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Conquering Imoria’s Magic Duology #1
The Crown Breaker
AN ADULT DARK FANTASY ROMANCE - Book one of Conquering Imoria’s Magic Duology.
Rydel and his best friend, Luc lied, cheated, robbed, and killed their way from the slums to the throne, winning Rydel the crown and Luc the position of his captain. But the throne wasn’t the only goal. With the former king’s head on a pike, Rydel acquired the Mind Stone, one of only two magical items left in the country of Imoria. For the past ten years, Rydel and the other two rulers of the country have narrowly avoided conflict in their desperate search for the final Stone of power.
King Rydel is close, willing to do whatever it takes to possess the final Stone and gain ultimate power and control. But, when he almost loses Luc in an assassination attempt, he’s pushed to the edge, unable to fathom a world without the one person he cares about , the one person he desires even over power, the one person he … loves.
War rages. Alliances are made … until a devastating betrayal nearly shatters the unbreakable king who threatens to reduce Imoria to blood, bone, and ash.
No one is safe from Rydel.
The Crown Breaker is a DARK adult fantasy MM romance. It contains elements of language, explicit sex, murder, graphic violence, sadism, physical & mental torture, drug use, and physical & emotional child abuse.
Rydel and his best friend, Luc lied, cheated, robbed, and killed their way from the slums to the throne, winning Rydel the crown and Luc the position of his captain. But the throne wasn’t the only goal. With the former king’s head on a pike, Rydel acquired the Mind Stone, one of only two magical items left in the country of Imoria. For the past ten years, Rydel and the other two rulers of the country have narrowly avoided conflict in their desperate search for the final Stone of power.
King Rydel is close, willing to do whatever it takes to possess the final Stone and gain ultimate power and control. But, when he almost loses Luc in an assassination attempt, he’s pushed to the edge, unable to fathom a world without the one person he cares about , the one person he desires even over power, the one person he … loves.
War rages. Alliances are made … until a devastating betrayal nearly shatters the unbreakable king who threatens to reduce Imoria to blood, bone, and ash.
No one is safe from Rydel.
The Crown Breaker is a DARK adult fantasy MM romance. It contains elements of language, explicit sex, murder, graphic violence, sadism, physical & mental torture, drug use, and physical & emotional child abuse.
430 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2022
107 people are currently reading
836 people want to read
About the author
T.B. Wiese
13 books90 followersT. B. Wiese is a military spouse, dog mom, photographer, Disney nerd, and lover of spicy fantasy. She loves animals (She grew up with dogs and working with horses, including working at the Tri-Circle D Ranch at Disney World), so don’t be surprised when you find yourself reading lovable animal characters in her novels.
She has loved reading since she was little, and her tbr list is embarrassingly long, but she’s always looking to add more, so if you have a spicy fantasy recommendation, pass it along.
She has loved reading since she was little, and her tbr list is embarrassingly long, but she’s always looking to add more, so if you have a spicy fantasy recommendation, pass it along.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 22, 2024
The smut, delicious! The storyline, not bad but not good! The main character’s evil meanie persona was a little overdone at some parts, and I found myself rolling my eyes.
December 26, 2022
For those who love a good villain
I really enjoyed this book! It's definitely dark and brutal, but so engaging that I couldn't put it down. The characters are complex and interesting, the world-building is very well done, and there's an internal consistency to the magic of the world that just feels really good. Even though Rydel is arguably the bad guy, I was cheering for him all the way through. An excellent, well-crafted and well-written story.
I really enjoyed this book! It's definitely dark and brutal, but so engaging that I couldn't put it down. The characters are complex and interesting, the world-building is very well done, and there's an internal consistency to the magic of the world that just feels really good. Even though Rydel is arguably the bad guy, I was cheering for him all the way through. An excellent, well-crafted and well-written story.
August 24, 2022
Check the trigger warnings! If you don’t have any TW, then this is an excellent read for you! This is a dark MM, best friends to lovers romance. It’s starts with the drama from the very beginning and doesn’t really stop. I had trouble putting the book down. The ending though…😳
T.b. Wiese knows how to get your attention and hold it. The writing is fantastic. You’ll love to hate the characters but will still root for them.
T.b. Wiese knows how to get your attention and hold it. The writing is fantastic. You’ll love to hate the characters but will still root for them.
November 13, 2022
Beautifully written, it’s very intense from the start so I kinda feel on edge after finishing it after reading for 8 hours straight lmao.
It’s not a gushy love story, this shit is down and dirty. Really there’s no REAL romance until later in the book but it’s not easy even then.
It’s very graphically detailed that even had me questioning if I could handle it in the beginning but I’m glad I did!
CHECK YOUR TW’S!!
Steam- 3/5
It’s not a gushy love story, this shit is down and dirty. Really there’s no REAL romance until later in the book but it’s not easy even then.
It’s very graphically detailed that even had me questioning if I could handle it in the beginning but I’m glad I did!
CHECK YOUR TW’S!!
Steam- 3/5
July 8, 2023
Solid series start 3.5! Check TWs as it is intense right off the bat but so so worth the read.
August 29, 2022
4.75
At this point, I have read three books by the author, and each and every one of them is amazing. I am ecstatic to say that I will read anything and everything by her. She puts together a perfect combination of fantasy and spice. This book had everything: an amazing plot with a variety of characters and world-building.
Summary
Imoria had three major kingdoms; Trislen in the south, ruled by Queen Ravaxina; Arden in the middle, ruled by King Erathan; and Lieren in the north, ruled by King Rydel with his captain Luc. They have come a long way. Rydel and Luc struggled to survive in the cut-throat style of street life, having next to nothing to their name, cheating and thieving their way up. When Rydel finally defeated and killed King Ammeryn and took the mind stone, he swore to never be in that situation again. He and Luc will never go back, they will never be poor, hungry, and helpless.
So, with the Mind Stone in his possession, Rydel sets out to find the other stone, the only other source of magic, to become the most powerful being in Imoria. As the power play begins, with all the kingdoms trying to get the stones and power, Rydel, being the owner of Mind Stone, is pushed to the end when Luc's, the only other person whom he loves, life is threatened. He vowed to burn the world down, no matter who died in the process. The world is pushed into chaos and war as Rydel sets out to have everything and kill anyone who stands in his way.
Plot: The plot was highly entertaining and interesting. With its well-placed twists and turns, I was on my toes the whole time. We also got the back stories of Luc's and Rydel's lives, which establishes the importance that they hold in each other's lives and also sets the whole plot by rooting the main characters.
The only complaint that I have is that the ending, although a great one, could have been a bit smoother.
World-building and Magic: The world which we are introduced here is fairly realistic with stones being the only source of magic.
Characters: Although a villain, I couldn't help but root for Rydel. Throughout the book, I connected with various characters among the wide variety of cast members we get in this book. They are realistic, relatable, and sometimes different and interesting.
Writing: The writing paints a perfect picture of the scenes. The descriptions of the scenes in the writing are flawless. and the words flow smoothly from page to imagination. I never focus on action scenes in books, but although I am not an expert, I felt they were fabulous. They felt right and made sense to me.
The pace is excellent. There is never a dull scene or a time when the story drags at all throughout the plot.
Book-one did an amazing job of introducing us to the world and the characters, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I need book two in my life as soon as possible.
Recommendation: I recommend it to every adult who enjoys their fantasy with the perfect amount of spice in it.
I received an ARC for an honest review
At this point, I have read three books by the author, and each and every one of them is amazing. I am ecstatic to say that I will read anything and everything by her. She puts together a perfect combination of fantasy and spice. This book had everything: an amazing plot with a variety of characters and world-building.
Summary
Imoria had three major kingdoms; Trislen in the south, ruled by Queen Ravaxina; Arden in the middle, ruled by King Erathan; and Lieren in the north, ruled by King Rydel with his captain Luc. They have come a long way. Rydel and Luc struggled to survive in the cut-throat style of street life, having next to nothing to their name, cheating and thieving their way up. When Rydel finally defeated and killed King Ammeryn and took the mind stone, he swore to never be in that situation again. He and Luc will never go back, they will never be poor, hungry, and helpless.
So, with the Mind Stone in his possession, Rydel sets out to find the other stone, the only other source of magic, to become the most powerful being in Imoria. As the power play begins, with all the kingdoms trying to get the stones and power, Rydel, being the owner of Mind Stone, is pushed to the end when Luc's, the only other person whom he loves, life is threatened. He vowed to burn the world down, no matter who died in the process. The world is pushed into chaos and war as Rydel sets out to have everything and kill anyone who stands in his way.
Plot: The plot was highly entertaining and interesting. With its well-placed twists and turns, I was on my toes the whole time. We also got the back stories of Luc's and Rydel's lives, which establishes the importance that they hold in each other's lives and also sets the whole plot by rooting the main characters.
The only complaint that I have is that the ending, although a great one, could have been a bit smoother.
World-building and Magic: The world which we are introduced here is fairly realistic with stones being the only source of magic.
Characters: Although a villain, I couldn't help but root for Rydel. Throughout the book, I connected with various characters among the wide variety of cast members we get in this book. They are realistic, relatable, and sometimes different and interesting.
Writing: The writing paints a perfect picture of the scenes. The descriptions of the scenes in the writing are flawless. and the words flow smoothly from page to imagination. I never focus on action scenes in books, but although I am not an expert, I felt they were fabulous. They felt right and made sense to me.
The pace is excellent. There is never a dull scene or a time when the story drags at all throughout the plot.
Book-one did an amazing job of introducing us to the world and the characters, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I need book two in my life as soon as possible.
Recommendation: I recommend it to every adult who enjoys their fantasy with the perfect amount of spice in it.
I received an ARC for an honest review
April 3, 2023
This book is just so good and it is criminal that I haven’t heard more people raving about it.
I read A LOT of fantasy romance, so books really have to grab me to stand out from the pack and this really delivered. I thought the world building was simple yet effective - the country of Imoria is split into 3 main Kingdoms with a ruling royal for each. There is no magic left in the world with the exception of two stones - The Mind Stone and The Heart stone. The mind stone allows the owner to control thoughts and read minds, the heart stone allows manipulation of feelings and awareness of others’ emotions. I think this pinpointing of magic is really effective in driving the plot and allows for actual conflict with a purpose.
The story is written in first person and the narrative follows Rydel, the King of Leiren, and oh boyyyy is he a treat. Rydel owns the mind stone, therefore he can read minds, trap people in nightmares, force people to act against their wills and is basically the Evil King from every fairytale. He does absolutely heinous acts and yet, because this is his story, they kind of make sense. This is probably one of the best villain-told stories I’ve ever read; you don’t want to side with him because you know what he is doing is pretty evil, bur honestly you can’t help yourself.
I like that the love interest here is someone he has known his whole life, and yet it’s very slow burn - it’s nice to get a fantasy romance without the enemies to lovers trope (although I do love it… I just feel it’s very overdone in the genre and friends-to-lovers here feels refreshing). The main love story here is MM, but because Rydel is bisexual you get some MF as well (although not cheating, this is before the main couple really get going). The spice is goooood also; well written and honestly when the main MM couple get together I was literally squealing with excitement.
Another thing I appreciate is the age of the characters - Rydel is 34 and Luc is 37 and honestly I can really appreciate characters who are out of their 20s (although again, nothing wrong with that, I just appreciate the change from the normal 20-something fantasy romance characters). Rydel fought for and earned his crown and I appreciate that both he and Luc have well rounded back stories and also have that age and experience behind them.
Really looking forward to the next book and hoping that the emotional cliffhanger that we were left on in book one gets resolved!
I read A LOT of fantasy romance, so books really have to grab me to stand out from the pack and this really delivered. I thought the world building was simple yet effective - the country of Imoria is split into 3 main Kingdoms with a ruling royal for each. There is no magic left in the world with the exception of two stones - The Mind Stone and The Heart stone. The mind stone allows the owner to control thoughts and read minds, the heart stone allows manipulation of feelings and awareness of others’ emotions. I think this pinpointing of magic is really effective in driving the plot and allows for actual conflict with a purpose.
The story is written in first person and the narrative follows Rydel, the King of Leiren, and oh boyyyy is he a treat. Rydel owns the mind stone, therefore he can read minds, trap people in nightmares, force people to act against their wills and is basically the Evil King from every fairytale. He does absolutely heinous acts and yet, because this is his story, they kind of make sense. This is probably one of the best villain-told stories I’ve ever read; you don’t want to side with him because you know what he is doing is pretty evil, bur honestly you can’t help yourself.
I like that the love interest here is someone he has known his whole life, and yet it’s very slow burn - it’s nice to get a fantasy romance without the enemies to lovers trope (although I do love it… I just feel it’s very overdone in the genre and friends-to-lovers here feels refreshing). The main love story here is MM, but because Rydel is bisexual you get some MF as well (although not cheating, this is before the main couple really get going). The spice is goooood also; well written and honestly when the main MM couple get together I was literally squealing with excitement.
Another thing I appreciate is the age of the characters - Rydel is 34 and Luc is 37 and honestly I can really appreciate characters who are out of their 20s (although again, nothing wrong with that, I just appreciate the change from the normal 20-something fantasy romance characters). Rydel fought for and earned his crown and I appreciate that both he and Luc have well rounded back stories and also have that age and experience behind them.
Really looking forward to the next book and hoping that the emotional cliffhanger that we were left on in book one gets resolved!
August 31, 2022
Rating 4 stars
*I received an ARC from the author for my voluntary and honest review
Rydel is not a hero. He lied, stole, killed, and whatever else necessary to get to where he is today. Rydel took the throne of Lieren when he killed the previous king and took one of the last two pieces of magi in Imoria, the mind stone. The other stone, the heart stone, has been lost to time. And the Mind stone grants him the powers to read others' minds, go through their memories, or even trap them in their worst nightmares. Rydel loves the power he has. By his side since childhood is Lucaryn, the only person Rydel loves as family and the only person Rydel trusts. In an assination attempt to get the stone, Luc is critically injured and Rydel realizes his love is deeper than he thought. And he goes scorched earth with revenge setting off a chain of events that will change Imoria and Rydel forever.
This book starts off strong and just keeps going. Which is something T.B. Wiese is good at, she knows how to keep you hooked from the beginning. We know we shouldn't root for the villain and yet somehow Rydel has us rooting for him. It's easy to sympathize with his motivations even if his actions, and the pleasure he gets from them, are pretty horrible sometimes. There were plenty of other well rounded characters and the world and magic building is pretty easy to understand. Although I would suggest checking TW before you read this book as there is a lot that may be too much for some people. And the ending …. Such a huge cliffhanger. Book two has a lot to answer too. Can’t wait to read.
*I received an ARC from the author for my voluntary and honest review
Rydel is not a hero. He lied, stole, killed, and whatever else necessary to get to where he is today. Rydel took the throne of Lieren when he killed the previous king and took one of the last two pieces of magi in Imoria, the mind stone. The other stone, the heart stone, has been lost to time. And the Mind stone grants him the powers to read others' minds, go through their memories, or even trap them in their worst nightmares. Rydel loves the power he has. By his side since childhood is Lucaryn, the only person Rydel loves as family and the only person Rydel trusts. In an assination attempt to get the stone, Luc is critically injured and Rydel realizes his love is deeper than he thought. And he goes scorched earth with revenge setting off a chain of events that will change Imoria and Rydel forever.
This book starts off strong and just keeps going. Which is something T.B. Wiese is good at, she knows how to keep you hooked from the beginning. We know we shouldn't root for the villain and yet somehow Rydel has us rooting for him. It's easy to sympathize with his motivations even if his actions, and the pleasure he gets from them, are pretty horrible sometimes. There were plenty of other well rounded characters and the world and magic building is pretty easy to understand. Although I would suggest checking TW before you read this book as there is a lot that may be too much for some people. And the ending …. Such a huge cliffhanger. Book two has a lot to answer too. Can’t wait to read.
April 8, 2025
Tiktok recommended this book to me and it definitely disappointed. I normally read reviews before jumping into a TikTok recommendation and the reviews were promising. But I disagree, I’ve never read a book where the male lead is just going around bumping uglies with other people while his lover is just there dealing with it. That was so gross to me!
Someone said it was good smut and yeah it was good but we didn’t even start developing the relationship until 70% in. Most of the book is just back story, day to day stuff, or him taking over a kingdom….. by himself………. That felt so weird. You love this man so much that you left his side while he was still recovering to avenge him. He didn’t even know if he would survive… just left.
I would have loved to seen more of Luc and Ry… the 25% we got to see was mostly smut and then a third act break up. Like dang we haven’t even got to really see them together.
The twist at the end made complete sense and I was fine with it. But for Ry to let his emotions get the best of him and take the “thing” from Luc was just plain stupid. He knows what taking it means and then he went to war. What?!?!
Part of me wants to finish the series cause mom didn’t raise a quitter but the other part remembers there are plenty of better things to do.
Someone said it was good smut and yeah it was good but we didn’t even start developing the relationship until 70% in. Most of the book is just back story, day to day stuff, or him taking over a kingdom….. by himself………. That felt so weird. You love this man so much that you left his side while he was still recovering to avenge him. He didn’t even know if he would survive… just left.
I would have loved to seen more of Luc and Ry… the 25% we got to see was mostly smut and then a third act break up. Like dang we haven’t even got to really see them together.
The twist at the end made complete sense and I was fine with it. But for Ry to let his emotions get the best of him and take the “thing” from Luc was just plain stupid. He knows what taking it means and then he went to war. What?!?!
Part of me wants to finish the series cause mom didn’t raise a quitter but the other part remembers there are plenty of better things to do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2022
The writing was spectacular in this book. The story draws you in from the beginning, the pace perfectly steady and grabbing, the characters so well portrayed and built. The main character was addictive, charming in a dark and hypnotizing way; he was my favorite element of this book.
I'm in awe. This book grabbed my attention from begginning to end.
The fantasy aspect of the story is definitely on the forefront, the romance in the background, but still present, touching, with a dose of spice.
If you want an interesting and captivating fantasy story about a powerful, dark, and I wanna say fun hero (in a dark, sadistic way), with political intrigue and a quest for power, pick up this book now!
I'm in awe. This book grabbed my attention from begginning to end.
The fantasy aspect of the story is definitely on the forefront, the romance in the background, but still present, touching, with a dose of spice.
If you want an interesting and captivating fantasy story about a powerful, dark, and I wanna say fun hero (in a dark, sadistic way), with political intrigue and a quest for power, pick up this book now!
April 21, 2024
Where o I even begin. This story follows Rydel on his journey to find the second magic stone in order to rule over all of Imoria for him and his best friend Lucaryan. The journey of our MMC takes gives us insights into his life, his motives, and how even a villain can fall in love and want to do anything for the person they care most about. I loved the tension, the politics and world building, the spice, and the plot twist was shocking and captivating. This was a unique perspective, as normally we are rooting and following the hero on their journey, but you know from the start that our MMC is not the hero and doesn't pretend to be. The ending left me craving more from Ry & Luc's journey and I can not wait to get to start book 2.
September 7, 2024
So i really want to love this book. The writing is good and I loved the last 1/4 of the book. I just really wanted more of Rydel and Luc. I wanted more interaction between them. It felt like they were separated most of the book when they shouldn't have been. I also really wanted more of their backstory. We get snippets, but I really wanted to see their journey of how Rydel first became king. It feels like we started the story in the middle and there's so much backstory I don't have reference to.
September 23, 2024
Wow
Its a good thing I bought the bundle of both books because I finished the first book at 1:30am and I doubt that I would have been able to sleep with that cliffhanger so I immediately spent a few more minutes reading the first few chapters of the second book.
The characters are all really well written and feel extremely fleshed out. The setting is well planned out. The plot kept me hooked. And the spice was immaculate.
Shoutout to the author for the personalized autographed copies with stickers and the print!
Its a good thing I bought the bundle of both books because I finished the first book at 1:30am and I doubt that I would have been able to sleep with that cliffhanger so I immediately spent a few more minutes reading the first few chapters of the second book.
The characters are all really well written and feel extremely fleshed out. The setting is well planned out. The plot kept me hooked. And the spice was immaculate.
Shoutout to the author for the personalized autographed copies with stickers and the print!
August 30, 2022
I've had the amazing opportunity to ARC read for T.B Wiese three times now and she never disappoints!
The Crown Breaker is the perfect mix of magic, spice, and morally grey characters, that you can't help but to root for.
This was very different from The Elemental and The Dragon King and I am all for it! I couldn't get enough!
The plot is well written and the world building is phenomenal per usual!
To make it clear... If she writes it, I'm buying it!!!
The Crown Breaker is the perfect mix of magic, spice, and morally grey characters, that you can't help but to root for.
This was very different from The Elemental and The Dragon King and I am all for it! I couldn't get enough!
The plot is well written and the world building is phenomenal per usual!
To make it clear... If she writes it, I'm buying it!!!
August 11, 2025
I thought that it was hard to get through, especially the first few chapters but managed to finally finish the book. It did have a good amount of fighting scenes, but it took awhile for King Rydel to confess his feelings to Luc. And to find out the truth of what really happened to Rydel’s family and to no longer trust Luc because of it. And the fact that Luc lied to Rydel for having the heart stone all this time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2025
This book is very slow and I can see it has a plot but it’s not very interesting. I just couldn’t get into it. It picked up later like the last 3 chapters but the only interesting parts besides that is Luc and Ry but even then is wasn’t as good as TikTok made it out to be.
I really don’t care enough to read the second book.
I really don’t care enough to read the second book.
November 15, 2023
FANTASTIC BOOK!
I'm not even going to pause that long to write the full length of review that this amazing book deserves... Because I'm rabid for the 2nd one. Just trust me when I say... You're going to LOVE IT!
I'm not even going to pause that long to write the full length of review that this amazing book deserves... Because I'm rabid for the 2nd one. Just trust me when I say... You're going to LOVE IT!
November 28, 2023
Okay wow, this book had everything I love - great, cruel characters, amazing world building and an engaging plot, which made me forget about reality for a while. I must say, this was very stressful to read and the plot twist at the end has me grabbing the second part as we speak!! ❤️
January 9, 2024
I’m so glad I bought the second book at the same time cause I definitely needed to start it immediately. This book was a ride from start to finish and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I loved it!
August 28, 2022
This book is amazing. I couldn't put it down. I'm ready for the next book. Ended on a cliffhanger.
September 26, 2022
I love this book!!! I love the bond between Rydel and Luc. The last three chapters broke my heart 😭😭😭
Rydel is so unnecessarily stubborn, but I have fate they'll come back from this.
Rydel is so unnecessarily stubborn, but I have fate they'll come back from this.
January 4, 2023
This was so good! Loved the story told by a villain! Loved the angst and that ending. Loved it all!
October 18, 2023
I really wanted to like this book. However, the writing style didn't agree with me. It's also supposed to be a DARK romance, but apart from some mild torture and a lot of deaths, there really wasn't much that dark to me. I also found Rydel trying to be too clever, even though he appears to met his match or better at the end of the book. It ends on a massive cliffhanger and despite wanting to know if the main characters will get their HEA, I don't think I will be picking up the next and final book of this series due to me having to wrestle through the first book.
January 26, 2024
Love it so much
November 2, 2024
Action-packed fantasy fun!! Wiese never fails to impress me!
February 16, 2025
Actually really enjoyable and well written! One final twist at the end felt a little half-baked, but I’m looking forward to the next book.
Read
June 14, 2025Update: I decided to DNF
October 28, 2025
Not much to say other than: it was very well written, the world building was spectacular, and there were some steamy moment that had me giggling and aroused.
January 25, 2023
This book was so well reviewed I was left feeling like I was missing something by the end. The love story doesn’t feel real/believable at all. They had absolutely no chemistry. I did enjoy the complexity of the main character though. This book was all tell and very little showing. The scenes were rushed and not well described. I spent the majority of the book wishing I could just let myself DNF it.
January 14, 2025
I could’ve done with slightly less smut, but otherwise I really enjoyed it! Very interesting to have a story told from the POV of a villain.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews