhampir, almost gets sex trafficked, and ends up being kidnapped to her father’s court by a hot vampire knight and is forced to marry a hot vampire prince (but she gets to choose both).

⋮ ⌗ ⚜️ ꒰ thoughts꒱

⤿🍷 .ᐟ i loved dhampira. going into the novel, it was quite clear that there were many common tropes: woman learns she has magical powers and then is trained by mmc, evil figure wants to use her power, arranged marriage, etc. however, i still did really enjoy dhampira because it was really fun and very well written. i liked corinthe a lot because she wasn’t a perfect fmc, and she struggled and failed and was genuinely flawed. living in a dangerous world and in a cutthroat court, she has to hide her emotions, intentions, and motives while also trying to figure out who she is. corinthe was realistic and relatable, and it was refreshing to see a heroine who doesn’t automatically succeed and be perfect at everything she learns. i also felt like she had a lot of growth, which made me really happy because static characters are very boring, but unfortunately very common in romantasy books.

⤿⚜️ .ᐟ i loved both mmc’s. usually in a love triangle i prefer the dark, broody prince (i know, i’m tragically brainwashed by booktok), but when i first met lorcan i actually expected that i would hate him. i was wrong of course, and ended up totally in love with him. both vander and lorcan were very well written and appealing, but somehow so different, and that made the romance so much better. i was hooked in with lorcan’s traumatizing, tragic backstory, and how he is stoic but soft for the people he cares about. you know what i also love? when the boyfriends are boyfriends. omg i was so happy to see this happening, i actually screamed when i found out.

⤿🍷 .ᐟ i found the magic system and world building to be quite interesting, and i liked how you can gain different types of magic through drinking blood. the world was very unique, and the twists of classic magic systems always surprises me every time, despite my habit of binge reading every fantasy i can get my hands on. i hated rasimir with every bone in my body, and i really want to strangle him, but i’m glad that amy pennza actually described the horrible, atrocious things that he has done instead of just stating that he’s a villain and that’s it. no, rasimir is quite literally the definition of evil.

⤿⚜️ .ᐟ overall this book gets 4.5 stars because the romance was amazing, common tropes were twisted to feel original and entertaining, and i had such a good time reading it! i can’t wait for the next book! to anyone who’s reading this review, today is the release date, so go RUN to your bookstores and buy dhampira now xx

«I would never be Rasimir’s pretty monster. But I was more than willing to be his undoing.»

⋮ ⌗ 🩸 ꒰ what to expect꒱

꒰💋꒱ flawed, realistic fmc
꒰💋꒱ boyfriends who are also boyfriends
꒰💋꒱ extremely hatable antagonist
꒰💋꒱ why choose romance
꒰💋꒱ arranged marriage
꒰💋꒱ unique magic system
꒰💋꒱ cutthroat vampire politics
꒰💋꒱ spicy chemistry
꒰💋꒱ forced proximity

my instagram review here!

⤿many, many thanks to netgalley, berkley publishing, and the author, amy pennza for the e-arc of the novel dhampira! all thoughts in this review are my honest opinion, and no ai was used at all during this process xx

[Athena of Velaris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dhampira was precisely the kind of book you would expect it to be. With instant-connection turning into love, vampire politics, and a dash of danger, no element of the story particularly surprised me but I enjoyed the story nonetheless. It was predictable, fun, and intriguing enough to keep me reading. The FMC had a good amount of growth, the MMCs probably could have been combined into one single character, and the villain was almost cartoonish in his evil. Honestly, this was a YA plot with a few romance scenes thrown in, but it was still a fun time.

An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎]

DNF at 28%

Thank you so much to Berkely and NetGalley for the e-arc!

While starting off with an intriguing premise, I found Dhampira to be very YA feeling. Although this isn’t an issue for some, it was for me. I felt that the story had too many coming of age fantasy clichés already and it wasn’t gripping me with any depth.

Corinthe held a lot of possibility but her naïveté was quick to grate on my nerves. She kept showing all of her cards and doing everything her mother told her to NOT do time and time again. She’s given advice and usually does not heed it. I wanted her to be cunning and smart, but she was woefully out of her depth here. Again, this may be a story some enjoy, I just don’t.

The two love interests haven’t done much yet so I can’t speak on their characters.

The writing is very nice and smooth, with some gorgeous descriptions of nature. I enjoyed it!

Overall, this is by no means a bad novel, it’s just too YA feeling for my own personal enjoyment.

[* Elle * the * Babbling * Dabbler * · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dhampira is yummy treat. The story follows Corinthe who has unknown parentage and must escape her village to protect her mother and hide the secret that she’s a day walking vampire. As she learns her ancestry she is forced into a betrothal with someone who terrifies her. She gains and loses friends as she struggles to find her power and save her life and the kingdom from the evil power hungry neurotic king. She finds herself in some very spicy situations. I really enjoyed the friendships she found. While she’s still in the mortal town it feels like a vampire version of beauty and the beast. I quite enjoyed it and devoured this book quickly and can’t wait to see what Amy Pennza writes next! Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley

(Spoiler...ish)
This was compulsively readable, despite being on the longer side (500pgs) I flew through it in about 3 days.

While this novel isn't reinventing the wheel (early to mid-twenties woman learns she harbors mystical and/or unprecedented power, is sought by evil figure for insidious purposes, trained/guarded by X flavor of MMC, comes into her power, etc.), it was still incredibly fun, well written, and truly delightful to read.

For me, Corinthe definitely falls on the more tolerable side of fantasy FMCs. She's flawed. She isn't perfectly poised, amazing at subterfuge, skilled at everything and successful immediately. She genuinely fails and struggles for most of the book to simultaneously discover who she truly is, while hiding her real emotions and intentions in a very dangerous world. There is a sincerity to a main character struggling like this that a lot of fantasy seems to lack. In other books we see a lot of instances where our FMC just picks up swordplay and fighting in a week and it's incredibly annoying and unbelievable.

I was obviously down bad for Vander immediately. A charmingly mischievous and overprotective redheaded man? I'm there. I expected to hate Lorcan and ended up loving him so much. Again... a dark, stoic, traumatized prince with a tragic backstory, who is soft only for the people he loves? Was this written specifically for me? (And if he just so happens to love being dommed by the aforementioned redheaded Captain of the King's Guard... I'm seated).

But my love of the characters aside, there was a lot I liked about this. Parts of the magic system and some of the creatures were truly whimsical and unique. It's nice to be a seasoned fantasy reader and still be surprised by original character or creature concepts, or little twists on magic systems. Rasimir was villainous in every sense of the word, which I appreciate. I hate when villains are just painted as surface-level evil without delving into the specifics of how groups of people are affected by their tyrannical actions.

The smut was smuttin, and I truly appreciate a scenario where our FMC's boyfriends are boyfriends. But that aside, we got some truly lovely non-sexual intimate scenes in this. The wedding and wedding night were so beautifully written. My heart broke for Lorcan, learning about his past was so sad and it made their bond that much more special. The relationship between the three of them was very sweet and I can't wait to see more of it in the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. I hadn't read any of Amy Pennza's work previously, but I had a bunch on my TBR. So, when this popped up on NetGalley I figured WHY NOT?! Very glad I got to read an ARC copy. I will now be going back and reading a bunch more of her work and am very excited about it.

[Yani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dhampira’s world building and magic system is 10/10. I was so intrigued by all the creatures and how everything tied to one another.

The romance… good… it was hard for the characters to build on their love when they were also sneaking around trying to overthrow the overlord and the spice was mild until the end.

The resolution of the conflict though… so quick lmao. The lead up to it really built it up so for it to resolve so easily… idk but it’s giving book 2 will be interesting because they set the villain up to be harder to defeat so we’ll see!

3.75 ⭐️?

[kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

if this book was maybe 100 pages longer i would give it five stars do not argue with me.

THANK YOU COMPUTA FOR NOT MAKING ME CHOSE BETWEEN A STOIC PRINCE AND A HUNKY GUARD CAPTAIN

[Dre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Computa..…. give me 2 vampire boyfriends and make them kiss🩸

[Vanessasbooksta]

A bloody good time!

A super fun, fast-paced read that left me eagerly wanting the next in the series!

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy read!

[Amy Bergesen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in a trilogy, Dhampira begins the tale of Corinthe, a 25-year-old woman with a secret: her father was a vampire. When her secret forces her to flee her home, she discovers a completely new world where magic reigns— as does evil. Corinthe must discover her own magical powers to avoid not only her own death, but the death of the entire magical realm of Nocta.

Pennza’s usual spice is tamped down to a slow burn in this MMF romantasy where world-building takes center stage. I’m looking forward to the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Hannah Delano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book! It normally takes me awhile to read a physical book (because, toddlers) but I carried this one with me everywhere and switched to audio when I had to multi-task.

Corinthe drew me in from the start, and I enjoyed her wit and strength. She has a kind heart and has to learn to do what it takes to survive in her father’s cruel kingdom. I appreciated the exploration of morals and good vs. evil in the quest to save to people of Nocta.

The spice in this story was SPICY and I was here for it! It is a slow burn and the spice doesn’t come until the second half and especially last quarter of the book. The author did a great job developing the MMF relationship and exploring what it looks like for someone to come into an established relationship. I loved how the worldbuilding required the characters to have to play an act, because it made the payoff of learning their true personalities so rewarding. Vander & Lorcan’s backstories really got me emotionally, and made their character development top tier.

I was fascinated by the interesting magic and worldbuilding in this story, especially all of the different magical creatures. I loved learning about the witches magic and root words, as well as how the vampires can steal gifts from others. I really hope there is another book to come because I’d love to explore what happens next in the kingdom, and get more of the witch and elven lore!

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞:
✨ spicy MMF romantasy
✨ vampires x dhampir
✨ magic is power
✨ arranged marriage
✨ forced proximity
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ lots of banter

🎧 Narrator: Jaclyn Kelso
🎧 Audiobook length: 15h 15m

This was my first audiobook by this narrator, and I loved it! I looked up her credits and will definitely be listening to more of her work as I discovered she narrates several other books on my TBR.

Thank you to Ace, PRH Audio, and Literary Media Tours for providing me with copies of the books. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and based on posts I’ve seen about their other books, I expected a significant amount of spice without much plot. Jokes on me, because this book had a decent plot, great worldbuilding, and fully fleshed-out characters. I quickly got sucked into this story and am excited to see where these characters end up in future books.
I appreciated how the author wove the worldbuilding into the story. As the FMC gained an understanding of the kingdom she ends up in, the reader learned alongside her without being bogged down by minute details. Throughout the book, we encounter a variety of magical and fantastical creatures, all of which were explained in a way that made them easy to visualize while keeping the story moving and engaging.
Corinthe was an interesting FMC. At first, she came across as helpless, which drove me nuts. It teetered on the edge of alienating me from her character, but once the story got rolling, I really enjoyed watching her growth. Surrounded by the two MMCs, her initial naivete was balanced by Vander’s sarcastic wit and Lorcan’s serious sense of purpose. Their contrasting personalities created a dynamic that kept the character interactions entertaining and helped Corinthe’s development feel more natural.
Overall, this was an entertaining and spicy first installment in the series. It delivered far more plot, character development, and worldbuilding than I expected, while still providing the romance and spice I anticipated going in. I’m curious enough about where the story is headed that I’ll definitely be picking up future books. More than anything, I need to see how Lorcan, Corinthe, and Vander’s dynamic holds up over the long term and what challenges await them next.

Thank you so much to Amy Pennza, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, and Literary Media Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book as an e-ARC.

[C. Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest reviews. Nearly 400 pages later she still can't cast a single spell lol and saving the world literally depends on it. The only redeeming quality of this book is the MM spice and romance, it was done quite well, and this book would have been leagues better as a MM romance. While the painfully naive and weak heroine is the worst part of it all. Despite a quote said in the very beginning of the book that the world is not black and white and no man is good or bad, the heroine ignores it and continues to judge others for their actions to survive.

I liked the heroes and the indestructible dress that changed into anything you could think of and that was about it. It was also surprisingly gory for the genre so if body horror is something you are worried about, proceed with caution as I didn't see a trigger warning page in my Netgalley copy. Furthermore, the story abruptly ends rather anti-climatically and in my opinion doesn't need a sequel. I was bored out of my mind for half of this, probably would have DNFed if it weren't an ARC. This did NOT need to be 500 pages long for the conflict to be resolved in the last chapter.

The author also doesn't know how to use dialogue quotes or ever heard of italicizing or separating the past and the present. We'd jump from the present, to flashbacks and quotes back to back to back with no indication who's saying what or if this is said in the present or just a memory.

Overall, quite a disappointing read other than the MM relationship. Shame since the author's bitten series was on my TBR.

[lemmespoilyou.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute banger!!!! I can’t say enough good things about this story! The character development, the relationships, the world building, creature dynamics within Nocta, Corinthe’s dhampir-ness, the fear and tension within the castle of Mad Rasimir, the passion and love among Corinthe and Vander and Lorcan, and the way it all comes to a head at the end. Whewww this was fantastic writing, slow burn with some sexxxxy scenes that came about organically and beautifully, and these two MMCs were so interesting and complex. Everything they develop was so well earned and meaningful. I didn’t want it to end and I cannot wait until the next book comes out so we can get more Lorcan hair brushing, more Vander commands, and more Corinthe exploring her power and realm. Ugh, sooo goooooood.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an early reader copy, this review is given voluntarily.

[Candace's_Book_Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampires. Court politics. Dangerous secrets. A heroine discovering just how powerful she truly is.

I devoured this book. Corinthe's journey from sheltered village girl to navigating a ruthless vampire court had me completely hooked. The world felt rich and immersive, filled with magic, danger, and enough twists to keep me turning pages late into the night.

And Vander and Lorcan? The tension. The chemistry. The emotional pull. I was absolutely invested.

If you love dark romantasy, vampire politics, powerful heroines, and relationships that keep you on the edge of your seat, add this one to your TBR immediately.

Trope List!
🖤 Blood-soaked intrigue
🖤 Vampire court drama
🖤 Why choose romance
🖤 Dangerous magic
🖤 A heroine finding her strength

Amy Pennza delivered a deliciously addictive read that I couldn't put down.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Berkeley for the ARC of this book.

This book follows a dhampira (with/vampire) as she is reunited with her vampire father and thrown into a world of chaos and magical beings.

I think where this book shines is with the character development. I love poly rep and I really enjoyed how it was done. It never felt forced to me and I felt engaged with all three characters the course of the book.

Where I think this book struggle was with the plot/world building. It kind of felt like we were just dropping all this lore and magical beings constantly without really explaining the connections.

Overall I did have a fun time and that’s what I liked the most about it. VIBES.

[Shannon Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had so much potential to be good but it just did not come together for me.

⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

I liked the writing in this. It was very detailed and descriptive and the characters were interesting but the plotline, magic system and romance fell super flat. I think the magic and world was just really confusing and seemed weird with the vampire dynamic. I had high hopes for the 3 person romance but unfortunately like a lot of thrupple romances it didn't work for me. Mostly just form a lack of development.

I don't know, the writing keep you reading but as a whole it did not come together well. 🤷‍♀️

[Courtney Witkowsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and while I hope it becomes a series it is perfect as a standalone! The world building was easy, the FMC was able to learn her strength, and the MMC's were quite yummy! If it's anything to go by we may have just found out what Lorcan did...IYKYK 🤪

[Ayla Shoulders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
THE 👏🏼 BOYFRIENDS 👏🏼 ARE 👏🏼 BOYFRIENDS 👏🏼
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! CORINTHE WAS SUCH A GREAT *flawed* FMC. She truly struggled throughout the story. She was so intelligent and strong but also acted like a real person. It was quite refreshing to be honest. She is a Dhampir (human mother/vampire father) who is learning to harness her powers when *no spoilers* happens 😂

Lorcan and Vander, The Prince and the Captain of the Kings Guard 🥵The relationship between the 2 of them and Corinthe was just so special. What a fucking beautiful bond they share. *chefs kiss*. The spicy scenes were on point but the romance didn’t overpower the plot. It had a bit of a unique twist on vampires and their abilities which I really enjoyed. The political aspect of the book was intriguing. It’s full of mythical creatures and world building and war.
I found the plot to be a bit predictable, but it was still such a fun read. It’s been a while since I’ve read a really great fantasy book with a villain that you will actually HATE. I was left with a lot questions at the end … which will definitely bring me back to this world for book 2. But, I wish, after reading 500 pages (why was this so long??) we would have gotten a few more answers at the end. Especially about some of the other wars going on and I would have liked a little more about the MC’s backstories.

I loved the authors writing style. Everything flowed and was really easy to follow.

[Cassie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Pennza always seems to surprise me with how she’s able to have so many similar elements across her books, while still being able to keep them novel. I was afraid that this would be too similar to the Bitten & Bound series, but Pennza changed things up a great deal with this one. I really appreciated how unique her world-building was here, with a magic system that felt fresh compared to other books I’ve read about vampires, werewolves, and witches. Also, her use of descriptive language is honestly more than I would expect from a romantasy novel like this, and it really brought that world to life. The romance between the characters also was something I thought was done well, as it had time to develop. I felt like, compared to her other books, we got to see the build-up more, before getting to the more intimate scenes, which I thought was actually nice here. Of course, for those who enjoy the spice in Pennza’s books, fear not, there’s plenty, but it’s a bit of a delayed gratification compared to others.
I do think that maybe a bit was lost in this book because Corinthe is the only POV character. In a lot of her other books, each of the MCs gets POV chapters, which I feel lets the reader get to know them better. Here, we really get to know Corinthe, but I would have liked to dive a bit more into Lorcan and Vander’s perspectives, too.
Without going into spoilers, I both surprised by and appreciative of the fact that Pennza was able to resolve the main conflict within just this singular novel. While she definitely leaves some threads open for further development, I like that there seems to also be the possibility that we’ll be following the stories of different characters in this universe.
Many thanks to Amy Pennza and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and leave this honest review.

[Sara.]

DNF @ 32%, skimmed up to 53% (end of Chapter 16). Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for the ARC.

This would better entertain someone who has yet to find the formulaic romantasy narrative stale. It's the attraction to men the Heroine barely knows and have trouble trusting, because we have to go through the motions of keeping secrets from her until the Time Is Right. I'm just also unimpressed with lusty scenes that the narrative forces these characters into before I've even started to care about them as a couple. Oh they're kissing and making out this early now? Oh she's under some influence and is in crazy heat and needs sexual release? Can we get a proper bonding moment first.

Our half-vampire half-human heroine, Corinthe, is .... fine. Just fine. To list the things I like about her so far: she's compassionate for the individuals that she's being forced to kill + she's 25, which is better than being 19 with centuries-old love interests. For her two love interests, you've got the Vander the Nice(r) One and Lorcan the A-Grade Asshole. I didn't get that far in to confirm but there's some strongly hinted swordcrossing with the two male love interests, which would make this a three-way polyamory and not just Girl With Two Boyfriends.

Then there's Corinthe's mother. She raised her half-vamp daughter as best as she could (the fact that Corinthe could mostly control her thirst for blood is a testament to that), it still annoys me of how ill-prepared the latter is due to her ignorance that isn't even her fault. Corinthe isn't some teenager; this is your grown ass daughter in her literal mid 20s and maybe informing her of the actual dangers you are trying to protect her from would keep her safer.

Dhampira is not for me, and I stopped reading because I anticipated this annoying me even more if I didn't.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing, Ace Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for this advanced copy.

4.5⭐️ rounded to 5⭐️

I loved the plot of this book and the tension between the 2 MMCs and the FMC was what kept me wanting more. Although the main characters were vampires, the magic system in this put a nice twist on what we normally see in vampire books. The different creatures (werewolves, dryads, elves, witches, pixies) helped expand this world even further. It’s clear that the author put a great deal of thought into the world building. I enjoyed the scheming and the hot and cold of all of the MCs towards each other. It kept me guessing almost the whole time about each of their motives. The villain was easy to hate and the ending was also very satisfying.

Read this if you like
-why choose
-vampires
-unique magic system
-political scheming
-complicated family relationships
-strong FMCs who get stronger/unlock their power
-a lush dark world with vampires, werewolves, and other creatures
-secrets
-the perfect amount of spice that did not overshadow the plot
-character development

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this.

Since I read this digitally, I didn't realize the book was about 500 pages. I kept waiting for the moment where a cliff hanger would happen but the story kept going. I liked not having to wait.

There are still a million questions I need answered but I loved that we got the build up and execution in this one volume. Things weren't dragged on for longer than necessary (besides the mom plot, in my opinion). I have words, some nice and some mean. Mostly they're all rooted in frustration of forced ignorance.

The MFM plotline? Yes, yes, yes yes yes. That's all I can say without spoiling or sounding pervy.

This is my first work by this author and I'm very impressed with the world building, characterization and overall storyline. There is a lot more than can happen with our FMC and I'm excited to see how she matures.

I'd for sure recommend giving this a read if you enjoy poly relationships (this counts, right??) , fantasy, world building, and... (I'll add the last part closer to publishing).

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It had been a while since I read anything with vampires but the premise was intriguing and it did not disappoint. I thought the world that was created within this book was unique and interesting. The magic system was different than any other fantasy book I’ve read which I loved. This was definitely a slow burn but I loved the relationship between Corinthe, Lorcan, and Vander and can’t wait to see how it progresses. Although you hate Rasimir as a reader, he was written so well, which really helped the plot as his evil was truly believable. I also feel like this was just the tip of the iceberg, and there’s so much more to learn about Lorcan, Vander, the werewolves, the witches and so many other things, that I can’t wait to read the next book.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an MMF vampire menage with vivid imagery, tons of whimsical creatures, and lots of magic!

I really enjoyed this book! Corinthe is strong and brave and genuinely good and I loved watching her become a powerful badass to top it all off. Speaking of character development, Lorcan and Vander were beautifully written MMCs. There were moments in the beginning where I wasn’t quite sure about either of them honestly but by the end of the book they more than won me over. I also really appreciate that this story is complete but the ending is open. I didn’t topple off a cliff at the end. That is always refreshing!

[Ana]

DNF @ 22%

I won't lie, vampires and why choose always have me hooked, but this book was not it for me. I felt like the FMC was painfully naive in a way that made me irrationally angry at all her decisions. I understand something needs to drive the plot but geniuenly, I felt like very decision she made to get to the point she did was very stupid. Also, there was no chemistry between any of the characters. I wasn't even really sure who the MMCs were supposed to be?? The world building had some potential but I felt like there wasn't enough of it. I would've liked more of an explanation for certain things. I'm sure there is an audience for this book, but, unfortunately, it is not me.

Thank you Literary Media Tours and Amy Pennza for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are honest, and I am leaving a review voluntarily.

[Tori Walser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and am throughly back in my vampire era!!! 🧛🖤 If you are looking for a vampire romance where her boyfriends are also boyfriends, the spice is off the charts, and the FMC is trying to discover who she really is and claim her destiny, this book is for you!

You can expect:
-MMF ménage
-the boyfriends are boyfriends
-vampire why choose
-forced proximity
-enemies to lovers
-arranged marriage
-sexy time biting and blood play
-the spice be spicing

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.