Reviews - Herald of the Witch's Mark

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165 reviews for:

Herald of the Witch's Mark

Kellen Graves

4.4 AVERAGE

grilledcheesd's review

5.0

this book beat me to death with its fists and i said thank you very much could i have some more 🧎

tobitijd's review

5.0

I NEED THE NEXT BOOK LIKE RN WHAATTT

avis03's review

4.0

emotional mysterious

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

MM, Fantasy, Fae, 3rd Single POV

Status: KU, Same Pairing Series, Third Act Conflict -

External

Saffron: Human, ~22 Yrs Old, Changeling (Exchanged for 5 Yrs of Luck), Rowan Blooded (Valley Witch, Emotionally Rooted Magic), Former Servant (Beantighe) at a Fey College (10 Yrs), College Student (Mairwen Academy in Averin), From the Winter Court, PTSD (Situational Mutism), Anxiety, Artist, Befriends Pixies, Scarred (Small Scars on Whole Body, Stretch Marks, >!Back: Selfishness, Arrogance, Impertinence!<, Arm: >!Taran's Name Spell!<, Chest), Twin Necklace (Matching Cylvan) That Warms When it's Twin is Touched (Includes a Tracking Charm), Wears a Yew Bracelet to Dampen His Arid Abilities, Has an Anti-Aging Ring,

Companion Owl (Fiachra), Given a Hematite Ring by Ryder to Help Control His Magic; Sionnach and Maeve Made Saffron and Cylvan's Guardians

Saffron (Book 3 Plot Notes): Begins Attending Classes at Mairwen Academy, Glamoured as Fey (Supposedly Related to Luvon), Crow Book with Cylvan (Magic Immediate Written Messaging), Still Suffering from the Injury of a Bolt Through His Chest, Oracles Erase/Blur Memories of Saffron from Everyone at Morrígan (Except Baba Yaga and Professor Adelard), Valley Witch (No Partner on Other Side of Veil),

Rescues an Owl Who Becomes a His Messenger Bird, Summons a Phantom Wolf, Attends Cylvan's Suitors Gala, Taran is Saffron's Familiar, Ryder Holds Cylvan Hostage at the Summer Games, Makes Saffron Choose Between Cylvan and Asche, Asche is Held by Sunbeam in Disguise, Ryder Opens a Huge Veil Tear at the Summer Games Sending 1,000s of Fey Through, Fey are in London

Cylvan: High Fey, Sídhe Fey, Prince, Looks ~25 Yrs Old, Black Horns, Black Nails, Amethyst Eyes, Long Hair, Peirced Ears, Plays Violin, Peirced Nipples (Bars), Allergic to Apples, Powers of Wind and Storms, Tsundere, Loves Etymology,

True Name is Sybil, Can Do Physical Glamour on Himself, Made Ashen by the Veil Tear at the Summer Games, Lost a Horn

Rep: PTSD and Anxiety (Saffron), Queer Normative World, Gender-diverse Normative World, Trans and NBi Characters, Any Gender Will Wear Makeup

Asche: High Fey, NBi, Daurae, Cylvan's Sibling, Teen, Power of Fire, Uses Tracking Charms,

Taken to the Human Side by Ryder, With Sunbeam

Sionnach: NBi, Half Fey and Half Satyr,From the Fall Court, Bullied for Their Half Satyr Status,

Made Ashen by the Veil Tear at the Summer Games, Made Saffron and Cylvan's Guardian

Cooper: Fey, From the Fall Court, Saffron's Roommate (Dorm), On the Hurling Team,

Can Transform Into a Giant Fox, Wears a Physical Glamour to Hide His Fox Ears and Tail, Made Ashen by the Veil Tear at the Summer Games, Offered Position of Saffron and Cylvan's Guardian

Ryder Kyteler: Foundling, Looks ~25 Yrs Old, From the Winter Court (Fjornar, The King's Keep), Head of the Human Resistance in Averin,

Half Human Half Fey, Oracle, Obsessed with Saffron, Intercepts Baba Yaga's Letter to Saffron, Perpetual Liar, Has People on Both Sides of the Veil, Working with Witchhunters to Manipulate Saffron, Goes to the Human Side via Opening a Large Veil Tear at the Summer Games

Sunbeam: Human, Changeling, Servant (Beantighe), Originally From the Human World, Trying to Go Home, Has a Fairy Wren (Small Fey Travel Across the Veil Naturally, Used to Send Messages), Veil Accomplice - Chandry,

Former Caretaker for Humans in the Finnian Ruins, Hiding with the Witchhunters to Learn About Oralcry and Veil Magic, Chandry Held by Ryder's People on the Human Side, Taken to the Human Side by Ryder

Letty, Hollow: Human, Changeling and Foundling, Servant (Beantighe), Saffron's Best Friends, Accompany Saffron to Averin, Work in the Palace,

Escape with Ryder to the Finnian Ruins After a Witchhunter Raid on the Palace, Taken to the Human Side by Ryder

Nimue: Undine, Accompanies Saffron to Averin,

Murdered Beantighe from Cylvan's Previous School, Killed by Taran, Escape with Ryder to the Finnian Ruins After a Witchhunter Raid on the Palace, Taken to the Human Side by Ryder

Luvon: Saffron's Patron Fey, Blind, Runs a Winery in the Winter Court, Friends with King Tross

Taran: High Fey, Sídhe Fey, Seeking an Engagement to Cylvan (Childhood Friends, Expected to Wed, Pressured by Family), >!Can Transform into a Wolf, Seeking Wild Fairy Fruits to Compel Cylvan, Ashen (Unable to Use Magic Naturally, Family Ashen Since Proserpina's Fall, Voided by Proserpina's Silver in His Bones), Infused with Clymeus' Remains to Borrow His Abilities (Wolf Form, Shapeshifting)

Saffron's Familiar, Memories Have Been Tampered with by His Family Since Childhood

Notes: Fae College, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Court Politics, Celtic Inspired, ~Industrial Revolution Happening in the Human World

World Lore: 20 Years in Fey Realm = 5 Years in Human Realm, Tears (Portals) are Closed Due to Genocidal Previous Fey Queen, Remaining Humans are Servants, Fey Magic - Opulence, Human Magic - Arid, Arid Magic Outlawed and Punishable by Death, Wild Fairy Fruits Grow Near Tears, Fey Near Large Closed Tears Rendered Ashen (Unable to Use Magic), Proserpina's Silver Only Made by Mac Dela Family (Taran's Family), Oracles are Half Human Half Fey

Plot/Worldbuilding Notes:

Human Resistance Cropping Up in Averin, Spells Exist that Allow One to Pass Between Two Places on the Same Side of the Veil (Knock Knots), Finnian Ruins were Once One of Queen Proserpina's Monasteries (Housed Priestesses, Trained Oracles, Trained Witchhunters) (Considered Sacred in all Courts Except Alfidel), Finnian Ruins Now House Escaped Rebel Humans, Wands are Used by Spring and Iron Witches to Help Focus Their Magic, Acacia Kyteler: Founder of Modern Oralcry and Schools of Arid Magic, Alice Kyteler: First Human to Bring Arid Magic Across the Veil Escaping Persecution for Magic in the Human World in Early 1300s, Proserpina Resided on Human Side in New England in Mid 1600s Where She Learned Witchhunting Tactics, Oracles Traditionally Trained to Open Dialogue with the Spirit of the Veil (Including Making an Oath, Building a Bridge, and Bestowing a Witch's Mark), Oracles Used as Witchhunters, Avren Made Ashen by Ryder's Veil Tear

Sex Notes:

Fingering, PIA, Creampie, Outdoor Sex (Cliffside Beach Inlet), Blowjob, Rimming, Finger Sucking, Sex in a Semi-private Place (Library)

CWs:

Anxiety, Depression, PTSD (Including Flashbacks), Nightmares, Gaslighting and Manipulation, Bullying, Fantasy Based Bigotry, Alcohol Consumption (to Excess and Drunkeness), Descriptions of: Blood, Gore Death, Animal Death and Mutilation, Fantasy Based Terrorism at Crowded Public Event

tc_booksandmore's review

5.0

emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

<strong>3rd in the series of Saffron mastering his powers</strong>

Thank you to Kellen for the opportunity to read this early, even if I ended up finishing my read via my Kindle copy.

I can’t state enough how much I love Saffron and Cylvan. And I love that in this book we get a Saffron that is getting to do one of the things he’s wanted to do since the first book. I loved reading about him attending school, albeit glamoured as a high fey, and making friends and discovering more about his powers since the events of Lord of Silver Ashes.

Honestly I kept putting off finishing the book because I didn’t want to leave the world, knowing that it will be a year until the next installment. Although now that I finished, I want to re-read from the very beginning and fall in love with Saffron and Cylvan all over again.

5 out of 5 stars and 3.5 out of 5 for the spice level (they really are obsessed with each other and take advantage of alone time).

amie7's review

5.0

adventurous dark emotional 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

cold_ramen's review

5.0

adventurous emotional 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

my_throne_of_books's review

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious relaxing

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

I thought I was ready for this book but let me tell you I was definitely not. This series has become my fave since reading book one and now book three and I am still deeply in love with it. Safron goes on another journey in this one and I was eager to read all about it. I won't go into much detail as this is book three and I don't want to spoil it for people wanting to start this series. Just know that Safron and Cylvan are both amazing characters and you get to meet some amazing new characters in this book as well.

Safron and Cylvan's relationship is put to a new test in this book. As Safron is "hiding" among the high fey as a high fey. So seeing this new dynamic between the two was very intriguing. Coper is definitely a new character I absolutely adored together with Sionnach. The new friendships Safron formed in this book with those two were so lovely. I am excited to see them again in the next book. I also was very sceptical about Ryder and as the ending of the book came near I had every right to be. He is such a villain! Damn also that ending people I need the next book soon!

The story is such a great one so if you are interested in a mm fantasy romance with such an amazing world building this is the one you need to check out!

ttalya's review

5.0

Rowan Blood is a favorite series of mine, and this third installment continues to prove why I love it so much. The prose is beautiful as always, and I will honestly read anything Kellen writes!

In Herald of the Witches Mark we get an expansion of the world, magic, and our favorite relationship. The new setting and the politics involved in the fae world were fascinating and I loved the intrigue our new antagonist added to the growing plot of the series. I enjoyed the intricacies of Saffron's magic and can’t wait to see where his power takes him in the next book.

While there is still some angst due to the circumstances surrounding their relationship, the sweetness between Saffron and Cylvan in this book healed a piece of my heart after all the anxiety-inducing events in LOSA. I love seeing them grow together. There were also some new characters introduced that I absolutely adored and I’m excited to see more of them in the future.

I can’t wait to see where we go from here and the end of the book definitely has me on the edge of my seat for book four.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Kellen for the opportunity!