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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
A Bargain So Bloody
By Vasilisa Drake
♥️Vampires, voids and witches
♥️Enemies to lovers
♥️Unique magic system
♥️Touch her and
By Vasilisa Drake
♥️Vampires, voids and witches
♥️Enemies to lovers
♥️Unique magic system
♥️Touch her and
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
The amount of vampire books I have read is insane. Second to that is stories with magic and witches, so I am excited to be an ARC reader for A Bargain So Bloody, that gives me a blend of both worlds.
Raphael gives me Damon meets Klaus vibes from TVD. Handsome, charming, caring (to Samara) and viciously brutal.
Samara is not a damsel in distress. She is suffered through a lot and is stubborn and distrusting. But you can tell that there’s something more to her under the surface. She gives off Nesta vibes throughout most of the book which makes you want to scream (I love Nesta, no hate). So with that cliffhanger ending you know things are just getting good.
The amount of vampire books I have read is insane. Second to that is stories with magic and witches, so I am excited to be an ARC reader for A Bargain So Bloody, that gives me a blend of both worlds.
Raphael gives me Damon meets Klaus vibes from TVD. Handsome, charming, caring (to Samara) and viciously brutal.
Samara is not a damsel in distress. She is suffered through a lot and is stubborn and distrusting. But you can tell that there’s something more to her under the surface. She gives off Nesta vibes throughout most of the book which makes you want to scream (I love Nesta, no hate). So with that cliffhanger ending you know things are just getting good.
adventurous
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:
Complicated
A Bargain So Bloody is like if your favourite cozy mystery went on a goth vacation, met a vampire prince at a dive bar, and came home with blood on its boots and a suspicious new tattoo. Vasilisa Drake serves up murder, mayhem, and magical mischief with a side of snark—and honestly, I was here for it.
Our protagonist? Equal parts clever, chaotic, and cursed (probably). The plot? A twisty, fang-filled whodunnit that feels like Agatha Christie met a dark fairy tale and they decided to co-parent a haunted sword. The worldbuilding is rich, the dialogue crackles like enchanted pop rocks, and the villain? Oh, honey. Chef’s kiss of dread.
So why the 4 stars? Well, sometimes the pacing was more "wandering around a cursed castle in the dark" than "racing through the climax on a flaming broomstick." A few side characters felt like magical red herrings rather than fully fleshed-out beings. And okay, maybe the ending left me going, "Wait—THAT’S the bargain?!"
Still, I laughed. I gasped. I may have yelled "NOOOO" at one point (and scared my dog). If you like your fantasy with blood, bargains, and a generous helping of bite, this one’s worth the read—even if it occasionally stumbles in its boots.
Our protagonist? Equal parts clever, chaotic, and cursed (probably). The plot? A twisty, fang-filled whodunnit that feels like Agatha Christie met a dark fairy tale and they decided to co-parent a haunted sword. The worldbuilding is rich, the dialogue crackles like enchanted pop rocks, and the villain? Oh, honey. Chef’s kiss of dread.
So why the 4 stars? Well, sometimes the pacing was more "wandering around a cursed castle in the dark" than "racing through the climax on a flaming broomstick." A few side characters felt like magical red herrings rather than fully fleshed-out beings. And okay, maybe the ending left me going, "Wait—THAT’S the bargain?!"
Still, I laughed. I gasped. I may have yelled "NOOOO" at one point (and scared my dog). If you like your fantasy with blood, bargains, and a generous helping of bite, this one’s worth the read—even if it occasionally stumbles in its boots.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What the actual fuck just happened! How do you end a book on this cliffhanger!!! I am hooked, I want the next one, I want them all!!!! Very few times, I've had this feeling when finishing a book, and @vasilisadrakebooks gave me all the feels. We have slowburn romance, forced proximity, vampires, and witched and magical cards. The unrelenting tension and buildup were intoxicating, and the storyline was fantastic! @cecilysexily had the perfect fantasy drawl, and overall, it all just worked well. Fantasy girls, this is your time to shine. This book has it all - run to the shops - it was released on 30 June 2025!!
Thank you to @netgalley and @victoryeditingngc for my Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to @netgalley and @victoryeditingngc for my Advanced Copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
medium-paced
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Honestly enjoyed this book so much. Who doesn't love a good vampire novel!
I found the plot moved quite quickly while still taking the time for the needed world building and allowed us to get to know the characters
Honestly enjoyed this book so much. Who doesn't love a good vampire novel!
I found the plot moved quite quickly while still taking the time for the needed world building and allowed us to get to know the characters
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. WOW! My emotions were all over the place with this book. It really felt like two different stories between the first 50% and then the second half of the book. Even with the book being nearly 500 pages, it felt like some parts moved too quickly. I would have really enjoyed seeing more of their story fleshed out (pun intended), like in the prison and when they’re traveling. The pacing felt a little all over the place with weeks passing in one sentence, and then a whole day getting multiple chapters. I almost would have liked the first half to be book one and the second half to be book two. We have these intense emotions from Raphael, but they come on so fast it’s hard to find an emotional basis for them as a reader. Otherwise, Samara makes me want to pull my hair out, and I really hope she comes to her senses in the second book and doesn’t actually go through with her plan. I definitely didn’t see part of that twist at the end coming though! I wish book 2 was out already!!
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was given and early ALC in exchange for a honest review.
I couldn’t really vibe with the book. It was well written, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I felt like some areas dragged on and some of the storyline was predictable.
I couldn’t really vibe with the book. It was well written, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I felt like some areas dragged on and some of the storyline was predictable.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
WOWWWW! This one is going to be living RENT FREE in my head for a very very long time - maybe forever! This Dark Vampire Romantasy is about a prisoner named Samara that has been sentenced to 15 years. While inside the prison Samara meets Raphael - a vampire. A bargain is struck and the adventure takes off. Uncovering betrayals and secrets along the way. The story does end in an absolutely EPIC cliffhanger.
While this is in the Romantasy genre, this book has a very very slow burn. I have high hopes that the spice will increase in future installments to the series. I honestly enjoy having a series build the spice book by book! Hell - I’ll be reading book 2 regardless on if the spice increases or not!!! I’m totally in love with the world and the complex magic! I can’t get enough! I’ll definitely be rereading this, buying a trophy copy, and recommending it to everyone!
rounded up from a 3.5
So a vampire and a girl walk through the front doors of a prison, sounds like the start of a bad joke, but oh no that’s how this glorious story starts.
He takes her under her under his wing. She feels like she has been sent into another form of a prison. He kills, she cowers, he is big and broody, she is tiny and naive.
YES!!!! Finally a vampire book where he turns into a bat… Whoop Whoop, this makes me so happy.
So many twists and turns, makes it hard to see how some things will play out. And so many things were going well WHYYYYYYY? Samara Why? And I’m not sure how much I like the ending.
Key points in no particular order:
– Shifting Vampire
– Magic
– one horse
– touch her and perish (literally, no warning)
– manipulation
– no spice
– MMC falls hard
– betrayal
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
So a vampire and a girl walk through the front doors of a prison, sounds like the start of a bad joke, but oh no that’s how this glorious story starts.
He takes her under her under his wing. She feels like she has been sent into another form of a prison. He kills, she cowers, he is big and broody, she is tiny and naive.
YES!!!! Finally a vampire book where he turns into a bat… Whoop Whoop, this makes me so happy.
So many twists and turns, makes it hard to see how some things will play out. And so many things were going well WHYYYYYYY? Samara Why? And I’m not sure how much I like the ending.
Key points in no particular order:
– Shifting Vampire
– Magic
– one horse
– touch her and perish (literally, no warning)
– manipulation
– no spice
– MMC falls hard
– betrayal
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review
dark
mysterious
fast-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:
Complicated
I'm an absolute sucker for a morally grey (bordering morally black) shadow daddy with an inflated ego and endless sass so Raphael was pure perfection for me.
My heart bled for Samara time and time again, she's faced endless hardships in her life but refuses to let them break her and I adored her from the start.
I love the interactions between the MCs and some great side characters. This was a strong start to a new series about vampires, witches and mortals. With forced proximity and the slowest burn, I cannot wait for the next book.
My heart bled for Samara time and time again, she's faced endless hardships in her life but refuses to let them break her and I adored her from the start.
I love the interactions between the MCs and some great side characters. This was a strong start to a new series about vampires, witches and mortals. With forced proximity and the slowest burn, I cannot wait for the next book.