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The Four Kingdoms #1
A Kingdom of Flame and Fury
At ten years old, Raven was mysteriously willed to be the next ruler of Seolia, a kingdom nestled within the realm of The Four Kingdoms.
Orphaned as a baby, she has spent fifteen years ruling over a kingdom she believes she did not earn all while hiding secrets: she possesses dark magic and she thirsts for blood.
Now at almost twenty-five years old and with a sudden addiction to stealing life, Raven must fight through her new procured darkness to save her soul, but when a mysterious stranger arrives in her kingdom, she starts experiencing vivid dreams that detail who she truly is. As she slowly starts to unravel her story, what she uncovers at the end of the spool will change the course of her life and her kingdom forever.
Orphaned as a baby, she has spent fifteen years ruling over a kingdom she believes she did not earn all while hiding secrets: she possesses dark magic and she thirsts for blood.
Now at almost twenty-five years old and with a sudden addiction to stealing life, Raven must fight through her new procured darkness to save her soul, but when a mysterious stranger arrives in her kingdom, she starts experiencing vivid dreams that detail who she truly is. As she slowly starts to unravel her story, what she uncovers at the end of the spool will change the course of her life and her kingdom forever.
609 pages, Paperback
Published May 26, 2022
834 people are currently reading
22425 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 597 reviews
February 3, 2023
Such an awesome fantasy series to start the year off with a bang! It takes a LOT for me not to skim and skip through many fantasy series. So many of them are the same and they don't have original premises.. so you can skim and figure it all out easily. A Kingdom of Flame & Fury was really good though!
**I read this one on Kindle Unlimited, but I think I'm actually going to order physical copies eventually!
If you loved ACOTAR, I think you'll love this one too. It very much reminds me of the darkness in that series, including s3xually explicit situations that are not always sweet and nice, and even a dark and angsty growing-up period for our heroine who, thankfully, doesn't start out as sweet and virginal.
Other Books To Read That Remind Me Of These Types of Romantasy Series:
- A King So Cold by Ella Fields
- King of Battle and Blood (Adrian X Isolde Series) by Scarlett St. Clair
- Stars and Shadows Series by Holly Renee
- Entreat Me by Grace Draven
Here is a link to my blog for all of my favorite fantasy/romance series that I update regularly!
A SHORT PREVIEW:
Raven is thrust onto the throne of a small Kingdom of Seolia at the age of 10 without knowing why or who her real parents are. As she gets older, her magical abilities grow along with her love for her kingdom, even though no one knows she's a witch and possesses these abilities. When a handsome stranger comes from a neighboring kingdom, she's blindsided by an impossibly intense romantic connection that seems to come out of nowhere. But everyone is hiding secrets and most of them will cause her to break at some point or another.
THINGS I LIKED:
- This is probably one of the best 'tragic love stories' that I've read in a while. There are so many situations within this book that sexually represent what it's like while trying to wade through difficult emotional/ romantic situations, and I felt like the author does an incredible job putting into words what it feels like to navigate heartbreak and attraction while still respecting oneself.
- The way our heroine is written, and she realizes what emotional/mental abuse looks like and realizes she needs to break free from it? Those are often the hardest people to break free from when they're closest to you.
- Toxic relationships and how to break free of them.
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
- The miscommunication and angst during parts of the story. There are so many areas where the main characters could have just been honest and it would've saved a lot of angst? It's like they didn't have to have so much of the miscommunication trope and I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit. The rest of the story is what saved this one for me!
FAVORITE QUOTE(S):
"You are the feeling I get when I see new flowers blooming. You are the sound of the trees in my forest....You are the flames in my palms, warming my entire body....You are the taste of rum coating my tongue. You are what awakens my soul when I smell pine."
- If that doesn't explain true love then I don't know what does!! 🖤😢
NOTES:
- 🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
- World building is the only light and airy thing about this book.
- TWs: There is a love triangle in this series but with an asterisk. It's not that our heroine dates two men at the same time etc. It's more that she meets one and then, upon his leaving her, sees her childhood friend in a new light while she's healing etc. I don't like any cheating in the books I read, but I liked this one because it's not really cheating. It's more just figuring things out while you work around repressed feelings etc.
- There is also attempted r4pe, some s3xual situations that aren't exactly consensual, domestic violence, and mental/emotional abuse. This is not light happy ending tale.
**I read this one on Kindle Unlimited, but I think I'm actually going to order physical copies eventually!
If you loved ACOTAR, I think you'll love this one too. It very much reminds me of the darkness in that series, including s3xually explicit situations that are not always sweet and nice, and even a dark and angsty growing-up period for our heroine who, thankfully, doesn't start out as sweet and virginal.
Other Books To Read That Remind Me Of These Types of Romantasy Series:
- A King So Cold by Ella Fields
- King of Battle and Blood (Adrian X Isolde Series) by Scarlett St. Clair
- Stars and Shadows Series by Holly Renee
- Entreat Me by Grace Draven
Here is a link to my blog for all of my favorite fantasy/romance series that I update regularly!
A SHORT PREVIEW:
Raven is thrust onto the throne of a small Kingdom of Seolia at the age of 10 without knowing why or who her real parents are. As she gets older, her magical abilities grow along with her love for her kingdom, even though no one knows she's a witch and possesses these abilities. When a handsome stranger comes from a neighboring kingdom, she's blindsided by an impossibly intense romantic connection that seems to come out of nowhere. But everyone is hiding secrets and most of them will cause her to break at some point or another.
THINGS I LIKED:
- This is probably one of the best 'tragic love stories' that I've read in a while. There are so many situations within this book that sexually represent what it's like while trying to wade through difficult emotional/ romantic situations, and I felt like the author does an incredible job putting into words what it feels like to navigate heartbreak and attraction while still respecting oneself.
- The way our heroine is written, and she realizes what emotional/mental abuse looks like and realizes she needs to break free from it? Those are often the hardest people to break free from when they're closest to you.
- Toxic relationships and how to break free of them.
THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE:
- The miscommunication and angst during parts of the story. There are so many areas where the main characters could have just been honest and it would've saved a lot of angst? It's like they didn't have to have so much of the miscommunication trope and I found myself rolling my eyes quite a bit. The rest of the story is what saved this one for me!
FAVORITE QUOTE(S):
"You are the feeling I get when I see new flowers blooming. You are the sound of the trees in my forest....You are the flames in my palms, warming my entire body....You are the taste of rum coating my tongue. You are what awakens my soul when I smell pine."
- If that doesn't explain true love then I don't know what does!! 🖤😢
NOTES:
- 🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
- World building is the only light and airy thing about this book.
- TWs: There is a love triangle in this series but with an asterisk. It's not that our heroine dates two men at the same time etc. It's more that she meets one and then, upon his leaving her, sees her childhood friend in a new light while she's healing etc. I don't like any cheating in the books I read, but I liked this one because it's not really cheating. It's more just figuring things out while you work around repressed feelings etc.
- There is also attempted r4pe, some s3xual situations that aren't exactly consensual, domestic violence, and mental/emotional abuse. This is not light happy ending tale.
March 18, 2025
DNF because it has all the stuff that I dislike in books. The instalove, cringe sex scenes, little plot, love triangle that isn’t going anywhere, because there is one true love lol. And badly done first person writing it felt as the author was telling and not showing. Another huge problem that hit me right away is the language, it’s a fantasy but it’s written like an urban fantasy using all the current language which is normal in an urban setting but in a regular fantasy setting feels completely out of world. Main characters were not likable to me and it did not grab me, too bad the cover is really pretty. People who like lots of sex and no plot(those who liked The Bargainer) would probably enjoy it.
May 26, 2022
✨️Overall Story Opinion:
I'm OBSESSED! I love the world and character building as well as the general storyline the author has created. The female MC is a badass and I absolutely love those kind of characters.
🔥Brief Summary of Story:
Queen Raven was mysteriously willed to be the next ruler of Seolia at ten years old. With no knowledge of how she came to exist, she has spent the last fifteen years ruiling over one of the four kingdoms, confused as to why she was chosen to begin with. Raven also has a secret that only the closet to her knows; she possesses dark magic and can feel the need for blood rise with her power. Out of nowhere, a mysterious, yet mesmerizing stranger appears in her kingdom, kickstarting vivid dreams that detail who she truly is. Stuck in between fantasy and reality, she has to make a decision that could change the course of not only her future, but the future of the kingdom she inherited too.
🖤POV:
Dual POV - male MC and female MC
💥Story's Overall Pace:
With any fantasy, you dive in with the understanding that it might take a bit because of the world building. With that being said, the pace was flawlessly done and I was pretty much pulled in from the beginning.
⚡️Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine, Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Alpha Hero, Betrayal, Fake Engagement, Love Triangle, Marriage of Convenience, Revenge, Royalty, Soulmates, and Unexpected Inheritance
📚Character Rating:
Raven - 4⭐️ because I hated how she handled a few situations like she could make her own decision. Her character as a whole was extremely well-written and I loved the magic she could wield!
Zeke - 4.5⭐️ because he could've done more to strengthen their relationship but went a different route instead. As a whole, I loved the broody, swoon-worthy stranger's personality and can't wait to see how he's portrayed in the rest of the books!
Cade - This one gets two ratings. The first is for the writing for his character as a whole - 4⭐️ because she really painted a picture of him and his true form with such perfection that I felt exactly what she wanted me to feel. The second is how I liked his character arc - 2⭐️ because I wanted to climb through that book so many times and slap some sense into him.
😭Sadness Level:
0/5 (no tears for me)
🌶Spice Level:
3/5
🥵Descriptive Spice Scenes:
Yes, in the multiple scenes written in the book.
🔶️Other Male/Other Female Drama:
Yes, there is a love triangle as well as outside characters being used as a jealousy tactic.
🚫Triggers:
Mental/emotional abuse as well as borderline physical
💣Closure:
From start to finish, this book had me intrigued. Consider me a fan of Seolia and it's badass queen. I'm excited to see where the rest of this series goes and can't wait to read more!
⛔️Safety (trigger wise):
There is a point where the FMC is physically hurt by one of the characters in an argument on accident but other than that, there's mental and emotional manipulation between characters.
✔️Overall Rating:
5 freaking stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I'm OBSESSED! I love the world and character building as well as the general storyline the author has created. The female MC is a badass and I absolutely love those kind of characters.
🔥Brief Summary of Story:
Queen Raven was mysteriously willed to be the next ruler of Seolia at ten years old. With no knowledge of how she came to exist, she has spent the last fifteen years ruiling over one of the four kingdoms, confused as to why she was chosen to begin with. Raven also has a secret that only the closet to her knows; she possesses dark magic and can feel the need for blood rise with her power. Out of nowhere, a mysterious, yet mesmerizing stranger appears in her kingdom, kickstarting vivid dreams that detail who she truly is. Stuck in between fantasy and reality, she has to make a decision that could change the course of not only her future, but the future of the kingdom she inherited too.
🖤POV:
Dual POV - male MC and female MC
💥Story's Overall Pace:
With any fantasy, you dive in with the understanding that it might take a bit because of the world building. With that being said, the pace was flawlessly done and I was pretty much pulled in from the beginning.
⚡️Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine, Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Alpha Hero, Betrayal, Fake Engagement, Love Triangle, Marriage of Convenience, Revenge, Royalty, Soulmates, and Unexpected Inheritance
📚Character Rating:
Raven - 4⭐️ because I hated how she handled a few situations like she could make her own decision. Her character as a whole was extremely well-written and I loved the magic she could wield!
Zeke - 4.5⭐️ because he could've done more to strengthen their relationship but went a different route instead. As a whole, I loved the broody, swoon-worthy stranger's personality and can't wait to see how he's portrayed in the rest of the books!
Cade - This one gets two ratings. The first is for the writing for his character as a whole - 4⭐️ because she really painted a picture of him and his true form with such perfection that I felt exactly what she wanted me to feel. The second is how I liked his character arc - 2⭐️ because I wanted to climb through that book so many times and slap some sense into him.
😭Sadness Level:
0/5 (no tears for me)
🌶Spice Level:
3/5
🥵Descriptive Spice Scenes:
Yes, in the multiple scenes written in the book.
🔶️Other Male/Other Female Drama:
Yes, there is a love triangle as well as outside characters being used as a jealousy tactic.
🚫Triggers:
Mental/emotional abuse as well as borderline physical
💣Closure:
From start to finish, this book had me intrigued. Consider me a fan of Seolia and it's badass queen. I'm excited to see where the rest of this series goes and can't wait to read more!
⛔️Safety (trigger wise):
There is a point where the FMC is physically hurt by one of the characters in an argument on accident but other than that, there's mental and emotional manipulation between characters.
✔️Overall Rating:
5 freaking stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 15, 2022
This was so friggin good!! Perfect for fans of from blood and ash!
AKOFAF is the first book in a steamy romanfantasy series with morally gray characters, dark elemental magic and possessive males. This book crawled it's way to become one of my favorite reads of the year.
Some elements that I loved:
- the characters are older, in their 20s-30s
- the female lead is also morally gray
- the instant-attraction between Rowan and Zeke, they can't keep their hands off each other
- reminds me of Snow white and the huntsman!!!!
- the "if you touch her I'll kill you" trope!
- the shape shifting side of Rowans magic
- the steam was sooo good 🔥🥵
AKOFAF is the first book in a steamy romanfantasy series with morally gray characters, dark elemental magic and possessive males. This book crawled it's way to become one of my favorite reads of the year.
Some elements that I loved:
- the characters are older, in their 20s-30s
- the female lead is also morally gray
- the instant-attraction between Rowan and Zeke, they can't keep their hands off each other
- reminds me of Snow white and the huntsman!!!!
- the "if you touch her I'll kill you" trope!
- the shape shifting side of Rowans magic
- the steam was sooo good 🔥🥵
November 29, 2022
I came into this wanting a guilty pleasure read, so obviously expectations for those are different. I don’t expect perfection or flawless world building, etc., I have literally read entire series’s for smut hahaha.
But come on. There were parts of this where I was rolling my eyes.
In fact, we were endlessly privy to both characters’ inner thoughts to the point where it was just mundane, poorly written, and heaps of haphazardly thrown together scenarios to fulfill tropes that should have been delicious to read, but were just instead…completely ruined due to a lack of imagination.
I mean it just annoys me because this could have been a good book.
The entire plot of what Mira wants, who Raven is, and Zeke’s role were just shallow and could have easily been resolved with one sit down conversation and instead…we’re treated to Zeke “the villain”. I LOVE a good villain moment, but this book made me realize that it does require some skill to pull it off convincingly. This book was a result of an author wanting to write out several tropes, but lacking an actual plot or story to move those pieces forward so it became a case of building scenes around a wish list versus the other way around. Sadly, I do not recommend this to my romantasy girlies ( & guys & romantasy fans in general).
But come on. There were parts of this where I was rolling my eyes.
In fact, we were endlessly privy to both characters’ inner thoughts to the point where it was just mundane, poorly written, and heaps of haphazardly thrown together scenarios to fulfill tropes that should have been delicious to read, but were just instead…completely ruined due to a lack of imagination.
I mean it just annoys me because this could have been a good book.
The entire plot of what Mira wants, who Raven is, and Zeke’s role were just shallow and could have easily been resolved with one sit down conversation and instead…we’re treated to Zeke “the villain”. I LOVE a good villain moment, but this book made me realize that it does require some skill to pull it off convincingly. This book was a result of an author wanting to write out several tropes, but lacking an actual plot or story to move those pieces forward so it became a case of building scenes around a wish list versus the other way around. Sadly, I do not recommend this to my romantasy girlies ( & guys & romantasy fans in general).
December 11, 2022
I really wanted to like this book, but I did not. I actually thought Part 1 was decent but things got so bad in Part 2. Raven is introduced as this strong fmc, but she becomes so weak and desperate for a man she knew for a few days. He abandons her and lies to her constantly but she doesn’t care. The thing that actually makes her hate him is just one secret that IMO was overly dramatized. Zeke’s inner monologue was so dumb. His little plan is the worst thing i’ve ever heard. There was literally NO reason for him to break Raven’s heart and make her mad at him. I was actually rooting for Cade in part 2 bc Zeke was so dumb. Why couldn’t he just tell Raven that he needs to protect his family and ask her for help? Beyond the annoyingness of the characters, the plot is super underdeveloped. We got constant info dumps as ways to explain the world to us instead of the author finding ways to authentically explain and build the world. It felt really lazy. The book was also like 100 pages too long. I was appalled by the amount of dream sequences in this book. If we cut them out I think it would take out those extra 100 pages. Every time I saw a dream sequence I would just skim past it because they were so boring.
I also find the dual POV to not work well in this book whatsoever. By showing us the inside of Zeke’s mind it takes away from the suspense that we should feel from his actions. There was no “gotcha” moment because we knew everything from his POV. I also really disliked how there were many scenes that we saw from both character’s POV. This felt really weird because we were essentially going back in time to see things through Zeke’s POV. I think it would have been much better to include flashbacks if the author wanted us to see specific scenes from both POVs(ie when they first meet), but otherwise it felt very odd.
I also find the dual POV to not work well in this book whatsoever. By showing us the inside of Zeke’s mind it takes away from the suspense that we should feel from his actions. There was no “gotcha” moment because we knew everything from his POV. I also really disliked how there were many scenes that we saw from both character’s POV. This felt really weird because we were essentially going back in time to see things through Zeke’s POV. I think it would have been much better to include flashbacks if the author wanted us to see specific scenes from both POVs(ie when they first meet), but otherwise it felt very odd.
July 20, 2023
A Kingdom of Flame and Fury is a dark adult fantasy novel with spicy romance, intriguing characters, and a unique magic system.
Raven was a character that I liked. She is blunt, badass, morally grey, and honestly just relatable in her insecurities and imperfections, though her indecisiveness bothered me at times. I also appreciated that she is an older MC (24-25).
I thought the writing was immersive and I enjoyed the world building because it was detailed but not too overwhelming or confusing for the reader. Raven’s powers were very unique as she has the ability to shift into three different people who each have different elemental powers.
“You always love me best in the dark,” I said. “Because you are my light”
The romance fell a bit short for me because it was insta-love and I wanted time to get to know Raven and Zeke before they got together, and more relationship development once they did get together. This book is dual POV between Raven and Zeke, which I enjoyed because we got both of their thoughts & feelings. There is a lot of good spice which I think readers will love! I wanted more plot in some instances but I enjoyed it overall.
I wasn’t a big fan of the love triangle (which, full disclosure, isn’t one of my favorite tropes) because it felt like one love interest was always on the back burner for the real person she wanted. It also just created a lot of back and forth that I found a bit frustrating at times.
I thought the plot and political games of the kingdoms was interesting, and this is a very character driven book. I spent the whole book trying to figure out peoples secrets and who Raven could trust! The pacing was a bit slow, but I’m excited to see what happens in the next book because the ending was really good!
Some things you can expect from this book:
✨Political games
✨Spicy romance
✨Insta-love
✨Love Triangle
✨Great world building
✨Found family
✨Only one bed
✨Morally grey FMC & MMC
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶/5
Raven was a character that I liked. She is blunt, badass, morally grey, and honestly just relatable in her insecurities and imperfections, though her indecisiveness bothered me at times. I also appreciated that she is an older MC (24-25).
I thought the writing was immersive and I enjoyed the world building because it was detailed but not too overwhelming or confusing for the reader. Raven’s powers were very unique as she has the ability to shift into three different people who each have different elemental powers.
“You always love me best in the dark,” I said. “Because you are my light”
The romance fell a bit short for me because it was insta-love and I wanted time to get to know Raven and Zeke before they got together, and more relationship development once they did get together. This book is dual POV between Raven and Zeke, which I enjoyed because we got both of their thoughts & feelings. There is a lot of good spice which I think readers will love! I wanted more plot in some instances but I enjoyed it overall.
I wasn’t a big fan of the love triangle (which, full disclosure, isn’t one of my favorite tropes) because it felt like one love interest was always on the back burner for the real person she wanted. It also just created a lot of back and forth that I found a bit frustrating at times.
I thought the plot and political games of the kingdoms was interesting, and this is a very character driven book. I spent the whole book trying to figure out peoples secrets and who Raven could trust! The pacing was a bit slow, but I’m excited to see what happens in the next book because the ending was really good!
Some things you can expect from this book:
✨Political games
✨Spicy romance
✨Insta-love
✨Love Triangle
✨Great world building
✨Found family
✨Only one bed
✨Morally grey FMC & MMC
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶/5
July 9, 2022
nope. no. thx, i'm out.
⇢ DNF 30%
⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult Fantasy Romance
∘ Dual POV
∘ Dark Magic
∘ Loveable female MC
∘ Alphahole
∘ Royalty
⤏ Tropes:
∘ Insta-Love
∘ Love triangle
∘ Friends to Lovers
∘ Soulmates
∘ Hidden-identity
⤏ Summary
Raven, a queen with no family and an unsavory past. The late king has declared her heir to his throne and left her with a burden she wasn't meant to carry and a kingdom in need of a ruler.
At twenty-five year olds, she still doesn't know why the king has made this decision. Raven also has a secret that she's only shared with his best friend and adviser, Cade: she possesses dark magic and she thirsts for blood.
When this stranger arrives in her kingdom, she starts having dreams that show her who she is.
⤏ Romance
Yeah, no. Two tropes I dislike coming together: insta-love & love triangle. One of them would've been enough.
⤏ Thoughts
Now, the main reason I decided to dnf this one? It was boring, annoying and I decided a long time ago that I won't spend my time reading books I don't enjoy reading.
Most characters were annoying, especially Zeke. A male character to annoy me? That rarely happens, but here we are.
I won't even bring Cade in this discussion, because it's not worth it. I liked how their friendship was portrayed, but when he started to act all jealous and stuff... yeah... no.
I liked Raven, her powers were unique and she was a pretty good character.
This wasn't for me, but maybe it is for you!
⇢ DNF 30%
⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult Fantasy Romance
∘ Dual POV
∘ Dark Magic
∘ Loveable female MC
∘ Alphahole
∘ Royalty
⤏ Tropes:
∘ Insta-Love
∘ Love triangle
∘ Friends to Lovers
∘ Soulmates
∘ Hidden-identity
⤏ Summary
Raven, a queen with no family and an unsavory past. The late king has declared her heir to his throne and left her with a burden she wasn't meant to carry and a kingdom in need of a ruler.
At twenty-five year olds, she still doesn't know why the king has made this decision. Raven also has a secret that she's only shared with his best friend and adviser, Cade: she possesses dark magic and she thirsts for blood.
When this stranger arrives in her kingdom, she starts having dreams that show her who she is.
⤏ Romance
Yeah, no. Two tropes I dislike coming together: insta-love & love triangle. One of them would've been enough.
⤏ Thoughts
Now, the main reason I decided to dnf this one? It was boring, annoying and I decided a long time ago that I won't spend my time reading books I don't enjoy reading.
Most characters were annoying, especially Zeke. A male character to annoy me? That rarely happens, but here we are.
I won't even bring Cade in this discussion, because it's not worth it. I liked how their friendship was portrayed, but when he started to act all jealous and stuff... yeah... no.
I liked Raven, her powers were unique and she was a pretty good character.
This wasn't for me, but maybe it is for you!
October 16, 2023
This was a wild ride! The pacing was steady & intriguing for the majority of the story. I had a difficult time with enjoying this as a whole. Some verbiage redundancy, confusion surrounding character train of thought & reasoning for actions. I just didn’t fall in love with this story like I thought, which is obviously 100% on me. My disinterest should not affect you or your desire to read. This was spicy, but not a constant smut show with no plot. There were a couple of scenes that weren’t explicitly R***, but very strong allegory. I was uncomfortable with the scene. Again these are all my opinions & I feel that a lot of folks will truly enjoy this world.
January 8, 2023
Ok…… this was bad. Just, really really bad. The story line was just meh, but the characters and their development were just awful. Raven was one of the worst characters I have ever encountered in a book. She was immature, flighty and fickle. I have never eye rolled so much while reading. First there was the insta love, which I hate. Then there was Zeke and his whole horribly thought out plan and story line. Then there was the terrible abusive love triangle. Raven being intimate with Cade because she is made at Zeke, her loving/hating Zeke, her going back to Cade. It’s all very messed up.
The beginning of the story held promise, but the book just went downhill as it went on. And Cade….. what a piece of garbage. If the author was trying to make her characters unlikeable she did a great job!
I have never read a worse book. Usually if a book is that bad I just put in on my DNF shelf. But this was such a train wreck I couldn’t look away. Now I only have myself to blame ….
The beginning of the story held promise, but the book just went downhill as it went on. And Cade….. what a piece of garbage. If the author was trying to make her characters unlikeable she did a great job!
I have never read a worse book. Usually if a book is that bad I just put in on my DNF shelf. But this was such a train wreck I couldn’t look away. Now I only have myself to blame ….
August 8, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶🌶🌶
This is a debut fantasy novel that was lucky enough to get an ARC of!
Things I liked:
🔥 Raven was a relatable character, she struggles to find her worth in a world full of expectations
🔥Simple & interesting world building
🔥The writing was strong & entertaining
Things I didn’t like:
💫The love triangle: lots of back and forth between the characters
💫Instalove- I wanted to know more about the individual characters to connect more with their relationships with each other
Overall: I enjoyed this fantasy world! I think Whitney is a talented writer and was able to create a unique, engaging story that I am excited to read more about!!
🌶🌶🌶
This is a debut fantasy novel that was lucky enough to get an ARC of!
Things I liked:
🔥 Raven was a relatable character, she struggles to find her worth in a world full of expectations
🔥Simple & interesting world building
🔥The writing was strong & entertaining
Things I didn’t like:
💫The love triangle: lots of back and forth between the characters
💫Instalove- I wanted to know more about the individual characters to connect more with their relationships with each other
Overall: I enjoyed this fantasy world! I think Whitney is a talented writer and was able to create a unique, engaging story that I am excited to read more about!!
April 7, 2022
Never have I ever written a review for a book that hasn't come out yet, but I've designed the book cover for this so I know it's going to be good. 😂 Anyway, go preorder!
April 22, 2024
''I need you to know that I will never love another the way I love you. I will never love another, ever. I need you to know, that you are the very blood that runs trough my veins. You are every breath, every whisper. Every dream, every nightmare. The ghost of you will forever haunt me. The ghost of what could be.''
Thank you to Whitney Dean and her team, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
This was adult fantasy romance was Whitney's debut novel. It's full of secrets, hidden agendas, spicy romances, lies, manipulation, betrayal, abuse and tragedy. It has dual pov's - Raven and Zeke's. The world-building was well-written and kept me entertained throughout, but I wished that pacing was not so slow.
I was bit torn between liking Raven. She is not only headstrong but magic-wise strong. She is fierce, lovable, kind and gentle with her people. Her life and upbringings is tinted by mystery, that she will have to learn and uncover bit by bit. Once Zaven happened, she turned to love struck puppy, who whimpers and makes poor, poor decisions. Too trustworthy and and naive. Zeke was sort of mysterious character. Tortured soul with dark present and past. Obsessive, drunk in love (sometimes literally), broody and swoon-worthy assassin. They both have secrets, past trauma and occasionally - lust for blood. Their dynamic was great. They truly were like two peas in the pot. I'm not big of a fan of insta love, but reading this book til the last page I get the idea why author chose to go with it. As for Cade - I loved him for the first part of the book and then I wanted him to suffer..
My overall minus were that it felt somewhat repetitive and book was longer than it needed to be. Normally I love long books, but in this instance it felt dragged out. Also, many FMC actions were too much explained.
But ok, everyone - it's dramaaa time! It was fun, entertaining, questioning and 'can I trust this character' type of book. If you like fantasy, romance, spice, scheming and mystery - you will enjoy it!
Here you will find:
* Adult fantasy romance
* Spicy read
* Fated mates
* Only one bed
* Love triangle
* Interesting magic for FMC and MMC
* Touch her and die
* Found family
* Hidden identity
* Mental and emotional manipulation
* Enemies to Lovers / Friends to Lovers
* Twists, betrayals and political scheming
Favorite quotes:
Some villains were born, but I would be made. I would be her devil to keep her protected.
When he broke our kiss, it was only to whisper against my mouth, ''We taste so f*cking good together.'' And he was right. We were our own flavor of candy.
“Nothing in my life had ever been this good, this right. She paused her movements against me, her brain trying to grapple for air. All I did was watch her, my thunderous heart beating wildly in my chest. Her forehead fell against my throat as she tried to catch her breath, my pulse beating against it. I moved one of my hands to her chest and felt for her heart, its pounding matching the rhythm of mine. Everything about us was fated, even the beats of our blood pumping. I laughed softly and she raised her beautiful face to look at me. “For the record,” I stated, tucking some hair behind her ear, “This is not why I brought you here.”
Review of A Kingdom of Frost and Fear #2
Art by @sophielouisedraws
Art by @sophielouisedraws
Art by @faithfularts._
Art by @tonyviento
Art by @romannaboch
Thank you to Whitney Dean and her team, for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.
This was adult fantasy romance was Whitney's debut novel. It's full of secrets, hidden agendas, spicy romances, lies, manipulation, betrayal, abuse and tragedy. It has dual pov's - Raven and Zeke's. The world-building was well-written and kept me entertained throughout, but I wished that pacing was not so slow.
I was bit torn between liking Raven. She is not only headstrong but magic-wise strong. She is fierce, lovable, kind and gentle with her people. Her life and upbringings is tinted by mystery, that she will have to learn and uncover bit by bit. Once Zaven happened, she turned to love struck puppy, who whimpers and makes poor, poor decisions. Too trustworthy and and naive. Zeke was sort of mysterious character. Tortured soul with dark present and past. Obsessive, drunk in love (sometimes literally), broody and swoon-worthy assassin. They both have secrets, past trauma and occasionally - lust for blood. Their dynamic was great. They truly were like two peas in the pot. I'm not big of a fan of insta love, but reading this book til the last page I get the idea why author chose to go with it. As for Cade - I loved him for the first part of the book and then I wanted him to suffer..
My overall minus were that it felt somewhat repetitive and book was longer than it needed to be. Normally I love long books, but in this instance it felt dragged out. Also, many FMC actions were too much explained.
But ok, everyone - it's dramaaa time! It was fun, entertaining, questioning and 'can I trust this character' type of book. If you like fantasy, romance, spice, scheming and mystery - you will enjoy it!
Here you will find:
* Adult fantasy romance
* Spicy read
* Fated mates
* Only one bed
* Love triangle
* Interesting magic for FMC and MMC
* Touch her and die
* Found family
* Hidden identity
* Mental and emotional manipulation
* Enemies to Lovers / Friends to Lovers
* Twists, betrayals and political scheming
Favorite quotes:
Some villains were born, but I would be made. I would be her devil to keep her protected.
When he broke our kiss, it was only to whisper against my mouth, ''We taste so f*cking good together.'' And he was right. We were our own flavor of candy.
“Nothing in my life had ever been this good, this right. She paused her movements against me, her brain trying to grapple for air. All I did was watch her, my thunderous heart beating wildly in my chest. Her forehead fell against my throat as she tried to catch her breath, my pulse beating against it. I moved one of my hands to her chest and felt for her heart, its pounding matching the rhythm of mine. Everything about us was fated, even the beats of our blood pumping. I laughed softly and she raised her beautiful face to look at me. “For the record,” I stated, tucking some hair behind her ear, “This is not why I brought you here.”
Review of A Kingdom of Frost and Fear #2
Art by @sophielouisedraws
Art by @sophielouisedraws
Art by @faithfularts._
Art by @tonyviento
Art by @romannaboch
July 23, 2022
This hit all the right spots. Just everything I love in a fantasy. Great storyline, world building, interesting characters and captivating writing.
The tropes are all faves and all done so well.
Lovers to enemies to lovers ✔️
Forced proximity ✔️
Hidden identity ✔️
Grumpy and sunshine ✔️
Royalty ✔️
Fated mates ✔️
I'm so addicted to this and can't wait to read the next book.
The tropes are all faves and all done so well.
Lovers to enemies to lovers ✔️
Forced proximity ✔️
Hidden identity ✔️
Grumpy and sunshine ✔️
Royalty ✔️
Fated mates ✔️
I'm so addicted to this and can't wait to read the next book.
January 12, 2023
dnf at 7%
mc has already had a sob fest. her personality couldn't even manage to stay consistent for the first 10% of the novel, i cant imagine how bad it'll get as the story goes on. dialogue is clunky and juvenile. i cannot do it.
mc has already had a sob fest. her personality couldn't even manage to stay consistent for the first 10% of the novel, i cant imagine how bad it'll get as the story goes on. dialogue is clunky and juvenile. i cannot do it.
May 30, 2022
Ok so let me start my review by saying for the better part of this year- actually I’m pretty sure it’s been since the end of 2021- I’ve been in the biggest mood for a fantasy romance. I’ve read a few but none of them checked off all my boxes to satisfy that craving. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted but when I started AKOFAF, I immediately knew I had found it.
A world of kingdoms and dark magic, a mysterious (but oh so delicious) stranger, a festival of dreams to start, alliances and secret betrayals within kingdoms, magic that is so unique and intricate it absorbs me wholly, a queendom with a fierce and powerful Queen *but* with a dark secret- like I- I just- to sum it up basically 2% in I let out the biggest sigh of content this year.
Starting and all throughout reading AKOFAF was like the biggest sense of comfort to me. I like to think of fantasy in general as an escape from reality and AKOFAF was that to the utmost highest level in the best way possible. Literally my first note in the book is ‘feels like comfort, a delightful escape from reality’- and that was only 1% in.
The characters- Raven and Zeke to start were just *insert best synonym of my happy place here*- beautiful. Ok. Like beautiful in the sense they were everything I could’ve possibly wanted. Their morals, their intentions, their actions all throughout were SOLID. The side characters- muah chef’s kiss THE BEST. I don’t even know how to explain it aside from saying it felt like the author looked inside my mind, got a sense of exactly what and how I love characters to be and then wrote Raven and Zeke so- I was 100% wholly in love from page one.
And the writing- or specifically writing style- the author has a very direct way of writing that I like to call a ‘telling’ style of writing in stead of ‘showing’. And by that I mean it’s a first POV (with multiple POV chapters) where each character directly states an observation or thought instead of alluding- for ex. ‘Instead of my usual long, ebony hair, icy-blonde locks skimmed my shoulders. “Mm…” I pondered aloud, reaching my fingers out and touching the glass of my mirror on front of me. Frost was typically my most favored form for public outings and the easiest to wield. I looked downright angelic, which was a stark contrast to the demon I'd rather be.” (This is a snippet from the very beginning and spoiler free also peep one of my favorite quotes in the last sentence🔥) this style of writing is very to the point and explanatory which personally isn’t my favorite but I thought it worked perfectly for AKOFAF. Considering the intricacy of the magic and different variations for each character it explains the details of the world so it’s not overbearing and confusing. It worked really well here and made the reading experience all the more better.
Also I just love this and really want to share:
“The Festival of Dreams was started just under one-hundred years ago, when the war ended and kingdoms were recovering from the loss of life. It signified the new beginnings of Seolia and to dream that we would never be subjected to something so devastating again: to dream of a world without malice, without the power hungry royals that caused the war in the first place, and to always stand together for the kingdoms in our realm and for others who felt without a voice.”
To conclude, again- everything I could’ve possibly wanted for a fantasy romance- AKOFAF is it. I 100% recommend, 100% need the sequel ASAP (please 🥺) and 100% I have made AKOFAF the new standard in which I rate romantasy too.
A world of kingdoms and dark magic, a mysterious (but oh so delicious) stranger, a festival of dreams to start, alliances and secret betrayals within kingdoms, magic that is so unique and intricate it absorbs me wholly, a queendom with a fierce and powerful Queen *but* with a dark secret- like I- I just- to sum it up basically 2% in I let out the biggest sigh of content this year.
Starting and all throughout reading AKOFAF was like the biggest sense of comfort to me. I like to think of fantasy in general as an escape from reality and AKOFAF was that to the utmost highest level in the best way possible. Literally my first note in the book is ‘feels like comfort, a delightful escape from reality’- and that was only 1% in.
The characters- Raven and Zeke to start were just *insert best synonym of my happy place here*- beautiful. Ok. Like beautiful in the sense they were everything I could’ve possibly wanted. Their morals, their intentions, their actions all throughout were SOLID. The side characters- muah chef’s kiss THE BEST. I don’t even know how to explain it aside from saying it felt like the author looked inside my mind, got a sense of exactly what and how I love characters to be and then wrote Raven and Zeke so- I was 100% wholly in love from page one.
And the writing- or specifically writing style- the author has a very direct way of writing that I like to call a ‘telling’ style of writing in stead of ‘showing’. And by that I mean it’s a first POV (with multiple POV chapters) where each character directly states an observation or thought instead of alluding- for ex. ‘Instead of my usual long, ebony hair, icy-blonde locks skimmed my shoulders. “Mm…” I pondered aloud, reaching my fingers out and touching the glass of my mirror on front of me. Frost was typically my most favored form for public outings and the easiest to wield. I looked downright angelic, which was a stark contrast to the demon I'd rather be.” (This is a snippet from the very beginning and spoiler free also peep one of my favorite quotes in the last sentence🔥) this style of writing is very to the point and explanatory which personally isn’t my favorite but I thought it worked perfectly for AKOFAF. Considering the intricacy of the magic and different variations for each character it explains the details of the world so it’s not overbearing and confusing. It worked really well here and made the reading experience all the more better.
Also I just love this and really want to share:
“The Festival of Dreams was started just under one-hundred years ago, when the war ended and kingdoms were recovering from the loss of life. It signified the new beginnings of Seolia and to dream that we would never be subjected to something so devastating again: to dream of a world without malice, without the power hungry royals that caused the war in the first place, and to always stand together for the kingdoms in our realm and for others who felt without a voice.”
To conclude, again- everything I could’ve possibly wanted for a fantasy romance- AKOFAF is it. I 100% recommend, 100% need the sequel ASAP (please 🥺) and 100% I have made AKOFAF the new standard in which I rate romantasy too.
December 4, 2022
"𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥."
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: fantasy romance
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼♀️: moderate
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: FBAA, ACOTAR
𝙏𝙒 ⚠️: This book contains sexually explicit scenes, graphic and mature content, and reader discretion is advised.
👑badass queen with the power of the elements
👑love triangle with childhood best friend and morally grey male stranger
👑world building
👑did I mention spice??
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬🔥
AKOFAF is the first book in a new fantasy romance series- perfect for fans of From Blood & Ash, Crescent City, and ACOTAR- but don’t worry- this book is unique enough to stand on its own as an incredible fantasy story.
Raven is the queen of Seolia, and she has the power to harness water, earth, and fire, although she must hide her talents from her kingdom. She has spent the last decade ruling alongside her best friend Cade, who officially serves as her advisor. There is a bit of a coming of age vibe where Raven must experience hardship and heartbreak to discover the true depth of her powers and her family history.
I knew almost immediately (literally the first scene when Raven meets Zeke at the festival of dreams 🥵) that this was going to be a five star read.
Major “why choose?” vibe for the love triangle- and I loooove a badass female MC who does what she needs to be happy. Your heart will break for her a few times - so be prepared!
There is a lot of world building in this book, which is a great setup for the rest of the series. I am already halfway through book 2, A Kingdom of Frost & Fear, which comes out 12/6!
Incredibly well-written, and I cannot recommend this series enough (also on KU!)
👏🏼👏🏼𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 to readers who enjoy fantasy romance.
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: fantasy romance
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼♀️: moderate
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: FBAA, ACOTAR
𝙏𝙒 ⚠️: This book contains sexually explicit scenes, graphic and mature content, and reader discretion is advised.
👑badass queen with the power of the elements
👑love triangle with childhood best friend and morally grey male stranger
👑world building
👑did I mention spice??
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬🔥
AKOFAF is the first book in a new fantasy romance series- perfect for fans of From Blood & Ash, Crescent City, and ACOTAR- but don’t worry- this book is unique enough to stand on its own as an incredible fantasy story.
Raven is the queen of Seolia, and she has the power to harness water, earth, and fire, although she must hide her talents from her kingdom. She has spent the last decade ruling alongside her best friend Cade, who officially serves as her advisor. There is a bit of a coming of age vibe where Raven must experience hardship and heartbreak to discover the true depth of her powers and her family history.
I knew almost immediately (literally the first scene when Raven meets Zeke at the festival of dreams 🥵) that this was going to be a five star read.
Major “why choose?” vibe for the love triangle- and I loooove a badass female MC who does what she needs to be happy. Your heart will break for her a few times - so be prepared!
There is a lot of world building in this book, which is a great setup for the rest of the series. I am already halfway through book 2, A Kingdom of Frost & Fear, which comes out 12/6!
Incredibly well-written, and I cannot recommend this series enough (also on KU!)
👏🏼👏🏼𝙃𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙 to readers who enjoy fantasy romance.
July 18, 2022
I am so freaking hungover from this book!! AKOFAF burrowed its way into my soul and still will not let me go. It's thick, to be sure, but never once did it feel dense or slow--I was riveted from cover to cover. That mayyyy have something to do with the super smutty LOVE TRIANGLE TO END ALL OTHER LOVE TRIANGLES as the focal point of this story...for once in my life I was really, truly at a loss for which love interest won my heart until the very last page, but I FINALLY have made my choice: it's #TEAMZEKE for me, although of course, I always wish every love triangle book could be reverse harem so this MC could also have Cade because I love him so much too, but I have my reasons!!
Speaking of Raven--I adored this MC and all her imperfections. Also, I have literally never been so enraptured with a character's elemental magic, like WHAT?? I mean, seriously, my girl can shape into 3 whole other personas wielding different powers, each more deadly than the last...Such phenomenal magic systems and worldbuilding in this book and I am so ready for the sequel to reveal more secrets.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed above are entirely my own.
Speaking of Raven--I adored this MC and all her imperfections. Also, I have literally never been so enraptured with a character's elemental magic, like WHAT?? I mean, seriously, my girl can shape into 3 whole other personas wielding different powers, each more deadly than the last...Such phenomenal magic systems and worldbuilding in this book and I am so ready for the sequel to reveal more secrets.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed above are entirely my own.
September 11, 2022
DNF. Stopped around the 200 page mark.
I really didn’t like the writing style. Too much telling and not enough showing. Multiple grammar/spelling errors to the point it was distracting. It almost felt like a first draft of just getting thoughts on paper and then never editing it to make a more streamlined, cohesive story. It’s unfortunate because I think there was a lot of potential in the storyline but the writing just wasn’t for me.
I really didn’t like the writing style. Too much telling and not enough showing. Multiple grammar/spelling errors to the point it was distracting. It almost felt like a first draft of just getting thoughts on paper and then never editing it to make a more streamlined, cohesive story. It’s unfortunate because I think there was a lot of potential in the storyline but the writing just wasn’t for me.
May 18, 2022
What an absolutely lovely story. A Kingdom of Flame and Fury is the first book in a new series by this author; it’s action-packed, intriguing, and very well written. Why did you leave me hanging!? The cliffy at the end… I literally cannot wait for the next book in this series to be released.
We first meet Raven, a young, fairly naïve, queen who has no idea where she came from or who her parents were. She was left at her “aunt’s” house in the middle of the night without a note or any identifying information. Following the King’s passing, the throne was willed to her. Never having met the King, Raven took the mantle and does her best to be a good queen to her people. However, she has a secret… only her best friend, Cade, is aware, until a dark and mysterious stranger comes into her life…
Zeke (Ezekiel) – tall, dark, handsome and bossy enters Queen Raven’s realm on a mission; however, once he’s sees Raven, he’s at an impasse. Meeting her and spending time with her… it completes him. Feeling as though she’s the other half of his soul, can he betray her for the kingdom he comes from? Will his secrets lead to their detriment? Can he live with himself breaking her heart? Can they overcome their history?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fun and light-hearted at times but dark and heart-breaking in others. The author did an amazing job building this story and the characters. She surprised me, intrigued me, and broke my heart a little bit at times. I’m highly anticipating the next book and crossing my fingers that our Raven gets her happily ever after.
We first meet Raven, a young, fairly naïve, queen who has no idea where she came from or who her parents were. She was left at her “aunt’s” house in the middle of the night without a note or any identifying information. Following the King’s passing, the throne was willed to her. Never having met the King, Raven took the mantle and does her best to be a good queen to her people. However, she has a secret… only her best friend, Cade, is aware, until a dark and mysterious stranger comes into her life…
Zeke (Ezekiel) – tall, dark, handsome and bossy enters Queen Raven’s realm on a mission; however, once he’s sees Raven, he’s at an impasse. Meeting her and spending time with her… it completes him. Feeling as though she’s the other half of his soul, can he betray her for the kingdom he comes from? Will his secrets lead to their detriment? Can he live with himself breaking her heart? Can they overcome their history?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fun and light-hearted at times but dark and heart-breaking in others. The author did an amazing job building this story and the characters. She surprised me, intrigued me, and broke my heart a little bit at times. I’m highly anticipating the next book and crossing my fingers that our Raven gets her happily ever after.
August 29, 2022
1.75?
This book hurt me! It sounded amazing and the mention of it being dark and the MCs moraly grey… I was so hopeful but alas this was another disaster and disappointment.
So, the plot and the MCs didnt make any sense to me, like the problem is that one of the guys,Zeke, needs to marry the queen of the other kingdom and bring her to his kingdom in order to save hus family… and then proceeds to say he feel inlove and he does everything in his power to not marry her just to end up proposing and taking her back to his country….
Maybe I missed the whole point but I never understood the reason behind why everyone was acting so stupidly…
Also the MC had so much potential and ended up being very angsty and dependable on a man 😑
Also… to mich sex withoit any point behind it!!! I get that its supposed to be a spicy book and belive me I have no problem w that, i read monsters romances haahahha BUT this was supposed to have more content and make those scenes drivers of the plot, in my opinion, and that didnt happen.
Tbh I skimmed read after the 60% mark bc every vhapter felt very very repetitive. It was either She winning bc Zeke was gone or Zeke winning about his sacrifice of being the bad guy but loving her 🙃🙃🙃
Again, not the book for me but give it a try. It might be for you bc many people loved it
Will I ever learn? Will I stop reading this crap? Probably not
This book hurt me! It sounded amazing and the mention of it being dark and the MCs moraly grey… I was so hopeful but alas this was another disaster and disappointment.
So, the plot and the MCs didnt make any sense to me, like the problem is that one of the guys,Zeke, needs to marry the queen of the other kingdom and bring her to his kingdom in order to save hus family… and then proceeds to say he feel inlove and he does everything in his power to not marry her just to end up proposing and taking her back to his country….
Maybe I missed the whole point but I never understood the reason behind why everyone was acting so stupidly…
Also the MC had so much potential and ended up being very angsty and dependable on a man 😑
Also… to mich sex withoit any point behind it!!! I get that its supposed to be a spicy book and belive me I have no problem w that, i read monsters romances haahahha BUT this was supposed to have more content and make those scenes drivers of the plot, in my opinion, and that didnt happen.
Tbh I skimmed read after the 60% mark bc every vhapter felt very very repetitive. It was either She winning bc Zeke was gone or Zeke winning about his sacrifice of being the bad guy but loving her 🙃🙃🙃
Again, not the book for me but give it a try. It might be for you bc many people loved it
Will I ever learn? Will I stop reading this crap? Probably not
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2023
DNF at 32%
Typically, I wouldn't rate a book that I didn't finish but this was AWFUL. The title should be changed to "A Kingdom of Cringe and Instalove." The characters are so insufferable and the story is ridiculous. 10/10 don't recommend.
Typically, I wouldn't rate a book that I didn't finish but this was AWFUL. The title should be changed to "A Kingdom of Cringe and Instalove." The characters are so insufferable and the story is ridiculous. 10/10 don't recommend.
November 22, 2025
Soul connections, love triangle. A beautiful magic & kingdom system. Lots of world building, however still paced really well. I absolutely love the FMC! Very spicy. This was honestly such a fun read! Holy cliffhanger warning.
August 10, 2022
It took me forever to finish this book because it was so difficult to sit with and go through that it may have caused me to go into a reading slump. Legitimately, feels like I needed a break after this book, which I almost did not finish.
I had high hopes for this book. It definitely had an interesting premise, a shape shifting queen and this was easily established within the first few pages of the book. I found it interested that Raven was already a queen as usually it takes a while for the main character to reach such a point of position in these books. So I quickly settled with it.
Unfortunately, it went all down hill from there. One of the main issues I had with the book was the writing style. Now, I wont say it's bad or horrible but it simply did not sit well with me. It was like reading a science book with how clinical it described events and actions, even emotions. There was no imagery used at all as things were told in such a detached-lengthy way. I feel like the book prolonged three-fold just because of how wordy the narrative got. It had lines where it would say things like "I lifted my fingers to brush the hair that was on his forehead to the back of his ear." Which feels like I could have taken five words out of that sentence and it still would have been the same thought. This was probably why it felt like such a chore to read through the pages because I could read a paragraph and still be in the same spot in the story. This could work well with some who would prefer this type of narrative but definitely not for me.
The other thing is the fact that I could not feel anything for any of the characters in this book. There was no emotional foundation established because it had a tendency to take shortcuts and too much liberties in the subplots. I have no qualms about the use of fated mates and twin flames in romance, but this book took this trope and ran 10 miles with it and didn't look back, feeling no need to further explain anything and just say Raven and Zeke fell in love in one night. That's it. They also use sexual tension every chance they get that it's just makes me cringe every time. I am not one to skip over smut but this made me want to do all that because it was painful and awkward. This annoys me so because Raven spends all her time in the second half of the book wallowing in self-pity over this dude the reader barely knows.
Also don't get me started over Raven and her adviser because that was just abusive and I hated reading through all of that.
This book also just magically resolves a lot of the conflicts that were thrown everywhere at the beginning of the book that it just wasn't worth reading through it. She has issues controlling her power? Let's just say she trained with someone who had absolutely no idea how magic works and just throw a few encouraging words and she's good to go. Reader needs to be introduced to some pretty complex information about the history? Let's throw in a random teen girl turned overnight-librarian that would just know everything about anything. Lastly, the whole conflict about her hiding her powers from her kingdom because she fears backlash for it? Yeah, let's resolve that with just having the rest of them pledge allegiance to her over extinguishing a fire and being called butterfly by a child.
I swear there were longer chapters and paragraphs over the nights Raven and Zeke was together over the actual issues in the book.
I had high hopes for this book. It definitely had an interesting premise, a shape shifting queen and this was easily established within the first few pages of the book. I found it interested that Raven was already a queen as usually it takes a while for the main character to reach such a point of position in these books. So I quickly settled with it.
Unfortunately, it went all down hill from there. One of the main issues I had with the book was the writing style. Now, I wont say it's bad or horrible but it simply did not sit well with me. It was like reading a science book with how clinical it described events and actions, even emotions. There was no imagery used at all as things were told in such a detached-lengthy way. I feel like the book prolonged three-fold just because of how wordy the narrative got. It had lines where it would say things like "I lifted my fingers to brush the hair that was on his forehead to the back of his ear." Which feels like I could have taken five words out of that sentence and it still would have been the same thought. This was probably why it felt like such a chore to read through the pages because I could read a paragraph and still be in the same spot in the story. This could work well with some who would prefer this type of narrative but definitely not for me.
The other thing is the fact that I could not feel anything for any of the characters in this book. There was no emotional foundation established because it had a tendency to take shortcuts and too much liberties in the subplots. I have no qualms about the use of fated mates and twin flames in romance, but this book took this trope and ran 10 miles with it and didn't look back, feeling no need to further explain anything and just say Raven and Zeke fell in love in one night. That's it. They also use sexual tension every chance they get that it's just makes me cringe every time. I am not one to skip over smut but this made me want to do all that because it was painful and awkward. This annoys me so because Raven spends all her time in the second half of the book wallowing in self-pity over this dude the reader barely knows.
Also don't get me started over Raven and her adviser because that was just abusive and I hated reading through all of that.
This book also just magically resolves a lot of the conflicts that were thrown everywhere at the beginning of the book that it just wasn't worth reading through it. She has issues controlling her power? Let's just say she trained with someone who had absolutely no idea how magic works and just throw a few encouraging words and she's good to go. Reader needs to be introduced to some pretty complex information about the history? Let's throw in a random teen girl turned overnight-librarian that would just know everything about anything. Lastly, the whole conflict about her hiding her powers from her kingdom because she fears backlash for it? Yeah, let's resolve that with just having the rest of them pledge allegiance to her over extinguishing a fire and being called butterfly by a child.
I swear there were longer chapters and paragraphs over the nights Raven and Zeke was together over the actual issues in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2022
So much more than I was expecting! Dark magic, friends to lovers, lovers to enemies, and long kept secrets all come into play in this fantasy driven series. And the drama will keep you coming back for more!
Straighten your crown, dear girl. Face those who don’t believe in you with pride in who you are.
Raven is a young queen who was chosen at random for a throne she never asked for. Feeling like an imposter, things have been going surprisingly smoothly for the last decade. That is, until a visitor from another kingdom shows up with an invitation.
Up until this moment, this second, I hadn’t realized that I had been looking for her my entire life.
Zeke is on a mission - bring the queen back to his homeland. Sounds easy enough. But then he ends up finding out information that could change not just her life, but his. Does he betray his family or his new love?
Cade can’t stop thinking of her. He has vowed to protect her, cherish her, and love her until his dying breath. But as her advisor and best friend, he doesn’t know when to make his feelings known. And it may be too late.
I will kill for you, Raven. And if you decide to disobey, I will make you watch.
This world is vast and the descriptions made it feel alive and real. I loved how the use of magic worked and how every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, things would shift. It does a great job of keeping you on your toes! And the spice is deliciously sprinkled throughout in this love triangle.
The part I did not connect with was Raven’s immaturity at times. I think that was largely due to the fact that she is young, but that didn’t make her any less relatable or less intelligent. I loved how she was constantly trying to put together the puzzle pieces and figured out a lot of things on her own. Also, it felt like this book was really long, but it was easy to jump back into it each time I picked it up.
This is the first book in a series and while I don’t know when the next one will be released, I am definitely going to be keeping an eye out for it! This world is addicting!
Some villains were born, but I would be made. I would be her devil to keep her protected.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
Straighten your crown, dear girl. Face those who don’t believe in you with pride in who you are.
Raven is a young queen who was chosen at random for a throne she never asked for. Feeling like an imposter, things have been going surprisingly smoothly for the last decade. That is, until a visitor from another kingdom shows up with an invitation.
Up until this moment, this second, I hadn’t realized that I had been looking for her my entire life.
Zeke is on a mission - bring the queen back to his homeland. Sounds easy enough. But then he ends up finding out information that could change not just her life, but his. Does he betray his family or his new love?
Cade can’t stop thinking of her. He has vowed to protect her, cherish her, and love her until his dying breath. But as her advisor and best friend, he doesn’t know when to make his feelings known. And it may be too late.
I will kill for you, Raven. And if you decide to disobey, I will make you watch.
This world is vast and the descriptions made it feel alive and real. I loved how the use of magic worked and how every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, things would shift. It does a great job of keeping you on your toes! And the spice is deliciously sprinkled throughout in this love triangle.
The part I did not connect with was Raven’s immaturity at times. I think that was largely due to the fact that she is young, but that didn’t make her any less relatable or less intelligent. I loved how she was constantly trying to put together the puzzle pieces and figured out a lot of things on her own. Also, it felt like this book was really long, but it was easy to jump back into it each time I picked it up.
This is the first book in a series and while I don’t know when the next one will be released, I am definitely going to be keeping an eye out for it! This world is addicting!
Some villains were born, but I would be made. I would be her devil to keep her protected.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 8, 2022
I so wanted to love this book, but sadly that’s not the case. I think the plot has so much potential and it is such an interesting story. My problem with this book though was why all the deceit throughout it?? I mean honestly if he would have just been truthful with her everything would have worked out. And who knows all this deceit might make sense in the next book but for this book it just aggravated me. I also hated that she went back and forth between the guys when both of them treated her badly throughout the book. This book wasn’t bad and besides these things it was good. I was just so aggravated throughout the book by these character choices that I could fully enjoy the story.
The reason I gave it a three star review is because I still want to know what happens next! The ending of the book was sad and we do end on a cliffhanger. I haven’t decided if I’m going to read the next one, but if I do I really hope we get less deceit and less back-and-forth between the characters.
The reason I gave it a three star review is because I still want to know what happens next! The ending of the book was sad and we do end on a cliffhanger. I haven’t decided if I’m going to read the next one, but if I do I really hope we get less deceit and less back-and-forth between the characters.
February 16, 2023
Good lord, this was a hot mess.
Genuinely might have been the worst thing I’ve EVER read, had to DNF at 300~ pages because it was truly agonizing.
If you want poorly-written insta-love, unappealing smut, and a plot flimsier than saran wrap, this is the book for you. The main character had a SERIOUS case of “not like other girls”, and the amount of times this book had me screaming in frustration and/or rolling my eyes was criminal. Let’s not even start with the main love interest; he was genuinely HORRIFIC to read, if I ever met this man in real life I would get a restraining order. I don’t really mind reading about awful toxic romances, but somehow the author managed to make the romance not only terrible but also INCREDIBLY fucking boring.
If I could rate this 0 stars I would. Whoever told me this was comparable to the romance of ACOTAR and the world building of GOT was absolutely tripping.
Ugh. I need to spend the next 3-5 business days trying to erase this from my brain.
Genuinely might have been the worst thing I’ve EVER read, had to DNF at 300~ pages because it was truly agonizing.
If you want poorly-written insta-love, unappealing smut, and a plot flimsier than saran wrap, this is the book for you. The main character had a SERIOUS case of “not like other girls”, and the amount of times this book had me screaming in frustration and/or rolling my eyes was criminal. Let’s not even start with the main love interest; he was genuinely HORRIFIC to read, if I ever met this man in real life I would get a restraining order. I don’t really mind reading about awful toxic romances, but somehow the author managed to make the romance not only terrible but also INCREDIBLY fucking boring.
If I could rate this 0 stars I would. Whoever told me this was comparable to the romance of ACOTAR and the world building of GOT was absolutely tripping.
Ugh. I need to spend the next 3-5 business days trying to erase this from my brain.
February 2, 2023
Great book! Only thing that stopped this from being a 5 star for me was the writing style. I started the second book and had to dnf it, though, because the same things kept happening over and over again. I’ll try and pick it up again soon.
May 6, 2023
This story has so much potential, but I found the language very modern and difficult not to be pulled out of the story because of it. I also didn’t really like any of the characters… communication is important for relationships, y’all.
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