Dominion of Truth: Archer Dominion book one

by Evelyn Marbles

Newly crowned Mafia Princess Alice Archer doesn't want an eligible bachelor, she wants her off-limits, brooding Russian bodyguard.

Alice

I have spent my entire life hiding from the monsters that are my parents. Adoptive, but the people I live with nonetheless. I don’t think my life has any meaning, until an accident leads me to find my real father, and five brothers to go with that.
Now, I have to adjust to living with a family that loves me, and learn how to be a proper Mafia Princess. None of it is too difficult to navigate, except the fact that my bodyguard looks at me like he owns me, and I’m pretty sure I want him to…

Mikhail

Life is empty and love is a lie. A fact I have lived by for years. With my family murdered, I am unable to return to the Bratva. Living in servitude of Henry Archer isn’t bad. It allows me to plan my revenge, until I am assigned to the Archer’s newest addition, and the most precious one at that.
Alice is everything I thought was impossible. Kind beyond words even after all she has been through. I am not supposed to stray from my mission, but I can’t help but be drawn into her orbit…


Dominion of Truth is an 18+ dark mafia romance

299 pages, Paperback

Published August 24, 2026

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book. It is a quick and easy read. The author has a great writing voice. This is her debut novel and her work can only get better from here.
That said, I do think that there were some pacing issues with the book. The FMC and MMC’s relationship went from just met to “but Daddy I love him” way too quickly. It was the same issue with her meeting her long lost family and becoming instantly comfortable with them. The plot was a bit all over the place and I wasn’t a fan of the FMC’s child-like actions while she’s supposed to be an adult. For example, she sleeps with a stuffed animal, the MMC braids her hair into two a few times, she has no romantic experience, her newfound family treats her like she’s five, she sleeps in her adult brother’s bed (she just met him), she calls the father she never knew existed “Dad” right after meeting him, she names a cat after a cartoon character, using her new family member’s credit card instead of getting a job, making jokes about her own hysterectomy/inability to carry children, but sobbing that her father didn’t want her to date, has an “I am baby” attitude when it comes to her family (again they just met her) etc. She’s only 18, so most of this wouldn’t bother me if she wasn’t constantly going on rants about how she’s an adult while freeloading at this stranger’s mansion. To me, it made her unlikeable. She’s supposed to be coming from this really rough background, but she acts like she grew up rich and spoiled.
I wish that we got to know the MMC more. We know some of his family history, but not really anything about who he is as a person and why the FMC falls for him.
All of that aside, this is not meant to be a negative review, just some constructive criticism. The author has so much potential, and I would absolutely give her next book a chance. I think that if this book went through a few more rounds of heavy editing to fix the pacing issues and added some character development for both the FMC and MMC, this could’ve been 4 stars. For a self-published debut novel, it’s a very good start.

[Bo Muntjewerff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved it and the mafia thing

[Suji De · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dominion of truth was an easy read. I liked the characters and enjoyed the author’s writing style (The reason I finished the book quickly).

However, I did think the story was a bit too fast paced.
I feel like Alice became comfortable with her new revealed family a bit too fast. (Calling her father ‘dad’ already despite only knowing him a few days.)
I also would have loved to see more of HOW Mikhail and Alice fell in love, it just felt a bit sudden.

Despite the fast pacing I really enjoyed reading the book and it kept me entertained all the same.

[Quinty Smits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik geeft dit 4,5 maar dat kan helaas niet met deze sterre.
Ik vond het een geweldig boek en heb het in 1x uitgelezen. Er gebeurde veel dingen maar niet te veel. Soms zag je dingen aan komen en soms niet. Ik vind het vooral leuk dat mikhail eerlijk was tegen over Alice waarom hij daar echt is en wat hij van plan was te doen. En dat er een plot in kwam dat je op het einde achter kwam was geweldig. Vond het ook leuk hoe was behandeld werd door door haar vader en broers echt geweldig een prinsesje

[Maud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in 2 days! The story starts right away and is fast paced.
This was my first time reading a maffia romance and I really liked it.
I loved the bond between Alice and her brothers. I liked the mutiple pov.
Alice felt a bit young sometimes, and i would've liked to read more about the romance between her en Mikhail, how they became in love.
I would love to read more about the Archer family!
I give Dominion of Truth 3,5⭐️

[Rose Robinson · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

i liked this book, coming from someone who has read about 10000000 brother mafia books lol. however, i would have liked the book to talk more about Alice’s trauma and i would have also liked to see more of Alice and Mikhail’s relationship as i felt we didn’t get to see them nearly enough and the ending was ever so slightly rushed. all in all though, i enjoyed this book!

[Susanne Bentvelzen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good step into reading more dark (maffia) romances. It is an easy read with great character monologue. The different POV’s help you understand the storyline which is very amusing and got me hooked!
I definitely recommend reading this book and with that support small authors!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leuk boek!! Heb het in 3 dagen uitgelezen omdat het zo lekker leest! Je komt gelijk goed in het verhaal en wordt helemaal meegenomen in de wereld van Alice. De verschillende perspectieven vond ik ook erg leuk voor de afwisseling :)
Aanrader!!

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a great book that I read in a couple of days because each chapter was very well written and you definitely don't expect where it goes! :D it deserves every star

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book i've read in this genre. Fun, engaging and easy to read. The love between the two characters felt sudden but they had an interesting dynamic.

[Kait]

She’s just too childish for me

[Brittany Selken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the author letting me an early copy of this book. As soon as I read it mafia I was sign me up. I love everything from the beginning to the end of the story. I’m glad she got around from the people that didn’t treat her good either. I glad she found people that truly cared and loved her with everything and will do anything and everything that she ever wanted out her life. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.