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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
A Court this Cruel & Lovely by Stacia Stark is the first book in the Kingdom of Lies series. This has been on my TBR for a while and I was so excited to finally start it. This book did not disappoint and I absolutely loved every second. I listened to the audiobook and both narrators did a fantastic job! The world building was great and easy to understand.
Lorian and Prisca were everything! I loved their relationship. Prisca was a strong and hilarious FMC. I loved her! Lorian was so protective and broody. This entire book was fantastic! I was hooked from chapter 1 and could not stop listening. I cannot wait to get to book 2 of this book, especially with that ending! I loved all the characters! I am obsessed with this world and characters already. I highly recommend this book!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
HAPPY READING
Lorian and Prisca were everything! I loved their relationship. Prisca was a strong and hilarious FMC. I loved her! Lorian was so protective and broody. This entire book was fantastic! I was hooked from chapter 1 and could not stop listening. I cannot wait to get to book 2 of this book, especially with that ending! I loved all the characters! I am obsessed with this world and characters already. I highly recommend this book!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
HAPPY READING
Series: Kingdom of Lies
First Book: A Court This Cruel & Lovely
This is the first book of a 4 book series. (1 of 4)
Completed Series
Original series (not a spin off/not same world as previous series)
Spice: 4/5 (Explicit Open Door based on romance.io)
Available on Kindle Unlimited
First Release Date: 2023
I loved this series! I had a hard time saying goodbye to the characters at the end. (Don't worry. There's spin off series starting now!) This series is a lot like other romantasies but that's not a bad thing! And it so well written! If you like this genre, you should definitely add this to your list!
My rating: 4.5/5 (round up for the sake of GoodReads)
I would definitely recommend this book/series!
Specifically for:
- all Romantasy readers
- readers that love equal romance and plot
- readers that love all things Fae
First Book: A Court This Cruel & Lovely
This is the first book of a 4 book series. (1 of 4)
Completed Series
Original series (not a spin off/not same world as previous series)
Spice: 4/5 (Explicit Open Door based on romance.io)
Available on Kindle Unlimited
First Release Date: 2023
I loved this series! I had a hard time saying goodbye to the characters at the end. (Don't worry. There's spin off series starting now!) This series is a lot like other romantasies but that's not a bad thing! And it so well written! If you like this genre, you should definitely add this to your list!
My rating: 4.5/5 (round up for the sake of GoodReads)
I would definitely recommend this book/series!
Specifically for:
- all Romantasy readers
- readers that love equal romance and plot
- readers that love all things Fae
** CAUTION: These are my reading notes and, therefore, contain approximately one million spoilers**
Overall # of Stars: 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️✨
💜 GG Book Club 4 👯♀️
📖 overall thoughts
— boring sorry!! But the ending was pretty good!
— the v v end was basically From Blood and Ash where Lorian = Casteel and is unveiled as the evil “Bloodthirsy prince” who killed P’s parents, just like w Poppy’s family was supposedly killed by “The Dark One.” Plus the ending where L is like you’re coming with me to my kingdom = Cas to Pop “we go home to Atlantia to marry, Princess.”
🥰 nickname: wildcat 😍
Source: KU 📚
*Recommended by: Stacia Stark will be at the Brynne Weaver event so we have to prepare lol
✅ enemies to lovers ??
✅ sharing one horse
✅ Good girl 😍
✅ mine (kinda)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Prisca
Lorian
When you’re born you sacrifice your magic to the “gods”
When you’re 25yo you go through the Gifting ceremony where, as long as you hadn’t hidden any of your magic, your original magic would be returned to you
Anyone caught w magic, their fam would die instantly
Prisca backs up into a man
I glanced up at the man, and my breath caught in my throat.
The sun sliced across his eyes, which glittered with annoyance.
.. But I knew him.
At least once a month, I dreamed of a man with green eyes. No, not just green. The word didn’t even begin to describe them. Those eyes were haunting. A dark yet vibrant green with flecks of silver that seemed to attract the light. In my dreams, the man looked back at me as if patiently waiting. Some days, the dreams left me anxious. Other days, I felt a deep contentment—almost…safe.
Prisca has been hiding her magic
We don’t know what it is yet
Her mother has visions
Tibris = P’s brother
Kreilor, town bully, is assaulting Chista in the bakery
Prisca can stop/manipulate time!!?
FUCKING CHISTA GOES STRAIGHT TO THE GUARDS
Fuck u Chista she just saved your life omg
P’s mother rushes P into the forest, the guards are already chasing them. P is like we have to go let’s run!!
Her mom is like I have to tell you some things first
1) I’m not your bio mom
2) I kidnapped you from your fam (lol omg wut)
“I’m sorry I took you from your family. But I could never be sorry for saving your life… I knew you had to live, so you could save us all. But first, you must find the prince,” she told me. “Find him and meet your fate.”
P is like wtf King Sabium’s son would want me dead too so..?
The guards have found them
Her mother PUSHES P OFF THE CLIFF AND INTO THE RUSHING RIVER BELOW OMG
She almost drowns to death
Is pulled out of the water and resuscitated by a man, Galon
Four other men join them… one being Lorian: the green-eyed man from her dreams!!
He’s like leave her, we don’t have time for this
Oh, okay well…
She’s like I’m going to make that man pay for leaving me for dead
Huh, so Lorian DOES remember she stumbled into him at the village during the Gifting ceremony.
In addition to Galon & Lorian:
Rythos, Marth, Cavis
P: now I just gotta focus on not dying in this forest 🙃
Fuck, a creepy hunter finds her, knows who she is
Oh shit, she kills him in self-defense
She’s like wtf do I do now
I never asked for this.
I would have given the gods my magic a thousand times over.
They were the ones who’d rejected my offering when I was just days old, leaving me in possession of my power. I would never know the reason, but now I’d be hunted for the rest of my life solely because the gods had decided they didn’t want my power.
Trying to make her way to the city, Lesdryn
She happens upon Lorian & co’s campsite, tries to sneak in to steal some food
Lorian tackles her, she uses her magic to freeze time so she can flee, but he just tackles her again
L: how tf did u end up in the river
P: tells him the truth
L: I have an offer for you: we are also going to the city. We could use someone like u to help us arrive undetected. We give u food, horse etc and u will help us at the city gates
P: I don’t know how to use my magic!!
L: I will teach u
P: ?? U can do that? If I learn to wield my magic then I can survive
P: ok fine
She has to ride on his horse w him
P grew up being taught that anything having to do with the fae was “sinful.” That’s why the gods had helped humans in their war against them
Lorian is helping her wield her power
*also, I’m pretty sure L is a mind reader and we won’t find out until later
She’s still holding a huge grudge against Lorian for leaving her by the river at the beginning
Staying at an inn tonight
Creep tries to accost her, Lorian fights the guy and makes him leave
She has her own room for the night
THE CREEP FROM EARLIER FINDS HER AND TRIES TI MURDER HER OMG
SHE FREEZES TIME FOR A MOMENT
SLICES HIM W A KNIFE
THE GUYS BUST IT TG
The next day the creep is dead outside 🫨
Lorian trains w Prisca again but this time he fucking TRAUMATIZES HER by using the same rope the creep did to evoke terror in her. I mean, it “works” in that she does freeze time for a moment, but at what cost??
She’s like fuck this I’m out bai
Also does Rythos have a crush on her?
She rides w Rythos this time
Like this is so clunky, now Lorian is thinking to himself how he misses her “curvy ass” ??
Oh um ok?
Okay but I do absolutely *love* the nickname wildcat 😍
“What’s your magic, Rythos?” Prisca asked a few minutes later.
Rythos hesitated, and I struck. “Didn’t you know, wildcat? Rythos has the power to make you like him.”
Something that might’ve been hurt flashed in Rythos’s eyes as Prisca turned an accusing look on him. “You—I—“
“No,” he snarled. “I’ve never used my power on you.”
She believes him
Lorian is a dick
Oh… okay… now she just suddenly knows how to use her power? Bc when Lorian was “training” her aka traumatizing her During his little game with the rope, I’d finally understood where my power lived. And I’d practiced with it over and over while we rode today, only able to achieve a couple of seconds at best while I focused on the terror I’d felt over and over since I fled my village.
I had no plans to tell the mercenaries I could now summon my magic until I absolutely had to.
The crew has a secret meeting and refuse to let her come with
She’s like well I’m going to use my powers and just follow them then
Oh SHIT! She sees them meeting with the Fae!!
She’s been raised to think the Fae are enemies to the humans, and the reason none of them are able to keep their full powers. They give their powers to the king to fight off the Fae
Another inn
“My wife and I will take a room”
Usually this would have me giddy but I’m just blah
Bells start ringing, everyone has to go to the Taking ceremony, there are guards everywhere, P is panicking
The King’s Assessor
Okay the priestess starts the ceremony by sharing the history and therefore gives us tons of info on the magic!!
The Fae wanted to take humans to be their brides, servants etc
So the King centuries ago declared war with them
Risplite: mineral added to iron to turn normal iron into “a true weapon against the fae.”
King begs gods to help, strikes a bargain: help us defeat the fae and humans would give the gods their powers back while young and potent
The gods were on the verge of fading so they agreed
Every year celebrate the first Taking aka Gods Day to “respect the sacrifice our people made that day.”
That sacrifice protects those borders from “the monsters who would avenge their fallen friends and family members.”
Faric: god of knowledge
Tronin: god of strength
Bretis: god of protection
Shit, her bff Asinia was also hiding her magic!?
Ugh another awful exchange by P & L
They have to pass the guards’ checkpoint as they’re leaving, P will need to use her magic to help them safely cross
She does it but it burns her the fuck out
“Good girl,” Lorian purred in my ear.
Okay it MIGHT be possible to redeem himself 😂
Oh damn, she finds out there actually was another way out of the village but Lorian made her do it that way to practice her power wowwwww nvm
Reality Check from Lorian:
The powers taken from babies does not go to the gods, it goes to the king and his cronies
P: wtf then how do Asinia and I still have power??
Long ago, world was divided into four kingdoms:
Two human kingdoms: Eprotha & Gromalia
The fae kingdom in the south
To the west, across the Sleeping Sea, a kingdom of people who had once been wholly fae but had split from their people during the Long War
They became hybrids, mating w humans and producing offspring w unique powers of their own, then they were invaded and all fled and hid
So P = a hybrid
P: so why aren’t we discovered during the Taking?
Bc ur power doesn’t belong to this kingdom so it’s not Sabium’s to give away to the “gods”
The oceartus stones take all *human* magic but not for hybrids
P: why?
Bc ur more powerful than humans, ur magic is v different
At a hybrid Taking ceremony, the seed of hybrid power remains deep w/in u and replenishes/grows w age
Tibrus is here!!??
She gets them all into the city!!
There’s one man who doesn’t freeze — likely her relative!?
They say their goodbyes
AND LORIAN JUST STRAIGHT UP KISSES HER WUT
I HATE THIS
And he was staring down at me like he was memorizing my features. “In another life,” he said, his eyes dark. It sounded like a promise. I sucked in a shaky breath. I felt it too. That maybe in another life, we were meant to be different people. And we would have been those people together. “In another life.” I forced a smile. His gaze dropped to my lips. And then he buried his hand in my hair and crushed his mouth to mine.
They split up as planned
P + Tibris going to try to rescue Asinia from the king’s dungeons and then flee on a ship
Some guy named Frinik was the one who suggested Asinia be assessed. Also P’s first love? Why tf are we just hearing about this now..?
They find Vicer!! He’s a rebel
Narminoi are all knowing
Oh shit, okay the guys are also trying to get into the castle for some reason
But they don’t know that P & T are working on a similar plan to free Asinia
A Fae comes to their room at the inn, uses the vials they have plus his Fae magic?? And does something to Lorian. Not sure what yet
Narminoi Ivene
“One day soon, you will have to make a choice. Be a torch for just one soul in the dark… or burn like the sun for all of them.”
*I’m 44% in and still so bored, wishing I could DNF if that was a thing I actually did 😂
Okay prepping P & T to infiltrate the castle
Change her hair and eye color
Legit looking fake identification
P’s alias: Setella
T’s alias: Loukas
Finally in the castle
Nelia organizes the servants or something?
And she does NOT fuck around
P’s task will be to clean all of the floors
She meets Auria, so nice
Learns abt the tasks and freedoms of the Queen’s Ladies in Waiting
Sees a king’s assessor at the castle that also killed a neighborhood family when she was a child. She’s like I’m gonna kill that guy
Lorian is going to pretend to be a Gromalian noble..?
Tibris found the dungeon, gives P the map he created
She’s able to sneak in using her magic
Finds Asinia, as well as Demos, the man she is going to rescue for the rebellion alongside Asinia
P & T sneak into the dungeons each night to slowly heal Asinia who was literally on the brink of death before T healed her
P orchestrates an opportunity w Vicer to catch the attention of the queen
Wila, another maid, is also part of the resistance!?
W provides the distraction by “tripping” and dropping her lantern, setting queen’s dress on fire
And P is there right in time to save the day
It works: long story short, she gets an audience w the Queen and the Q invites her to fill in as one of her ladies so she can have 6 total (a number blessed by the gods??)
Erea & Daselis, her maids? Lead her to her new room - it’s amazing
*so this is how Lorian and her will eventually cross paths again, right ??
He is pretending to be a visiting noble or royalty, and she is now a queen’s lady
Yes lol literally the next page 😂🎉
She walks beside a nice woman named Lisveth
Locks eyes w Lorian !!
The king: “..I would like to welcome Prince Rekja from Gromalia to our court. May this visit pave the way for greater cooperation between our kingdoms for centuries to come.”
Five other ladies to the Queen
- Lisveth: 16yo, her mother was the queen’s best friend before she died
- Caraceli, closest to Katina, also used to be a maid
- Katina, queen found her at a market and brought her back to the castle. She is the lady who was “called away” to her village aka the note that Vicer forged to open up a spot in the Queen’s party
Madinia, hates everyone
- Alcandre
- Pelopia
Lorian pulls her into an empty room
A lil kiss 🫑🫑
L: “Unless you want to end up in my bed, stay away from me.”
Oh how charming 🙄
Dungeons again, walks to Wila
She’s been SENTENCED TO FUCKING DEATH IN TWO DAYS OMFG
Omg I’m so sad abt this JFC
“You’re going to free them, I know it. Promise me, Prisca. Promise me you’ll free them. And one day, you’ll come back and burn this fucking place to the ground.”
There was only one thing I could say. “I promise.”
😭😭😭
P begs Lorian to try to get Wila out
He’s like there’s nothing I can do
“You’re not the only one with people to protect. I can’t help you.”
Yes, charming as always
King calls an impromptu breakfast
Rothnic Boria & his son Davis
Omfg the king already killed Wila wtf
The assessor will now be examining every servant in the castle and the grounds
The queens ladies don’t count we servants
P breaks down, Lorian “comforts” her? lol not really
“Why are you really here, Lorian?”
.. “Because the king took everything from my family. And now I’m going to take everything from him.”
She helps him sneak into the King’s secret room
But then he upsets her, so she LEAVES HIM THERE to find a way out himself JFC
For the first time, the king is calling reps from each village to the city to discuss the corrupt & ensure they take every possible step to remove their presence from the kingdom
The patriarchs
Patriarch Farrow is Madinia’s father
His wife (a love match)/M’s mother was supposedly killed by the corrupt? Except her body was never found…
Oh SHIT!!!
King Regner was the original king who started all this shit. His grandson and onward carried on his fucked up plans
Lorian: “And what if I told you they were all the same man?”
Oh SHIT
He literally KILLS HIS SONS to pretend to be them omg
Lorian kissing her again and then being an asshole
Now he keeps berating her: “Until you face up to the reality of your life, you will forever be a victim to it.”
wtf does that even MEAN
Telean the seamstress knew p’s bio mom omg!!
🚨 OH SHIT
Telean tells her that P’s real name is Nelayra
She lived with her hybrid mother, father, and brother
AND HER BROTHER IS CURRENTLY IN THE DUNGEONS: ITS DEMOS 🤯
He was arrested two years ago
Kept alive bc Telean begged the Queen to allow him to live
Madinia is a hybrid! Fire Magic
Her father Farrow is like omg
He knows now that M + P are hybrids
He’s like plz save my daughter and I will owe you a debt
She says ok but only if you help me get AlL the hybrids out
Okay.
Lorian finally reveals what he is here looking for: an amulet w a blue stone set in silver w ancient writing etched into the back
I bet it’s the blue stone she saw on the queen’s mirror earlier it was a gift from the king
There’s a ball tonight
Erea & Daselis help her get ready per usual
She needs to avoid Thol!!!
Marth & Rythos are also here
Lorian I had many reasons I’d attempted to stay away from the little wildcat… My affections were dark, possessive, all-consuming.
P has been poisoned!?
Fuck the healer says it’s viperbane??
No antidote omfg
“Find her brother”
Somehow? She survives?
Oh shit it was Caraceli who poisoned her
And then his mouth was on mine, and all thought fled.
“I want to make you scream for me… But you’re too weak right now.”
“I disagree.”
“.. wildcat…” He leaned close once more. “When I finally get you in my bed, I’m not stopping until you forget your own name.”
Queen asks her to spare Caraceli
Back to Lorian
He leaned closer. “Tell me you want me, so I can tell you how badly I want you too.” His gaze dropped to my mouth, and his eyes darkened.
🌶️
We know where the tunnel is now!!
She & L swear a blood oath: she will find/give him the amulet & he will make sure all the hybrids get out of the castle
🌶️🌶️
Those green eyes were so dark, they were almost black, his pupils blown. “Take me, Prisca.”
His hand slipped down to stroke me, and I opened for him..”
.. “That’s it, wildcat,” he murmured.
.. “Come for me, wildcat.” Lorian leaned down to nip at my bottom lip. “And let me feel it.”
.. “So fucking beautiful,” he growled in my ear.
He wrapped one of his hands around my throat. Not squeezing, just a dark threat.
.. “Come for me,” he ordered.
And then he was slamming into me, ensuring my climax went on and on, until he held me close and shuddered, emptying himself inside me.
*Is Lorian Fae?
Ohhhh she was able to survive the poisoning bc she’s a hybrid and recovers from injuries and illness faster
Fuck, the king filled the secret tunnel
Their plan is fucked
Madinia: I want to help
Flirts w Davis in order to learn more abt the horseless carriages
Oh shit, P learns that although she can see the real him, Lorian is using magic that changes his appearance to everyone else
🌶️🌶️
l’d told her she was mine, but she hadn’t truly accepted it. Soon, she would learn exactly what that meant.
????
Okay, it’s the morning of the Gods Day ball…
It still doesn’t seem like she has a solid plan yet tho…
Daselis knows, asks P to get her niece, Hanish, out
Okay, plan is in motion holy shit
Prisoners are released from the dungeons and given clothes and jewel (to sell I’m guessing)
Madinia manipulates Davis into giving her access to the carriages to get them all out of the city walls
Lorian & co are helping everyone leave
P stays behind to hold time, kills the assessor, and sprints to the queen’s chambers to retrieve the amulet for L
Okay she has it
Fucking AURIA betrays her!? Ong!!
Madinia knocks out Auria
They flee on horseback
The KING IS AT THE CITY GATES OMG NO
P throws the amulet to L
I FUCKING KNEW HE WAS FAE!!
He’s the Bloodthirsty Prince aka the Fae Prince who had destroyed Crawyth and murdered her bio parents
So is he bad or..?
Well he’s able to give all the prisoners fake blue marks on their temples so that’s good…
Tibris tells her that she’s the heir
P: ummm wtf?
Demos shot w an arrow??!!
Oh shit he pushed P & T and took the arrow himself
Tibris is completely out of magic
L makes a bargain w her: his healer will save Demos but she wil need to come with him back to his kingdom
Oh okay so this entire end part w the unveiling of L as the “Bloodthirsty prince” who killed her parents and is now taking her back to his kingdom = From Blood and Ash lolol
The end
Overall # of Stars: 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️✨
💜 GG Book Club 4 👯♀️
📖 overall thoughts
— boring sorry!! But the ending was pretty good!
— the v v end was basically From Blood and Ash where Lorian = Casteel and is unveiled as the evil “Bloodthirsy prince” who killed P’s parents, just like w Poppy’s family was supposedly killed by “The Dark One.” Plus the ending where L is like you’re coming with me to my kingdom = Cas to Pop “we go home to Atlantia to marry, Princess.”
🥰 nickname: wildcat 😍
Source: KU 📚
*Recommended by: Stacia Stark will be at the Brynne Weaver event so we have to prepare lol
✅ enemies to lovers ??
✅ sharing one horse
✅ Good girl 😍
✅ mine (kinda)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Prisca
Lorian
When you’re born you sacrifice your magic to the “gods”
When you’re 25yo you go through the Gifting ceremony where, as long as you hadn’t hidden any of your magic, your original magic would be returned to you
Anyone caught w magic, their fam would die instantly
Prisca backs up into a man
I glanced up at the man, and my breath caught in my throat.
The sun sliced across his eyes, which glittered with annoyance.
.. But I knew him.
At least once a month, I dreamed of a man with green eyes. No, not just green. The word didn’t even begin to describe them. Those eyes were haunting. A dark yet vibrant green with flecks of silver that seemed to attract the light. In my dreams, the man looked back at me as if patiently waiting. Some days, the dreams left me anxious. Other days, I felt a deep contentment—almost…safe.
Prisca has been hiding her magic
We don’t know what it is yet
Her mother has visions
Tibris = P’s brother
Kreilor, town bully, is assaulting Chista in the bakery
Prisca can stop/manipulate time!!?
FUCKING CHISTA GOES STRAIGHT TO THE GUARDS
Fuck u Chista she just saved your life omg
P’s mother rushes P into the forest, the guards are already chasing them. P is like we have to go let’s run!!
Her mom is like I have to tell you some things first
1) I’m not your bio mom
2) I kidnapped you from your fam (lol omg wut)
“I’m sorry I took you from your family. But I could never be sorry for saving your life… I knew you had to live, so you could save us all. But first, you must find the prince,” she told me. “Find him and meet your fate.”
P is like wtf King Sabium’s son would want me dead too so..?
The guards have found them
Her mother PUSHES P OFF THE CLIFF AND INTO THE RUSHING RIVER BELOW OMG
She almost drowns to death
Is pulled out of the water and resuscitated by a man, Galon
Four other men join them… one being Lorian: the green-eyed man from her dreams!!
He’s like leave her, we don’t have time for this
Oh, okay well…
She’s like I’m going to make that man pay for leaving me for dead
Huh, so Lorian DOES remember she stumbled into him at the village during the Gifting ceremony.
In addition to Galon & Lorian:
Rythos, Marth, Cavis
P: now I just gotta focus on not dying in this forest 🙃
Fuck, a creepy hunter finds her, knows who she is
Oh shit, she kills him in self-defense
She’s like wtf do I do now
I never asked for this.
I would have given the gods my magic a thousand times over.
They were the ones who’d rejected my offering when I was just days old, leaving me in possession of my power. I would never know the reason, but now I’d be hunted for the rest of my life solely because the gods had decided they didn’t want my power.
Trying to make her way to the city, Lesdryn
She happens upon Lorian & co’s campsite, tries to sneak in to steal some food
Lorian tackles her, she uses her magic to freeze time so she can flee, but he just tackles her again
L: how tf did u end up in the river
P: tells him the truth
L: I have an offer for you: we are also going to the city. We could use someone like u to help us arrive undetected. We give u food, horse etc and u will help us at the city gates
P: I don’t know how to use my magic!!
L: I will teach u
P: ?? U can do that? If I learn to wield my magic then I can survive
P: ok fine
She has to ride on his horse w him
P grew up being taught that anything having to do with the fae was “sinful.” That’s why the gods had helped humans in their war against them
Lorian is helping her wield her power
*also, I’m pretty sure L is a mind reader and we won’t find out until later
She’s still holding a huge grudge against Lorian for leaving her by the river at the beginning
Staying at an inn tonight
Creep tries to accost her, Lorian fights the guy and makes him leave
She has her own room for the night
THE CREEP FROM EARLIER FINDS HER AND TRIES TI MURDER HER OMG
SHE FREEZES TIME FOR A MOMENT
SLICES HIM W A KNIFE
THE GUYS BUST IT TG
The next day the creep is dead outside 🫨
Lorian trains w Prisca again but this time he fucking TRAUMATIZES HER by using the same rope the creep did to evoke terror in her. I mean, it “works” in that she does freeze time for a moment, but at what cost??
She’s like fuck this I’m out bai
Also does Rythos have a crush on her?
She rides w Rythos this time
Like this is so clunky, now Lorian is thinking to himself how he misses her “curvy ass” ??
Oh um ok?
Okay but I do absolutely *love* the nickname wildcat 😍
“What’s your magic, Rythos?” Prisca asked a few minutes later.
Rythos hesitated, and I struck. “Didn’t you know, wildcat? Rythos has the power to make you like him.”
Something that might’ve been hurt flashed in Rythos’s eyes as Prisca turned an accusing look on him. “You—I—“
“No,” he snarled. “I’ve never used my power on you.”
She believes him
Lorian is a dick
Oh… okay… now she just suddenly knows how to use her power? Bc when Lorian was “training” her aka traumatizing her During his little game with the rope, I’d finally understood where my power lived. And I’d practiced with it over and over while we rode today, only able to achieve a couple of seconds at best while I focused on the terror I’d felt over and over since I fled my village.
I had no plans to tell the mercenaries I could now summon my magic until I absolutely had to.
The crew has a secret meeting and refuse to let her come with
She’s like well I’m going to use my powers and just follow them then
Oh SHIT! She sees them meeting with the Fae!!
She’s been raised to think the Fae are enemies to the humans, and the reason none of them are able to keep their full powers. They give their powers to the king to fight off the Fae
Another inn
“My wife and I will take a room”
Usually this would have me giddy but I’m just blah
Bells start ringing, everyone has to go to the Taking ceremony, there are guards everywhere, P is panicking
The King’s Assessor
Okay the priestess starts the ceremony by sharing the history and therefore gives us tons of info on the magic!!
The Fae wanted to take humans to be their brides, servants etc
So the King centuries ago declared war with them
Risplite: mineral added to iron to turn normal iron into “a true weapon against the fae.”
King begs gods to help, strikes a bargain: help us defeat the fae and humans would give the gods their powers back while young and potent
The gods were on the verge of fading so they agreed
Every year celebrate the first Taking aka Gods Day to “respect the sacrifice our people made that day.”
That sacrifice protects those borders from “the monsters who would avenge their fallen friends and family members.”
Faric: god of knowledge
Tronin: god of strength
Bretis: god of protection
Shit, her bff Asinia was also hiding her magic!?
Ugh another awful exchange by P & L
They have to pass the guards’ checkpoint as they’re leaving, P will need to use her magic to help them safely cross
She does it but it burns her the fuck out
“Good girl,” Lorian purred in my ear.
Okay it MIGHT be possible to redeem himself 😂
Oh damn, she finds out there actually was another way out of the village but Lorian made her do it that way to practice her power wowwwww nvm
Reality Check from Lorian:
The powers taken from babies does not go to the gods, it goes to the king and his cronies
P: wtf then how do Asinia and I still have power??
Long ago, world was divided into four kingdoms:
Two human kingdoms: Eprotha & Gromalia
The fae kingdom in the south
To the west, across the Sleeping Sea, a kingdom of people who had once been wholly fae but had split from their people during the Long War
They became hybrids, mating w humans and producing offspring w unique powers of their own, then they were invaded and all fled and hid
So P = a hybrid
P: so why aren’t we discovered during the Taking?
Bc ur power doesn’t belong to this kingdom so it’s not Sabium’s to give away to the “gods”
The oceartus stones take all *human* magic but not for hybrids
P: why?
Bc ur more powerful than humans, ur magic is v different
At a hybrid Taking ceremony, the seed of hybrid power remains deep w/in u and replenishes/grows w age
Tibrus is here!!??
She gets them all into the city!!
There’s one man who doesn’t freeze — likely her relative!?
They say their goodbyes
AND LORIAN JUST STRAIGHT UP KISSES HER WUT
I HATE THIS
And he was staring down at me like he was memorizing my features. “In another life,” he said, his eyes dark. It sounded like a promise. I sucked in a shaky breath. I felt it too. That maybe in another life, we were meant to be different people. And we would have been those people together. “In another life.” I forced a smile. His gaze dropped to my lips. And then he buried his hand in my hair and crushed his mouth to mine.
They split up as planned
P + Tibris going to try to rescue Asinia from the king’s dungeons and then flee on a ship
Some guy named Frinik was the one who suggested Asinia be assessed. Also P’s first love? Why tf are we just hearing about this now..?
They find Vicer!! He’s a rebel
Narminoi are all knowing
Oh shit, okay the guys are also trying to get into the castle for some reason
But they don’t know that P & T are working on a similar plan to free Asinia
A Fae comes to their room at the inn, uses the vials they have plus his Fae magic?? And does something to Lorian. Not sure what yet
Narminoi Ivene
“One day soon, you will have to make a choice. Be a torch for just one soul in the dark… or burn like the sun for all of them.”
*I’m 44% in and still so bored, wishing I could DNF if that was a thing I actually did 😂
Okay prepping P & T to infiltrate the castle
Change her hair and eye color
Legit looking fake identification
P’s alias: Setella
T’s alias: Loukas
Finally in the castle
Nelia organizes the servants or something?
And she does NOT fuck around
P’s task will be to clean all of the floors
She meets Auria, so nice
Learns abt the tasks and freedoms of the Queen’s Ladies in Waiting
Sees a king’s assessor at the castle that also killed a neighborhood family when she was a child. She’s like I’m gonna kill that guy
Lorian is going to pretend to be a Gromalian noble..?
Tibris found the dungeon, gives P the map he created
She’s able to sneak in using her magic
Finds Asinia, as well as Demos, the man she is going to rescue for the rebellion alongside Asinia
P & T sneak into the dungeons each night to slowly heal Asinia who was literally on the brink of death before T healed her
P orchestrates an opportunity w Vicer to catch the attention of the queen
Wila, another maid, is also part of the resistance!?
W provides the distraction by “tripping” and dropping her lantern, setting queen’s dress on fire
And P is there right in time to save the day
It works: long story short, she gets an audience w the Queen and the Q invites her to fill in as one of her ladies so she can have 6 total (a number blessed by the gods??)
Erea & Daselis, her maids? Lead her to her new room - it’s amazing
*so this is how Lorian and her will eventually cross paths again, right ??
He is pretending to be a visiting noble or royalty, and she is now a queen’s lady
Yes lol literally the next page 😂🎉
She walks beside a nice woman named Lisveth
Locks eyes w Lorian !!
The king: “..I would like to welcome Prince Rekja from Gromalia to our court. May this visit pave the way for greater cooperation between our kingdoms for centuries to come.”
Five other ladies to the Queen
- Lisveth: 16yo, her mother was the queen’s best friend before she died
- Caraceli, closest to Katina, also used to be a maid
- Katina, queen found her at a market and brought her back to the castle. She is the lady who was “called away” to her village aka the note that Vicer forged to open up a spot in the Queen’s party
Madinia, hates everyone
- Alcandre
- Pelopia
Lorian pulls her into an empty room
A lil kiss 🫑🫑
L: “Unless you want to end up in my bed, stay away from me.”
Oh how charming 🙄
Dungeons again, walks to Wila
She’s been SENTENCED TO FUCKING DEATH IN TWO DAYS OMFG
Omg I’m so sad abt this JFC
“You’re going to free them, I know it. Promise me, Prisca. Promise me you’ll free them. And one day, you’ll come back and burn this fucking place to the ground.”
There was only one thing I could say. “I promise.”
😭😭😭
P begs Lorian to try to get Wila out
He’s like there’s nothing I can do
“You’re not the only one with people to protect. I can’t help you.”
Yes, charming as always
King calls an impromptu breakfast
Rothnic Boria & his son Davis
Omfg the king already killed Wila wtf
The assessor will now be examining every servant in the castle and the grounds
The queens ladies don’t count we servants
P breaks down, Lorian “comforts” her? lol not really
“Why are you really here, Lorian?”
.. “Because the king took everything from my family. And now I’m going to take everything from him.”
She helps him sneak into the King’s secret room
But then he upsets her, so she LEAVES HIM THERE to find a way out himself JFC
For the first time, the king is calling reps from each village to the city to discuss the corrupt & ensure they take every possible step to remove their presence from the kingdom
The patriarchs
Patriarch Farrow is Madinia’s father
His wife (a love match)/M’s mother was supposedly killed by the corrupt? Except her body was never found…
Oh SHIT!!!
King Regner was the original king who started all this shit. His grandson and onward carried on his fucked up plans
Lorian: “And what if I told you they were all the same man?”
Oh SHIT
He literally KILLS HIS SONS to pretend to be them omg
Lorian kissing her again and then being an asshole
Now he keeps berating her: “Until you face up to the reality of your life, you will forever be a victim to it.”
wtf does that even MEAN
Telean the seamstress knew p’s bio mom omg!!
🚨 OH SHIT
Telean tells her that P’s real name is Nelayra
She lived with her hybrid mother, father, and brother
AND HER BROTHER IS CURRENTLY IN THE DUNGEONS: ITS DEMOS 🤯
He was arrested two years ago
Kept alive bc Telean begged the Queen to allow him to live
Madinia is a hybrid! Fire Magic
Her father Farrow is like omg
He knows now that M + P are hybrids
He’s like plz save my daughter and I will owe you a debt
She says ok but only if you help me get AlL the hybrids out
Okay.
Lorian finally reveals what he is here looking for: an amulet w a blue stone set in silver w ancient writing etched into the back
I bet it’s the blue stone she saw on the queen’s mirror earlier it was a gift from the king
There’s a ball tonight
Erea & Daselis help her get ready per usual
She needs to avoid Thol!!!
Marth & Rythos are also here
Lorian I had many reasons I’d attempted to stay away from the little wildcat… My affections were dark, possessive, all-consuming.
P has been poisoned!?
Fuck the healer says it’s viperbane??
No antidote omfg
“Find her brother”
Somehow? She survives?
Oh shit it was Caraceli who poisoned her
And then his mouth was on mine, and all thought fled.
“I want to make you scream for me… But you’re too weak right now.”
“I disagree.”
“.. wildcat…” He leaned close once more. “When I finally get you in my bed, I’m not stopping until you forget your own name.”
Queen asks her to spare Caraceli
Back to Lorian
He leaned closer. “Tell me you want me, so I can tell you how badly I want you too.” His gaze dropped to my mouth, and his eyes darkened.
🌶️
We know where the tunnel is now!!
She & L swear a blood oath: she will find/give him the amulet & he will make sure all the hybrids get out of the castle
🌶️🌶️
Those green eyes were so dark, they were almost black, his pupils blown. “Take me, Prisca.”
His hand slipped down to stroke me, and I opened for him..”
.. “That’s it, wildcat,” he murmured.
.. “Come for me, wildcat.” Lorian leaned down to nip at my bottom lip. “And let me feel it.”
.. “So fucking beautiful,” he growled in my ear.
He wrapped one of his hands around my throat. Not squeezing, just a dark threat.
.. “Come for me,” he ordered.
And then he was slamming into me, ensuring my climax went on and on, until he held me close and shuddered, emptying himself inside me.
*Is Lorian Fae?
Ohhhh she was able to survive the poisoning bc she’s a hybrid and recovers from injuries and illness faster
Fuck, the king filled the secret tunnel
Their plan is fucked
Madinia: I want to help
Flirts w Davis in order to learn more abt the horseless carriages
Oh shit, P learns that although she can see the real him, Lorian is using magic that changes his appearance to everyone else
🌶️🌶️
l’d told her she was mine, but she hadn’t truly accepted it. Soon, she would learn exactly what that meant.
????
Okay, it’s the morning of the Gods Day ball…
It still doesn’t seem like she has a solid plan yet tho…
Daselis knows, asks P to get her niece, Hanish, out
Okay, plan is in motion holy shit
Prisoners are released from the dungeons and given clothes and jewel (to sell I’m guessing)
Madinia manipulates Davis into giving her access to the carriages to get them all out of the city walls
Lorian & co are helping everyone leave
P stays behind to hold time, kills the assessor, and sprints to the queen’s chambers to retrieve the amulet for L
Okay she has it
Fucking AURIA betrays her!? Ong!!
Madinia knocks out Auria
They flee on horseback
The KING IS AT THE CITY GATES OMG NO
P throws the amulet to L
I FUCKING KNEW HE WAS FAE!!
He’s the Bloodthirsty Prince aka the Fae Prince who had destroyed Crawyth and murdered her bio parents
So is he bad or..?
Well he’s able to give all the prisoners fake blue marks on their temples so that’s good…
Tibris tells her that she’s the heir
P: ummm wtf?
Demos shot w an arrow??!!
Oh shit he pushed P & T and took the arrow himself
Tibris is completely out of magic
L makes a bargain w her: his healer will save Demos but she wil need to come with him back to his kingdom
Oh okay so this entire end part w the unveiling of L as the “Bloodthirsty prince” who killed her parents and is now taking her back to his kingdom = From Blood and Ash lolol
The end
fast-paced
DNF- couldn’t get into this one. Not rating it because I did enjoy the beginning- but the romance wasn’t giving me angst and idk what else I’m really here for.
In obsessed with this world in this book. The magic system is so unique and the way it's depicted. Wow. I was skeptical but damn it didn't disappoint.
More broody brutes who act like protective, possessive mother hens and i love it. THE TENSION between lorian and prisca.
I am obsessed with lorian, he said it himself his affections are dark, possessive and all consuming and i am HERE for it. As always im on my knees for another morally grey, possessive, aggressive and territorial fictional male. The things id let this man do to me.
The way he calls prisca a little wildcat !! im giggling. I mean he is SO right she is the epitome of female rage. Feisty, gobby and not afraid to have a scrap.
EVEN when she's incapacitated she manages to call this man a tyrant and i'm giggling and kicking my feet.
The ending had me sobbing and then SCREAMINGGG. i'm so excited for the next book.
More broody brutes who act like protective, possessive mother hens and i love it. THE TENSION between lorian and prisca.
I am obsessed with lorian, he said it himself his affections are dark, possessive and all consuming and i am HERE for it. As always im on my knees for another morally grey, possessive, aggressive and territorial fictional male. The things id let this man do to me.
The way he calls prisca a little wildcat !! im giggling. I mean he is SO right she is the epitome of female rage. Feisty, gobby and not afraid to have a scrap.
EVEN when she's incapacitated she manages to call this man a tyrant and i'm giggling and kicking my feet.
The ending had me sobbing and then SCREAMINGGG. i'm so excited for the next book.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is very predictable and full of familiar fantasy tropes, but it was also very entertaining and I had a fun time reading it.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Surprisingly good
This book shocked me with how much I liked it.
I enjoyed the story it was well paced and the characters all well written.
Of course, the story ends on a cliffhanger and you'll immediately want to dive into the next book...actually review over I'm going to read book two!
This book shocked me with how much I liked it.
I enjoyed the story it was well paced and the characters all well written.
Of course, the story ends on a cliffhanger and you'll immediately want to dive into the next book...actually review over I'm going to read book two!