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The Zheninghai Chronicles #2

Warrior of Blade and Dusk

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They’ll save their empire—or be each other’s downfall.

After narrowly escaping the clutches of the conniving and dangerous Shi family, Aranya and Kai find it more difficult than ever to work together amid the pressures of their secret mission, and the constant danger of the monster-ridden wilderness they travel.

An unexpected kiss only serves to complicate things further.

Can Aranya learn to trust Kai? Or will the slow unraveling of his secrets doom the chance of them becoming anything more than enemies?

Will it be Kai’s knife that finds its way into her heart?

If you love slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, vivid Eastern-inspired worlds, breathtaking adventure, and swoon-worthy heroes, download the next installment (and final book featuring Kai and Aranya as leads) of The Zheninghai Chronicles, a new romantic fantasy series.

356 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2022

42 people are currently reading
365 people want to read

About the author

Anastasis Blythe

15 books526 followers
Anastasis Blythe makes her home in central Texas with her husband. When she’s not writing, she gardens, accompanies local bands and choirs on piano, rescues feral cats, and tries to keep up with the laundry. She loves exploring the world through reading, walks in nature, and thoughtful conversations. You can find her on Instagram at @anastasisblythe and on her website at AnastasisBlythe.com

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5 stars
225 (63%)
4 stars
93 (26%)
3 stars
36 (10%)
2 stars
1 (<1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Nicki Chapelway.
Author 37 books329 followers
November 24, 2022
Kai, Aryana, and Delan will forever have my heart. They're dysfunctional team/family is perfect and I love the relationships between these three.

This book works to build off the characters and world building of book one slowly amping up the tension and the stakes as we go. I love Aryana and Kai as a couple and Kai's ever present need for snuggles warring with Aryana's desire for propriety. (all the while Delan grumbling in the background about them both being ridiculous)

I'm very curious about Meiling's story, but there's a part of me that is definitely sad to be wrapping up Aryana's and Kai's tale. Although I couldn't have asked for a better ending for them.

One thing that I still am not entirely clear on however is

As a whole I greatly enjoyed this installment! Can't wait for book 3.

I received a copy of this book from the author, all opinions, however, are my own.
Profile Image for Morgan Giesbrecht.
Author 2 books186 followers
April 15, 2023
While I’m not sure the adrenaline rush is good for anxiety, Anastasis once again delivered an incredible book!

It’s fast-paced, action packed, and has a sweet touch of found family.

Picking up from the previous book, Kai and Aranya *finally* (in the end) talked about their true feelings instead of hiding behind teasing & pranks & what have you. If you want slow burn, this is it. 😉 The constant back-and-forth of uncertainty was a touch long for my liking, but I’m happy with how things ended!

And another honourable mention to Delan for being so amazing!
Profile Image for Millie Shepherd.
Author 9 books62 followers
June 2, 2023
I literally read this in about six hours or so and completely threw my other responsibilities out the window because the CHOKEHOLD Kai and Aranya's story had on me was insanely strong!!

I haven't had a book (or series) keep me this enthralled in months, and I have a feeling I'm going to be in a book hangover for a little bit now!

The culture, chemistry between characters, monsters, and world kept me on the edge of my seat and ridiculously entertained. I was 100% sucked in and nothing was pulling me out!

This book was definitely a whirlwind of emotions and now I'm regretting reading it so fast, but I HAD to know what happened lol!

Super good and recommend it for sure!

Profile Image for Erin.
914 reviews105 followers
July 2, 2025
Plot- Action-packed plot with a great romance.

Writing - Great writing. Loved that the author spends time on the fight scenes, which adds depth to the writing.
The pacing was breakneck at times; I could have used more breathing space.
Even tho this is a clean book, it never felt juvenile or immature.

Characters- Well developed, multi-faceted characters that I felt very connected to.
I love me a confident, flirty MMC.
Also loved the main side character who was a pseudo father figure.

Romance- Good chemistry. Not as high as the first book, but still very enjoyable. There were more chapters written in the MMC’s POV, which I’m on the fence if I liked or not. I think it may have increased the chemistry to have a little more mystery surrounding him (he was pretty whipped).
*The romance completes in this book and subsequent books in the series feature other characters.


Content-

Language- no swears
Spice- clean; kissing
Substance abuse- no
Violence- blood, fighting, stabbing, slaying monsters, etc.
Cover- great!
POV- dual POV, first person
Cliffhanger- the duology romance is concluded and future series installments feature new characters. The plot is a cliffhanger; the threat continues.
Format- audiobook available on YouTube for free; go to author’s website for link
Narration- FANTASTIC AUDIO performance from both the male and the female performers. Top notch quality. Very impressed.


How I rated the series-
#1) Guardian of Talons and Snares - 4 stars
#2) Warrior of Blade and Dusk - 4 stars
*end of duology, beginning of trilogy*
#3) Princess of Shadows and Starlight - 3 stars
#4) Captive of Twilight and Treachery - 1.5 stars
#5) Daughter of Darkness and Dreams - 1.5 stars
Profile Image for Constance Lopez.
Author 14 books148 followers
April 5, 2023
Anastasis's writing gets stronger with every book!

The progression of the romance in this book was absolutely delightful--I loved seeing them move further from rivals and closer to lovers. The action was heart-stopping, the descriptions were vivid, and the ending was definitely my favorite part. I'm going to miss Kai and Aranya, but I'm looking forward to meeting Meiling!
Profile Image for Kortnee - The Closed Door Bookworm.
195 reviews28 followers
April 26, 2025
Language🤐 : Clean (made up swears)

Spice ❤️‍🔥: Kisses only

⚠️ Abusive Family⚠️

Tropes/Micro Tropes
- He falls first
- Calling her love
- Touch and die
- Wearing his shirt
- Tending each others wounds
- Dealing with trauma
- Found family
- Protective father figure side character
- I’m not leaving you

The Secret of Kia’s aweful family has been revieled and the gang has barely escaped with their lives. Aranya has to figure out whether or not she is able to trust Kia or not.

I loved Delan and his begrudging patience with Kia and Aranya he was truly the father figure these two needed as the both are dealing with different forms of trauma and workting through their budding feelings while they are on the hunt for those who have been kidnapped.

Kia’s dynamic and conflict with his family along with them having to go off to try and help in the aide of the missing princess is so intresting and helps add another element to this story. I have read all but one of this series at this point and the authors did an amazing job of creating all these characters and connecting the story through all the many perspectives!

I loved how Kia and Aranya’s story finished out and just felt like it was so well done for an enimies/rivals to lovers trope!
Profile Image for Kysa.
183 reviews5 followers
December 10, 2022
I loved this follow up to Guardian! It picks right up where the last book left off and doesn’t slow it’s pace till the very end! I simply could not put the book down until I had finished it all! ☺️

This book perfectly wraps up the story arc for Aranya and Kai while leaving the stage primed for the next cast of characters. I have very much looking forward to Meiling and Shang’s story. 😄😄

I loved the suspense, action, and romance! It felt like a fast paced movie playing out before my eyes. 😉
Third book into this series and I’m still loving every step of the way.

(I received a free eARC in return for my honest review)
Profile Image for DarkWolfLover.
48 reviews
February 6, 2023
This story!!! I love these characters so much!! I love how creative this author is!! I received an ARC copy of this book and I loved every moment of reading this!! Such a wonderful exciting story of adventure, mystery, love and fantasy!! I have a monthly book club and I will definitely be making this one of the book series that we read!! I highly recommend this author and will be reading her other books and anything else that she rights!!
5 reviews
August 1, 2023
Really well written, but the dynamic between the two main characters wasn't my favorite. Their constant quarreling got a little annoying. Still a really great story though!
304 reviews
October 4, 2023
Just Ok

This could’ve been much better but there were some character issues and plot points that were annoying and interrupted my enjoyment of the good parts. For example, the impulsive FMC who never seems to learn to think before she acts; the repetitive rubber-band nature of the relationship between the MCs; and the MCs inane decision to keep pursuing the all bad guys on their own without backup.

Also the major critical decision that lead to the MFCs climax moment of decision in the first book to not reveal where the MMC has been living is pretty much totally moot/meaningless within the first few pages of this book.

And there’s a character plot hole that’s never resolved — the MFC is asked why if she’s so worried about making it back to take care of her grandfather does she keep seeking out extremely dangerous situations that she doesn’t have to. She never answers this question, nor is it apparent in the storyline. It an inconsistency that grates against the continually repeated message throughout the book that he’s her primary concern.

There were stretches when I enjoyed the books but those were interrupted too often with the issues above.

However I really liked the prequel book of this series and I think the author is a generally good writer so I’m going to continue onto the next book to see if I like the characters better, and there’s more consistency of enjoyment for me.
10 reviews
March 20, 2023
Wow. This. Book!

I was dying to read this after finishing Guardian of Talons and Snares and the cliffhanger it left me on!

This is by far my favorite series, and I am so sad that Kai and Aranya’s story is over as the two leads.

I absolutely loved diving more into the world of Zheninghai and these characters that I’ve grown to love over the past two books. I will definitely be ordering these for my shelves sometime soon!

I also liked that there was no noticing of each other’s bodily form in any lustful way. Kai loved Aranya solely for who she was as a person and was very intentional about their relationship. He is so sweet in this book! The banter had me hooked from the very beginning.

And Delan! He was absolutely one of my all-time favorite side characters and his personality was so funny and likable. He was almost like a father to Aranya and very protective which was sweet. He also made me laugh out loud many times with his retorts and banter. He’s quite possibly my favorite!

Arana’s relationship with her ailing grandfather was one of the most bittersweet parts and the author did an amazing job painting that picture as it relates to her own experiences.

With the relatability of the characters and showing them overcoming their flaws, this book had it all! I laughed, I cried, but I enjoyed it all the way.

If you like fantasy, you WON’T want to miss this book!
Profile Image for Selina.
23 reviews
April 28, 2023
Fantastic

This was a perfect finale to Kai's and Aranya's story. After the first book, the tension and stakes are ramped up even higher, both romantically and for the mission. The story takes so many twists and turns, many of which were very unexpected. This is strongly character-driven, yet the worldbuilding is never lacking. Though much of the focus is on the individuals, the intensifying danger they face is so much bigger than them. Kai and Aranya both grow so much, and get stronger as the story progresses.
If you're someone like me, who read the Kindle Vella version, I still highly recommend you get this book, as it is a more completed version. The ending especially was wholly more satisfying. This book was an exciting ride, that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Profile Image for Ella J..
646 reviews18 followers
January 18, 2024
My rating: 3.5 stars

This was an intense sequel to "Guardians of Talons and Snares". As I'm quickly discovering with Anastasis Blythe's books, she likes to keep a quick pace in her books and this one is no exception. Because of that my attention was kept throughout most of the book.

One of the things I most enjoyed about this book was the character growth of our two main characters, Aranya and Kai. Aranya learns, after some more failures, to not always give into her impulses and to trust Kai. Kai, after almost loosing the people he cares about, finally opens up and shares with Aranya.
I will say, I still don't absolutely love their romance, but I do have hope for them because of that cute epilogue.

I'm officially hooked on Anastasis Blythe's books!!
Profile Image for Chloe.
76 reviews9 followers
June 1, 2024
So good!!

I loved it! The banter, nail-bitting fight scenes, sweet romance, and character development were so well done! Aranya and Kai were so cute together and I loved their banter. My favorite character would have to be Delan with his sly humor, sarcastic nature, and loving father figure vibes. My least favorite character is obviously Shi Yong. He gave me strong Azula vibes! As I read this on my phone, I wanted to throw my phone at him many times—hoping that my phone might somehow teleport into the book and may or may not not cause him bodily harm…but I would be lying if I didn’t wanted a redemption arc for him. Overall, this was a super entertaining read and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Kyliegh.
322 reviews2 followers
December 17, 2024
I have officially read every book that Anastasis Blythe has published…and I am really sad about that. I love everything she has written, but ‘The Zheninghai Chronicles’ is definitely my favorite. Usually with a series there is a book that I didn’t like in it, but that is not the case with this series. All the books were fantastic, but if I had to choose my favorites, it would be ‘Maiden of Candlelight and Lotuses’ and ‘Daughter of Darkness and Dreams’.

This series is beautifully written with vivid descriptions that made it so easy to completely lose myself in this story.
The characters were well developed and I had no trouble connecting with them and rooting for them to succeed. You’ll definitely love this series if you love fantasy full of swoony romance, found family, political intrigue, magic, and non-stop adventure. Once you pick this series up, you won’t want to put it down again. I will definitely be reading ‘The Zheninghai Chronicles’ over and over!
Profile Image for Natalina Reis.
Author 30 books310 followers
July 15, 2024
I rarely like a second book in the series better than the first but here we are. I really enjoyed this installment in the series (which I am guessing is taking off in another direction with the third book). It had everything I enjoy in C-drama/fantasy: adventure, magic, romance, weird creatures, and tropes like found family, enemies to lovers, hurt comfort... so many.
I noticed less "weirdness" in this print copy than in the first in terms of format (even though there is a snafoo in the last quarter of the book where the sentence stops midway and jumps to the next line) and the cover didn't disappoint.
Love this series. Thank you Ms. Blythe for the read.
Profile Image for Rosanne Lortz.
Author 28 books214 followers
January 5, 2025
Aranya and Kai continue their quest. Secrets are revealed about Kai’s past explaining why he wanted to the lowly and obscure warden’s job in the first place (no spoilers, but trust me, the revelations are fun to read!). Their journey leads them all the way to the edge of the empire and a fortress where the magic-wielders are imprisoned by an archvillain who wields a magic darker than anyone has ever seen.

I enjoyed Aranya and Kai’s banter, along with the moanings and groanings of the third member of their party, Delan–the wise old warrior wondering why he’s stuck with these crazy lovestruck kids who won’t stop fighting like cats and dogs.
Profile Image for Esther.
678 reviews2 followers
January 21, 2025
Rated PG

I really enjoyed these two and their journey. I'm glad their relationship wasn't instant and that it grew through actual hardship and entertaining plot. I wish it had wrapped up a bit cleaner. I wish we got to glimpse further down the road to see their happily ever after.
*This book is rated PG-13. There is no swearing or spice. There are a few mild kisses. There is a lot of bloody violence. It is not gory or graphic, but violence makes up more than 50% of the story.
Profile Image for Aubrey Carter.
73 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2025
This was an action-packed, adrenaline filled adventure! I simultaneously needed to know what happened next, but was so sad that the story ending because I was loving it so much!
I love that we got spend most of this book on the lovers side of this rivals to lovers romance. The sweet, vulnerable and romantic moments were the perfect balance for the action and danger! The teasing, the banter, the yearning, all of it was perfection! And Kai's love confession was everything I wanted!
Absolutely loved this book!
Profile Image for Carolyn Silacci.
54 reviews6 followers
August 9, 2023
I stumbled on these books and thought I would try for a change of pace and for a break from my more steamy reads. This is actually a perfect blend of action and romance that is "clean". Storylines are detailed but romance is less detailed which is really great for a change of pace or for anyone who doesn't want to read every last detail of sexy times.

Give Anastasis Blythe a try. Love her books so far.
10 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2023
Simply delightful!

This book was tremendous! The enemies to lovers' story and the comraderie between the warriors was heart warming and real. I laughed, I cried, I held onto my seat for dear life. There was suspense, action, and love. There was such a deep and real connection between the characters that you truly feel like you know them. I highly recommend this book. Make sure you read the one before it to see the developing relationship of the main characters.
241 reviews
February 18, 2024
Compelling suspense, sweet romance

I just binge read the first two books in this series. I'm a little sad that Aranya and Kais' story is finished! But, even though the next book features different mc's, reviews mention that Kai and Aranya show up, too.
This is a great series, with a well crafted story, great characters, and sweet romance.
Profile Image for Aliesha.
216 reviews
June 27, 2025
Book 2 In the Zheninghai Chronicles picks up the story of Aranya and Kai from the last book. Being on a secret mission together has these two at each other’s throats. If you want a fun enemy to lovers type story, this may be for you! If you love Chinese mythology, this may be for you! I enjoyed it so much! An added bonus is that the Audiobook is free to listen on the author’s YouTube channel, along with the other books in the series!
Profile Image for LaShunda.
613 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2023
Whew!

They made it. Goodness the things they go through to get to their happily ever after. This second book, of a truly epic tale, is as eventful as the first and I loved every moment of it. A really good read!
1,585 reviews
March 19, 2023
Great book!

This book is action-packed and hard to put down! I loved the clean romance, and the characters are great too. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!
Profile Image for India  c.
83 reviews
February 6, 2024
Loved this book! The story is fast paced with witty banter and slow burn romance. Again, I’m disappointed to say goodbye to the characters and move onto another “set” (I hope) of people all intertwined in the story. Not a ton of twists but it kept me on my toes and lots of character development.
Profile Image for Abigail Schumacher.
278 reviews1 follower
May 22, 2025
Aranya gets a little annoying in this one but by the end there is character growth - Kai is purposely pursuing her this book and Aranya is still back and forth for most of it - cute epilogue even tho there is some unresolved kingdom conflict yet
Profile Image for Leslie.
29 reviews
October 10, 2023
Great Finish!

While there are more books in the series, I know that they don’t focus on the main characters in this book. I like how everything wrapped up and it was just a really good feel good story that made me very happy.
Profile Image for Savannah.
45 reviews27 followers
December 5, 2023
I absolutely ADORED the character dynamic between Kai, Aranya, & Delan. Beautiful ending!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews

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