A Kingdom of Shadows

A City of Flames #2

by Rina Vasquez

Nara set out to kill dragons—now one dragon might be her only hope…

Wanted by the queen and her army, Nara and dragon shifter Darius embark on a dangerous quest. The Screaming Forests aren’t a place for the faint of heart; monsters, evil, and danger lurks in every shadow. They must reach the Isle of Elements, or forfeit everything they hold dear.
But the Elven King who controls these lands has other ideas. The couple must undertake puzzles, caverns, and wicked beings to fetch elemental stones hidden away. Tempers flare, tensions between the duo rise, and the stress and pressure threatens to tear them apart for good… or push them together in ways neither ever imagined. First, they must survive everything this adventure throws at them.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Dragons, Fantasy Romance, Fae, Enemies To Lovers

422 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2023

About the author

Karina Natalia Vasquez is a fantasy romance author based in England. She is of Peruvian and Spanish descent and adores anything that has dulce de leche in it. When she isn’t writing, she is reading fantasy, romance and fangirling over Star Wars. You can usually find her holed up in her room, cuddling her two dogs, collecting crystals for her superstitious mind or daydreaming in the hope that she will magically end up in a Fae kingdom one day.

Reviews

[ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it possible to love book 2 than book 1? Apparently, it is. I devoured this book when it hit my Kindle.

I absolutely loved and enjoyed and laughed this adventures filled sequel! It starts a little right off of book 1 and continued the journey of Nara, Darius and Tibith. Darius shamelessly flirted with Nara, teased her, annoyed her because he loves to do it! The characters growth was incredibly written and my baby Tibith is the sweetest to ever exist. He always brings smile to my face and made me laugh.
Darius and Nara would kill and burn the world for each other!

The actions was amazing! The tension was hot and the slow burn romance finally paid off! The twists and turns left me what the fuck was happening!! Literally, the last chapters left my jaw on the floor. The whirlpool emotions of angst, longing, mutual pining, vulnerable broke me. I cried along with Nara because there was some heart melting and heart breaking moments. I really wish I could say more but it'd be a major spoilers! Soo many things happened and I couldn't help but highlighted everything because those are damn important for book 3.

I soo damn waiting patiently for book 3!

[Natasha Leighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As action packed and plot twisty as the first, Rina Vasquez’s follow up to her romantasy debut (A City of Flames) was really good!

The worldbuilding and lore is more detailed (which had me utterly intrigued) and the swoon-worthy banter was in full swing —with more slowburn, chemistry laden tension than you can shake a stick at.

I love delving into a character’s backstory (and understand what fuels them), so was excited for the chance to learn more about Darius’ past. Despite his tough, flirtatious exterior he’s a big softie at heart and I really enjoyed watching Nara slowly realise this. They had some incredible (swoon-worthy) interactions as well, and the emotions that seep into their scenes were spectacular — I was actively on the brink of tears more than once.

We also get some pretty HUGE twists and revelations, especially where Darius is concerned which I felt not only brought depth to his character but also gave us the chance to watch Nara slowly realise her own feelings for him and begin to open up emotionally.

But, I confess Tibith, and his naive yet hilarious penchant for truth telling (and impeccable timing) did steal the show for me. I NEED him to be a POV character soo much (if not in the rest of the series then at least in a bonus chapter/ novella.)

There’s not much else in can say without spoilers, so I’ll just say if you’re looking for a dragon-filled romantasy with plenty of romantic tension, a sprinkling of spice, elves and magical quests— then you should definitely consider adding this series to your TBR!

Also, a huge thank you to Ana over at Wildfire for the finished copy

[a · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you so much to the author for an arc! my first one

the banter, tension *chief kiss*
one pov
possessive MMC
one bed
”impossible“ love
exploring new places
good new characters


that cliffhanger! can’t wait for the third book.
Darius, a new favorite bookboyfriend
i need a Tibith right now!

[Soumaya NietStalken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely can't wait for the second book! You did amazing for the first!! Love Darius sm😭

[Tasmiyah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kingdom of Shadows releases on KU August 28th 2023.

Firstly, I want to thank the author Rina Vasquez
for allowing me to read an ARC of this beautiful sequel.❤️

Can we talk about how beautiful this cover is?😍🥹

Is it possible to love book 2 MORE than book 1? Because this one hit ALL the spots.

(If you’re looking for your Fourth Wing fix PLEASE START THIS SERIES NOW🥹)

Book 2 has so much more romantic elements in this beautiful fantastical plot, which I ADORED.
Like I said before, Darius is one of my top 5 book boys He is cocky, soft (only for Goldie) romantic and morally grey. He is SO SMOOTH 🤤🤤
The slow burn from book 1 was BURNING in this book.

The fantasy elements and world building of this story was absolutely incredibly thrilling and magical.
From the trolls (who kept cockblocking Nara and Darius😂) to the elves and the dark elves, this story was so intriguing yet so easy to understand.

I had an idea that the ending might deliver a plot twist but I didn't expect THAT to happen.
Darius and Tibith deserve sugar and spice and all things nice😭😭

(Tibith reminded me so much of Bibble from the Barbie movies❤️😂)

I need book 3 now😭

[Carola · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25*

[Kaisha Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words.

This book is everything. I don’t know how you managed to top book one but you did!! The slow burn and tension building was just perfect

The ending had me shocked, I honestly did not see that coming! I now need book 3 asap so I can sleep😂

“You and I were meant for the skies Nara”🥹 screaming, crying, throwing up🥹🥹

Also, Tibith being upset that people don’t like bread was the cutest thing😂 I would die for him.

Thank you so much for selecting me for an arc read💕

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A LET DOWN.

BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK

I enjoyed book one so dang much, and then this one…I don’t think I’m going to finish this series now. I’m just not feeling it anymore.

Mostly because the plot went POOF. I’m still trying to find it honestly. And I get that it’s a romantasy, I love this genre, but I also need an actual plot to be happening to make the romance feel heightened and important. And it’s not that spice overwhelmed the story (though it did a little in the late second half), it’s just that the story meandered. I think they were supposed to be collecting stones? And it became so half effort attempt with a lot of arguing between Darius and Nara.

There were some good romantic reveals. Usually I’m obsessed with this kind of moments and that did help my enjoyment level. The banter was good and the swoon factor is there. I just got bored with everything else.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: moderate
- Romance: multiple open door
- Violence: moderate

[Ems Evergrowing Ever-Afters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers… possibly. It’s my first time reviewing so not sure.

I’ve been honoured to be a ARC reader for Rina Vasquez, I loved her first book A City of Flames and A Kingdom of Shadows has gave me so much more to love.

The story continues on from A City of Flames (aCoF). We follow the main characters Nara and Darius and their friend/sidekick Tibith as they continue their quest to save their home and those they love.

Nara had set out to kill dragons but now she must work with Darius to get to the Isle of Elements. Making new allies and enemies on the way, can they figure out how to come together or will tempers get in the way.

So I’m trying not to give too many spoilers away and also trying not to use the book description on Amazon please bear with me. Rina honestly gave me all the things I wanted and expected in a ‘romantasy’ book in her first novel, aCoF, however…
There were so many twists that I did not expect! In her sequel she addresses these twists and the puzzle pieces fall into place and the makes the whole plot juicier. In the first book we have enemies to lovers and in this one we see a clearer picture of how they are to become lover but in some unexpected ways.

Now this is just my opinion but there are a few passages in the book that when I was reading it my thoughts immediately turned to Queen Charlotte and King George in the Bridgerton tv series, more specifically the ‘between the heavens and the earth’ scene- if you know, you know. This is how I see it has changed to from in the first book where I was feeling a lot of Emma Swan and Captain Hook influence were involved.

As much as I loved this book there is so much I want to shout about (and not in the good way)! Some of these chapters were just downright heartbreaking. But I always find the best books are the ones that make you cry a little… or a lot.

Rina doesn’t just make you cry- she also makes you blush. There are some very well written and well appreciated spice scenes that I have been waiting for since the first book. They were exactly what I wanted.

All in all I give this book 5 ⭐️ and will definitely be recommending to friends.

[Logan Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“To everyone who is terrified of something and is too embarrassed to share it. Remember, it is okay to be scared.”

It took me a few chapters to get back into the story from where it left off in book 1, but once I was in, I was in! The dynamic of Darius and Nara just got better with every page! The twists and turns of this book keep me flying through the pages to see if my theories were right, wondering what was going to happen next, and wishing I could slow down and savor this book for longer.

I don’t want to give anything away, but this book had a lot to live up to after the chokehold City of Flames had on me…and Rina delivered. The banter, the steamy tension, new places and people, Tibith…all of it!

I am salivating for book 3…when can we get it and how can we get it tomorrow?!


This is an ARC review that I am honored to give.

[Toni Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept of this series it’s been great however this book feels very very YA in its writing even though it has spice. It’s very repetitive in their “hatred” that it becomes annoying. The wording in this book had me re reading lines over and over trying to understand what it meant. It just needed a better editor I think. I still want to read the next one but this one was rough to get through.

[Magui · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️

Neste segundo livro, a autora vomitou uma série de ideias, mas esqueceu-se de as aprofundar efetivamente. Se calhar tinha ajudado se os primeiros 50% não tivessem sido só a FMC em negação sobre os seus sentimentos pelo MMC em vez de se preocupar com as coisas efetivamente importantes que estavam a acontecer e o que tinha de fazer.
Comecei esta série pelos dragões, tive um total de 0 neste segundo livro 😪

[Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si je pouvais mettre 3.5 je le ferai. J’ai beaucoup apprécié cette lecture. Malheureusement j’ai lu le tome 1 il y a tellement longtemps que je ne me souvenait de rien et impossible de trouver un résumé détaillé. Ceci a en grande partie gâcher ma lecture...
C’est donc dommage. Malgré tout j’ai toujours autant aimé les personnages et l’univers. L’intrigue était fluide, rapide j’ai passé un bon moment.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was amazing. The tension and drama was perfect. I do recommend rereading at least the last chapter of book 1. This book starts out fast and doesn’t stop until the last page…. Which cliffhanger?! The world that’s been built is amazing to dive into, and I love Nara and Darius so much.

[Olivia May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need book 3

[Mackenzie M.G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this book was mainly the two main characters love story. It was so amazing reading about them interacting and falling more and more in love.

[Hope Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was much better than book 1. The pacing was great. I loved the characters. The plot twists were great and I only saw one coming which is better than the first book

[Leonor Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,8 ⭐ Jesus the last 50 pages or so were a fucking ride!! They are no longer enemies, yay, but I miss the banter, sorry not sorry. Now the plot twists, amazing 👏👏 I always felt Aias was sus but for him turning out to be Aurum!? Never saw that coming!! Oh and Lorcan, baby, I always knew you were alive but now you have some explaining to do and to beg for Nara's forgiveness 😌

[Keyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

No sé que pensar 🫥

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck. Book 3 come out soon please. God damn.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was better than the first one! Like fine wine this book series just keep on giving. I would howeover much appreciate if there would be more details in some parts, but there was much more of it in here than in the last one.

[Makayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my god that ending! I absolutely loved the book.
The banter between Nara and Darius was amazing. The spicy parts were awesome and had me feeling all sorts of things.

If you like banter, slow burn, dragons, fae, magic, fantasy, and epic world building then this book is perfect for you.

[Nelli1312 · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, thank you for choosing me as an ARC reader for this book😊

I could not put this down and when I did I couldn’t think about anything else!

I was already in love with the characters from the first book and was really intrigued to continue to get to know their story.
Nara and Darius have my whole heart. The teasing and slow burn of their relationship throughout the book is amazingly written and you just want to keep reading. I loved their quiet conversations and vulnerable moments which made me connect so much more with the characters. (Also Tibith?!🥺🥰🥰)
The Storyline is enthralling and the plot twist makes you want to cry and read the next book immediately!
I’m excited and can’t wait for the next book!

[Britany Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

You guys. This. Series. *screaming internally* These books are everything I want in romantasy. I’m getting ahead of myself here, but A Kingdom of Shadows is the second book in this series. Thank you to the author for choosing me as an ARC reader for your book!

Okay, the nitty gritty. Main character Nara has been through it. Our girl is strong, intelligent, and compassionate. She has always wanted to be a dragon hunter like her father who was tragically killed by a dragon when she was a child. Her choices in book one cause her now to be on the run with a sassy and confident dragon shifter named Darius who challenges much of what Nara thought she knew about dragons. To save the world as they know it, they must evade capture by the queen, travel through the mysterious Elven King’s lands, and reach the Isle of Elements. Secrets lurk at every turn and the growing tension between the two is bound to come to a head at some point.

Book one was phenomenal which sets a high standard for a follow up, and A Kingdom of Shadows smashed it. I love books that give us just the right amount of foreshadowing but also make us question and come up with theories trying to figure it all out. This does that and serves up the answers in such satisfying ways. You can’t anticipate every twist, and the ending has me shook and dying for book 3!

You will love this series if you love (but it gets more and more unhinged):
• enemies to lovers
• diverse cast of characters
• morally grey characters
• dragons
• rich, atmospheric worlds
• ba fmcs
• fated mates
• slow burn
• he falls first
• Xaden Riorson
• trials/challenges a la Hunger Games
• the fire swamp in Princess Bride
• Syrinx from Crescent City
• the movie version of Ella Enchanted
• bread
• when the villain nicknames the hero
• Aaron Warner but fantasy vibes and mischievous
• how Jacob warms Bella with his body heat in Eclipse
• shadow daddies
Okay, I’m done 🤣

[Vic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m conflicted. I wanted to love this book so much, but I’m not sure I did.

I expected Nara to grow up more this book. Get more life experiences, mature, become more badass. Instead, it felt like she regressed. She seemed more immature (glad you feel emotions now, but come on), she seemed more helpless (why did she need so much saving????), and always distracted (and sort of whinny). I really was not a fan of that. From the get go, all of the emotions seemed so intense. There was no build up to it, so all the intense imagery kind of lost its… intensity? I LOVE the dynamic and banter between Nara and Darius, but the whole hate part seemed a little over the top… they’d worked on that enough last book. Why was it so intense on her part for so much of this book?

The pacing and overall story seemed a bit funky as well. It was like they just kept falling into the next step of their journey. Sort of like insane luck. They just tripped and fell into exactly where they needed to be. And the trials… I was pretty excited to see what they were going to be, but they sort of fell flat for me. They were kind of obvious, too easy to get through, and never really had me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to see them struggle more and I wanted them to help Nara mature more. The book was obviously well thought out, it just felt like the execution could have been better.

Speaking of execution… there were quite a few typos. Nothing that seriously impacted being able to read the book, but there were definitely times where it looked like a sentence was edited in the middle then forgotten about. At other times, incorrect words would be used when describing things. Sort of felt like a translation error? Again, it didn’t impact the overall understanding of what was going on. It just kept making me pause and have to reread some sentences.

ALL THAT BEING SAID- I can’t wait to see where the next book goes. I missed having the whole gang together, especially Rydan 🥹 can’t wait to see more of all of them next book.

[Marcella Luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

✮ ARC Review ✮

🐉 Dragon shifters, magic, elves, mythical creatures, Moon God and Sun Goddess, prophecy, magical quest, romance, spice, betrayal.
🐉 I have not recovered from that ending. 😱
🐉 We definitely get to the burn portion of the slowburn romance, with steamy spicy scenes. 🌶
🐉 I loved the banter between Nara and Dariius as always. 🫶🏼
🐉 I enjoyed the magical quests to find the elemental stones and the world building that went along with it. 💎
🐉 Tibith was spilling the tea on everyone like the Suriel, but in the most innocent, adorable manner imaginable. He made me smile with each appearance in this book. (I just want my own Tibith! 🧡🍞).
🐉 The writing was immersive, and the plot twists were extra twisty. 🎢 (I was not prepared for the emotional trauma 🤧).
🐉I can't wait to read about the rest of these characters' journeys.


I'd recommend this series to romantasy fans who are looking for books with dragons, magic, and a fierce FMC. 🫶🏼



FAVOURITE QUOTES:

• I hate that he has to look this perfect when I am supposed to be angry at him.

• "I was losing myself, Nara. And then you appeared." He laughs a little, and I can picture him shaking his head at himself. "A dream in a waking nightmare.

• "I did, Darry!" Tibith lets out an excitable squeal as Darius pets him. "Miss Faye danced with me before Miss Arlayna took me around the mazes and argued with a very tall man, then kissed and slapped him," he describes animatedly. "Like you and Miss Nara do!"

• Meriel doesn't seem to believe that as she narrows her eyes and hums. "Except he loves to work with you."
"That is because Darry and Miss Nara also like to sleep naked together, Miss Meriel!" Tibith says through a mouthful of bread, and I go bright red.
Faye is laughing, looking my way as Tibith cocks his head to the side. A portrait of innocence.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for my first-ever arc read! It really means a lot to have this read and when receiving that email I was in shock for a while. I promised myself I would read the next day but I ended up reading until 2am and forced myself to sleep before finishing in the morning. I have zero regrets.

This book picks up right after the events of A City of Flames. We continue to follow Nara and Darius alongside Tibith on their journey to find the elven king. Tibith has my heart and his being such a pure soul with his obsession with bread is just so adorable. The banter was on point between our beloved characters not to mention the tension was addicting. Watching the story fall into place and characters learn more about themselves is always my favourite tea.

The chemistry is delicious the spice even more so. I'm very glad that this book had spice as I found Nara had grown a lot from where she was in book one and I think it was a good choice to not have it in Book 1. Though now of course I cannot wait for more! I can't wait for book three, especially with that ending that shook me to my core. I was left shocked and then reread the final chapters just to make sure I did not misread something. I was not disappointed and highly suggest everyone snag a copy upon release (I sure am) for their shelf. This was a great read for me this summer and I know Book 3 will be just as phenomenal.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picking up where Book 1 "City of Flames" ends; we see Nara setting out on a journey with Darius. The tides have shifted and Nara who was once living her dream of becoming a venator warrior who k*ll dragons and other supernatural beings found that her dream soon became a nightmare. We find that in book 1 everything Nara thought was true turned out to be a lie and those whom she thought were her allies were actually her enemy……with the exception of Darius.

While on this journey to find the Elven King, Nara struggles with her feelings for Darius. The Golden Thief, the dragon shifter which whom she set out to capture originally ended up being the one of few people she could trust.

This journey had led Nara and Darius into the Screaming Forrest; a place so dangerous and deadly that they both must work together and trust each other because their very lives depend on it but no matter how many puzzles they solve or obstacles they overcome, something or someone is trying to keep them from getting closer.

This sequel has Action, Laugh out Loud moments, Angst, Tension and Spice. Darius has never shied away from his feelings for Nara; he's just waiting for her to stop denying her truth and accept the inevitable. Unfortunately, a shocking betrayal stands between Nara and Darius snatching them away from one another leaving Nara devastated but determined to get her dragon back.

This book end on a Cliffhanger with Nara coming face to face with a part of her past she thought was left behind to die.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gave up halfway through because man this book is boring. The first one wasn't a masterpiece either but still way more interesting. This one is basically just full of Darius and their relationship of fake hating. The story does not proceed. The characters have no plans for anything. Everything just happens to the.. they dont have a map to get theough the forest, no worries someone finds them. They wanna escape from these people to go find the others, no worries another person appaears and oh wow they wanna leave too and have information on how to do that.. that's convenient. The tasks they're handling are super easy and are done and completed within 1 page. Theres no suspense. The FMC complains shes always left in the dark but honestly shes just dumb. Everything, every plot twist, her history etc its already been hinted at a million times. Even in book 1 it was obvious what the big secret is and who darius and nara are. In book 2 even more so but noo she still does not even think about it until someone reveals it to her. Honestly frustrating. I don't think I'll finish this book but also I don't think there's a need to as it's pretty obvious what is going to happen not just at the end of this book but in the future...

[Nyxes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters 8
Writing 7
Plot 7.5
Entertainment 7
7.4★

"Don't shut me out. Don't push me away. Just please, listen to me. I know you're awake. I know you can't sleep. And I know that because you tell me you only ever sleep well with me by your side. You're all I've ever thought about since I met you in that old town. I was never allowed out. Rayth made sure I wouldn't step foot anywhere unless it was to wash myself outside in the rain. But that day, I'd rebelled. I did it occasionally as a way to practice my magic except that day was different.

I don't know why or how, but I felt like I needed to find something—someone. I was losing myself, Nara. And then you appeared. A dream in a waking nightmare. You didn't know what I was. How frightened I would feel if you found out I was a dragon. But then you smiled, and for the first time, I knew what it was that I needed to find. It was you. You want to know what I said to Lorcan later that day? I told him how I'd met the prettiest girl to ever exist, that you gave me that coin you have around your neck right now, and that... Even if I had to wish for it, I'd see you again. You're all I've ever wished for."

I loved this↑