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A Deathless Empire
Gifted by the Patron of Death, Valine Desdemon is a necromancer by birth, and assassin through training. Approached by King Malik of Adraali, she is reluctantly hired to kill a rival king—one who is trying to form an alliance with the oppressive kingdom she fled long ago.
Willing to be the villain to ensure the continent’s freedoms from a tyrannical reign of archaic values, Valine sets off with her shadowy magic to plot the downfall of a country.
But she begins to break her one remaining rule—falling for an employer. And to make matters worse, Malik wants her too.
Fighting against daemon and saint created beasts, the feelings growing for Malik, and prophecies from the stars, Valine begins to have revelations about her magic, forcing her to question who she can trust and what she can do. Because she is the difference between a conquered empire, and a deathless empire.
Willing to be the villain to ensure the continent’s freedoms from a tyrannical reign of archaic values, Valine sets off with her shadowy magic to plot the downfall of a country.
But she begins to break her one remaining rule—falling for an employer. And to make matters worse, Malik wants her too.
Fighting against daemon and saint created beasts, the feelings growing for Malik, and prophecies from the stars, Valine begins to have revelations about her magic, forcing her to question who she can trust and what she can do. Because she is the difference between a conquered empire, and a deathless empire.
461 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2024
7 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 10, 2024
Release Date: August 6, 2034
Date Read and Reviewed: August 10, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️
౨ৎ
What to expect📍
♥︎Assassin FMC
♥︎King MMC
♥︎Queer Characters
♥︎Character bondings
♥︎Interesting characters
♥︎Blades and Poisons
♥︎World-building and interesting magic system
♥︎Adventure, Mythical Creatures, Deities
♥︎Scheming, World Domination
♥︎ Teasing, Flirtation, Spice 🌶🌶🌶🌶
2nd novel from the author— The first one was a romance novel, and that was a good read as well.
As for the one, I honestly believe the author's writing was captivating in a fantasy setting. It was just that immersive, and the introduction did really set a good tone for me.
The plot was solid, and the whole liberating the world into a better version alongside the scheming, the adventure, and the bride choosing or the gala of the rulers was really interesting for me.
The world-building, the mythological creatures thrown along the way, was fascinating as well. The magic system as well was so good that I really wanted to see more of it, especially the plot revolving around the Deities, the Sytgian, and the Patrons towards the end. I'm really excited about it.
The characters were really amazing as well. They were written interestingly, and there is also complexity surrounding them, which made them even more intriguing. I also love the found family trope here, their character dynamics- Sarim, Alastair, Valine, Freyja, Malik - I just love them and definitely want to read more of them.
There are also more interesting characters along the way, I'm excited about how they will play in the next one after that ending.
Noting also the content regarding the same sex marriage, contraceptive medicines– I really appreciate this one.
Did I also mention that some of the characters are queer? Because there were queer characters here as well 🫶 I'm still holding for the poly relationship of our main characters here 😆
Anyway, our main pairing, Malik and Queen Valine— it was so good. I couldn't ask for more tbh, of course, other than them liberating the world and becoming Emperor and Empress of this world.
I'm not gonna forget about Freyja and Sarim, I wish there were more of them in the book. Also, for Alastair 🤚🏽
Overall, this was a solid first book. There might be some little parts I was 50/50 with, especially the first half of the last 30%. Either way, I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you, author, for the e-arc opportunity 🫶.
Date Read and Reviewed: August 10, 2024
Ratings: 4⭐️
౨ৎ
What to expect📍
♥︎Assassin FMC
♥︎King MMC
♥︎Queer Characters
♥︎Character bondings
♥︎Interesting characters
♥︎Blades and Poisons
♥︎World-building and interesting magic system
♥︎Adventure, Mythical Creatures, Deities
♥︎Scheming, World Domination
♥︎ Teasing, Flirtation, Spice 🌶🌶🌶🌶
2nd novel from the author— The first one was a romance novel, and that was a good read as well.
As for the one, I honestly believe the author's writing was captivating in a fantasy setting. It was just that immersive, and the introduction did really set a good tone for me.
The plot was solid, and the whole liberating the world into a better version alongside the scheming, the adventure, and the bride choosing or the gala of the rulers was really interesting for me.
The world-building, the mythological creatures thrown along the way, was fascinating as well. The magic system as well was so good that I really wanted to see more of it, especially the plot revolving around the Deities, the Sytgian, and the Patrons towards the end. I'm really excited about it.
The characters were really amazing as well. They were written interestingly, and there is also complexity surrounding them, which made them even more intriguing. I also love the found family trope here, their character dynamics- Sarim, Alastair, Valine, Freyja, Malik - I just love them and definitely want to read more of them.
There are also more interesting characters along the way, I'm excited about how they will play in the next one after that ending.
Noting also the content regarding the same sex marriage, contraceptive medicines– I really appreciate this one.
Did I also mention that some of the characters are queer? Because there were queer characters here as well 🫶 I'm still holding for the poly relationship of our main characters here 😆
Anyway, our main pairing, Malik and Queen Valine— it was so good. I couldn't ask for more tbh, of course, other than them liberating the world and becoming Emperor and Empress of this world.
I'm not gonna forget about Freyja and Sarim, I wish there were more of them in the book. Also, for Alastair 🤚🏽
Overall, this was a solid first book. There might be some little parts I was 50/50 with, especially the first half of the last 30%. Either way, I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you, author, for the e-arc opportunity 🫶.
August 30, 2024
3.75⭐ rounded up.
I was absolutely obsessed and convinced this would be a 6+⭐ read for me up to about 60%. In the last 40% the plot felt slowed and had a lot of moments that did not progress it forward.
The first 60% was full of amazing world building, really unique magic and monsters the FMC and her crew had to fight. It was exciting and fun and I was on the edge of my seat! There was death and murder and the author did not hold back on details. I loved every page!
The sexual tension in the beginning was so hot and well done. But by the end it felt like very similar smut scenes just for the sake of smut. And I love smut! But similar scenes with no plot movement or very little plot movement in between really pulled me out of the story.
Towards the end the FMC was spent of her magic and energy but somehow defeated monsters more easily than ever before. And maybe we'll learn why in book two, but this also felt rushed.
I still really enjoyed this book overall and will definitely read book 2.
I was absolutely obsessed and convinced this would be a 6+⭐ read for me up to about 60%. In the last 40% the plot felt slowed and had a lot of moments that did not progress it forward.
The first 60% was full of amazing world building, really unique magic and monsters the FMC and her crew had to fight. It was exciting and fun and I was on the edge of my seat! There was death and murder and the author did not hold back on details. I loved every page!
The sexual tension in the beginning was so hot and well done. But by the end it felt like very similar smut scenes just for the sake of smut. And I love smut! But similar scenes with no plot movement or very little plot movement in between really pulled me out of the story.
Towards the end the FMC was spent of her magic and energy but somehow defeated monsters more easily than ever before. And maybe we'll learn why in book two, but this also felt rushed.
I still really enjoyed this book overall and will definitely read book 2.
July 27, 2024
I have many praises for this book: gripping intro, unique magic system, interesting/complex character developments, culture, mythology, and world building were great without bogging down the overall story. I loved the sexual tension within this book! Had me aching for more! The witty banter between the FMC and everyone else is so cute and fun to read! Definitely has her as a favorite of mine! I can’t wait for more! 😩😩😩😩
June 29, 2024
Favorite quote:
“I will not see our world turn back centuries on the whims of bored old men.” - Malik, The King of Adraali
Book dedication:
“For those who felt pure feminine rage when they were told what you couldn’t do with your body.”
If I thought I was already invested in this story with the book dedication, the ending now has me in a f***ing chokehold!
It's like Kayla reached into my chest and pulled out all my emotions. She’s one of those authors that "if she writes it, I'm reading it."
There's so much deep world building and lore that it feels like this first book barely scratched the surface of everything that’s to come. It gave me TOG, but with a darker vibe.
The slow burn in this book was truly a SLOW BURN, which was refreshing because I've read many books that are marketed as a slow burn but it's really not (no hate to those books cause I still loved them!).
The lust/enemies-to-lovers dynamic between the leads was expertly done and had me hooked from the start. The banter was witty and entertaining, and the adventure was non-stop. The plotting was intricate and suspenseful, with plenty of twists and turns, and let's not forget the world building - it's rich and immersive, with a unique magic system that I’ve truly never read anything like it before.
Kayla has a way of crafting strong, complex women who are unapologetically themselves, and I adore that about her writing. Hints of the FMC revenge plot was expertly woven throughout the story, and I loved seeing our heroine take down her enemies with style and finesse.
On a more personal note, this book made me feel everything - rage, sadness, and emotional exhaustion. It's hard to put into words, but it's like this book tapped into the collective frustration and anger of women everywhere who are still in the continuous fight for the rights to their own bodies as well as the fight for people of the same-sex who should be able to love without fear of persecution. The way these issues were part of the story spoke to my soul and brought up all the rage I feel towards the people who have the audacity to think they have any right to take away basic human rights.
We need more stories like this - stories that challenge the status quo, push boundaries, and inspire change.
A Deathless Empire has all of this plus everything I love in a fantasy romance -
•adventure & world building
•found family & friendship
•banter & jokes
•a delicious and painful slow burn
•trauma and healing
•diversity
•”who did this to you?”
•one bed
•shadow mommy
•morally gray/black daddy
•spice🌶️🌶️
•enemies to lust to lovers
•a strong unapologetic FMC
•a feminist MMC
I’ll be waiting on the edge of my seat for all the following books!!
“I will not see our world turn back centuries on the whims of bored old men.” - Malik, The King of Adraali
Book dedication:
“For those who felt pure feminine rage when they were told what you couldn’t do with your body.”
If I thought I was already invested in this story with the book dedication, the ending now has me in a f***ing chokehold!
It's like Kayla reached into my chest and pulled out all my emotions. She’s one of those authors that "if she writes it, I'm reading it."
There's so much deep world building and lore that it feels like this first book barely scratched the surface of everything that’s to come. It gave me TOG, but with a darker vibe.
The slow burn in this book was truly a SLOW BURN, which was refreshing because I've read many books that are marketed as a slow burn but it's really not (no hate to those books cause I still loved them!).
The lust/enemies-to-lovers dynamic between the leads was expertly done and had me hooked from the start. The banter was witty and entertaining, and the adventure was non-stop. The plotting was intricate and suspenseful, with plenty of twists and turns, and let's not forget the world building - it's rich and immersive, with a unique magic system that I’ve truly never read anything like it before.
Kayla has a way of crafting strong, complex women who are unapologetically themselves, and I adore that about her writing. Hints of the FMC revenge plot was expertly woven throughout the story, and I loved seeing our heroine take down her enemies with style and finesse.
On a more personal note, this book made me feel everything - rage, sadness, and emotional exhaustion. It's hard to put into words, but it's like this book tapped into the collective frustration and anger of women everywhere who are still in the continuous fight for the rights to their own bodies as well as the fight for people of the same-sex who should be able to love without fear of persecution. The way these issues were part of the story spoke to my soul and brought up all the rage I feel towards the people who have the audacity to think they have any right to take away basic human rights.
We need more stories like this - stories that challenge the status quo, push boundaries, and inspire change.
A Deathless Empire has all of this plus everything I love in a fantasy romance -
•adventure & world building
•found family & friendship
•banter & jokes
•a delicious and painful slow burn
•trauma and healing
•diversity
•”who did this to you?”
•one bed
•shadow mommy
•morally gray/black daddy
•spice🌶️🌶️
•enemies to lust to lovers
•a strong unapologetic FMC
•a feminist MMC
I’ll be waiting on the edge of my seat for all the following books!!
January 31, 2025
The world building is so so satisfying here. And the fact that we're not dealing with an innocent little girl is so so refreshing. Valide is an unapologetic woman. And I love this energy.
August 13, 2024
4 -⭐⭐⭐⭐
“… I look forward to the wonderful and terrible future we will wreak.”
“As will I.”
A Deathless Empire is the first installment in the adult fantasy romance by the same name. The story follows assassin and necromancer, Valina, after she is forced to work for a brutal king bent on creating an empire. As she becomes embroiled in his plots and political machinations, passions grow and suddenly all the rules she has built her life on begin to crumble. Yet when secrets surrounding her powers begin to grow Valina realizes fate seems to have bigger plans…with death at the center of them.
If you are looking for a growing epic fantasy this is a series to keep an eye out for!
Valina is a fierce assassin and she has kick butt skill. At the same time we do get to see a vulnerable side to her as she is confronted with truths and feelings she hasn’t really felt she can explore. I found the balance to be great and I am rooting for her even with the trail of bodies she leaves behind. Oh, also shadow magic is here to run the show and you will not believe what it can do!
Malik is a maniacal king who is our morally grey character. While he has good intentions he is not against deception and espionage to get his way. I like how honest and upfront he was to Valina about his intentions BUT that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a few secrets he is keeping close to his chest.
There are also a good variety of side characters that open things up. The one that stood out most to me was Sarim who really helped draw Valina into a found family situation. I also found befriending and engaging with characters of questionable morality (oh the corrupt nature of the aristocracy) really helped highlight this series is about shades of grey and not black and white.
This book does contain spice. I would say about 2 spicy peppers out of the 5 spicy peppers. There is some foreplay and teasing leading up the spice (and some cock blocking) but it is a slow burn with spice not really forming until the later second half. After the 80% you are going to see a few scenes. The spice is fun and explicit. There is some knife play and toying. Have fun!
“I won’t kiss you,” he whispered seductively. “That would be too much like a reward. I want to torture you, to have you crying out for the pleasure I’m withholding.”
In terms of the story this book felt very much like it was laying the ground for some pretty big events. The majority of it focuses on a plot Valina is to assist Malik in to weaken a different empire for him to take control in. There is heavy court politics and intrigue to explore here. I felt it really helped us explore the world and I was very curious with all the connections their work unearthed. You also have the additional plot of Valina exploring her powers of death magic and the role they play. I really liked how it developed in the second half with those breadcrumbs in the first half. Now one thing I would have liked was more banter between Malik and Valina. Their romance escalates quickly and I felt there weren't enough slices of life to give us a chance to explore this. That said there are some big action moments that help show their feelings. The ending hits us with a reveal that has me incredibly excited to see where things go from here.
Overall, I had a blast diving into another world of Kayla’s!
Thank you for the arc!
“… I look forward to the wonderful and terrible future we will wreak.”
“As will I.”
A Deathless Empire is the first installment in the adult fantasy romance by the same name. The story follows assassin and necromancer, Valina, after she is forced to work for a brutal king bent on creating an empire. As she becomes embroiled in his plots and political machinations, passions grow and suddenly all the rules she has built her life on begin to crumble. Yet when secrets surrounding her powers begin to grow Valina realizes fate seems to have bigger plans…with death at the center of them.
If you are looking for a growing epic fantasy this is a series to keep an eye out for!
Valina is a fierce assassin and she has kick butt skill. At the same time we do get to see a vulnerable side to her as she is confronted with truths and feelings she hasn’t really felt she can explore. I found the balance to be great and I am rooting for her even with the trail of bodies she leaves behind. Oh, also shadow magic is here to run the show and you will not believe what it can do!
Malik is a maniacal king who is our morally grey character. While he has good intentions he is not against deception and espionage to get his way. I like how honest and upfront he was to Valina about his intentions BUT that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a few secrets he is keeping close to his chest.
There are also a good variety of side characters that open things up. The one that stood out most to me was Sarim who really helped draw Valina into a found family situation. I also found befriending and engaging with characters of questionable morality (oh the corrupt nature of the aristocracy) really helped highlight this series is about shades of grey and not black and white.
This book does contain spice. I would say about 2 spicy peppers out of the 5 spicy peppers. There is some foreplay and teasing leading up the spice (and some cock blocking) but it is a slow burn with spice not really forming until the later second half. After the 80% you are going to see a few scenes. The spice is fun and explicit. There is some knife play and toying. Have fun!
“I won’t kiss you,” he whispered seductively. “That would be too much like a reward. I want to torture you, to have you crying out for the pleasure I’m withholding.”
In terms of the story this book felt very much like it was laying the ground for some pretty big events. The majority of it focuses on a plot Valina is to assist Malik in to weaken a different empire for him to take control in. There is heavy court politics and intrigue to explore here. I felt it really helped us explore the world and I was very curious with all the connections their work unearthed. You also have the additional plot of Valina exploring her powers of death magic and the role they play. I really liked how it developed in the second half with those breadcrumbs in the first half. Now one thing I would have liked was more banter between Malik and Valina. Their romance escalates quickly and I felt there weren't enough slices of life to give us a chance to explore this. That said there are some big action moments that help show their feelings. The ending hits us with a reveal that has me incredibly excited to see where things go from here.
Overall, I had a blast diving into another world of Kayla’s!
Thank you for the arc!
August 13, 2024
A Deathless Empire is absolutely one of those books that you just can't put down. I've been annoyingly busy lately, otherwise I would have ate this up so fast.
The twists and turns were never ending and I enjoyed every single one of them. You would get a small piece of information, but then the full picture would be revealed later, and I truly just loved the way Kayla wrote these scenes.
Now onto the juicy stuff. The slow burn was BURNING 🔥. I felt like I was waiting forever, but my god the wait was worth it. I love Malik and Valine, I think they are morally black perfection 🥹. I cant wait for them to continue to take on the world together. I NEED more asap 🥵🖤.
I obviously highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who loves these tropes:
🖤 Adventure & World building
☠️ Found Family & Friendships
🖤 Banter
☠️ Slow Burn
🖤 Trauma & Healing
☠️ Diversity
🖤 "Who did this to you?"
☠️ One Bed
🖤 Shadow Mommy
☠️ Morally Grey / Black Daddy (&mommy)
🖤 Enemies to Lust to Lovers
☠️ A Strong Unapologetic FMC
🖤 A Feminist MMC
*** Please note, although I received this ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own ! ***
The twists and turns were never ending and I enjoyed every single one of them. You would get a small piece of information, but then the full picture would be revealed later, and I truly just loved the way Kayla wrote these scenes.
Now onto the juicy stuff. The slow burn was BURNING 🔥. I felt like I was waiting forever, but my god the wait was worth it. I love Malik and Valine, I think they are morally black perfection 🥹. I cant wait for them to continue to take on the world together. I NEED more asap 🥵🖤.
I obviously highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who loves these tropes:
🖤 Adventure & World building
☠️ Found Family & Friendships
🖤 Banter
☠️ Slow Burn
🖤 Trauma & Healing
☠️ Diversity
🖤 "Who did this to you?"
☠️ One Bed
🖤 Shadow Mommy
☠️ Morally Grey / Black Daddy (&mommy)
🖤 Enemies to Lust to Lovers
☠️ A Strong Unapologetic FMC
🖤 A Feminist MMC
*** Please note, although I received this ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own ! ***
August 6, 2024
I love Kayla’s writing so much. This book is filled with incredible characters and really interesting and exciting world building. To think this was just one continent in the world Kayla has created makes me look forward to the next installments so we can learn more about these other locations too!
The romance? Phew. Valine and Malik have insta-lust as soon as they meet, but the slow burn is real, you guys. They flirt and dance around their attraction in such a tantalizing way, and I love how Kayla has weaved their initial lust into a love story to rival the best. I adore them.
“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦.” 🫠🫡
The found family! So good! I LOVE Alastair- love love love. Of course, I also love the rest of their little group, and how they all accepted Valine, no questions asked. Found family is one of the best story beats out there.
I haven’t read a lot of books dealing with necromancy, and I really enjoyed Kayla’s take on it. The entire magic system was so cool and unique! Valine is a baddie, that’s for sure.
This story has dark themes and dark elements. These are not your average heroes- these characters are morally gray and at times, morally black. I encourage readers to check into the TW. Especially for some on-page scenarios.
Thank you to the author for sending me this ARC, and I can’t wait to see what happens next 😊😊
The romance? Phew. Valine and Malik have insta-lust as soon as they meet, but the slow burn is real, you guys. They flirt and dance around their attraction in such a tantalizing way, and I love how Kayla has weaved their initial lust into a love story to rival the best. I adore them.
“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦.” 🫠🫡
The found family! So good! I LOVE Alastair- love love love. Of course, I also love the rest of their little group, and how they all accepted Valine, no questions asked. Found family is one of the best story beats out there.
I haven’t read a lot of books dealing with necromancy, and I really enjoyed Kayla’s take on it. The entire magic system was so cool and unique! Valine is a baddie, that’s for sure.
This story has dark themes and dark elements. These are not your average heroes- these characters are morally gray and at times, morally black. I encourage readers to check into the TW. Especially for some on-page scenarios.
Thank you to the author for sending me this ARC, and I can’t wait to see what happens next 😊😊
July 21, 2024
✨️ARC review of A Deathless Empire by Kalya McGrath✨️
Genre:
Adult fantasy, romance.
Brief description:
Willing to be the villain to ensure the continent’s freedoms from a tyrannical reign of archaic values, Valine sets off with her shadowy magic to plot the downfall of a country.
But she begins to break her one remaining rule—falling for an employer. And to make matters worse, Malik wants her too.
My review:
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
✨️Definitely check out the trigger warnings✨️
Absolutely amazing! Everything about it, the characters, the tension, the world building, everything so wonderfully written! I didn't want to put it down, and when I had to put it down, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was fast-paced, and the FMC is everything 😍
I'm foaming at the mouth to read the next book in this series, and in the meantime, I will be reading her other books!
10 out of 10 recommend!
Genre:
Adult fantasy, romance.
Brief description:
Willing to be the villain to ensure the continent’s freedoms from a tyrannical reign of archaic values, Valine sets off with her shadowy magic to plot the downfall of a country.
But she begins to break her one remaining rule—falling for an employer. And to make matters worse, Malik wants her too.
My review:
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
✨️Definitely check out the trigger warnings✨️
Absolutely amazing! Everything about it, the characters, the tension, the world building, everything so wonderfully written! I didn't want to put it down, and when I had to put it down, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was fast-paced, and the FMC is everything 😍
I'm foaming at the mouth to read the next book in this series, and in the meantime, I will be reading her other books!
10 out of 10 recommend!
August 1, 2024
I was so thoroughly impressed by this book. Kayla’s writing style alone is quite wonderful, and the tone of the book feels like you’re friends with the main character, Valine - in a casual way that’s also personal. You really feel like you can relate to her and know exactly what she’s going through. It also helps that Valine is a total badass. I felt the feminine rage through the entire book, and loved how she navigated through certain injustices.
And I can’t forget Malik. Possessive enough to be hot while not controlling, and still allowing Valine to do be exactly who she is.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
Looking forward to book 2!
And I can’t forget Malik. Possessive enough to be hot while not controlling, and still allowing Valine to do be exactly who she is.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
Looking forward to book 2!
August 6, 2024
"...I look forward to the wonderful and terrible future we will wreak."
"As will I."
I love Kayla's writing. Her worlds are complex and engolves me from the first pages. All her characters are well defined and always developing and growing.
A Deathless Empire is a growing epic fantasy you should read!
Valina is a fierce assassin with incredible skills and a good moral compass. She also has a vulnerable side which is shown only for a bit as she is confronted with truths an feelings she never felt.
I am curious to find out more about her magic and fate.
Malik is the maniacal king, our morally grey character. I like how honest and straightforward he was to Valine about his intentions but he still has some well kept secrets. I wonder what those are.
There also a good variety of side characters I love and wait to develop.
It is hard to put into words the amalgam of emotions this book made made me feel. After reading it, I have to agree with its dedication, it really is "For those who felt pure feminine rage when they told you what you couldn't do with your body."
"As will I."
I love Kayla's writing. Her worlds are complex and engolves me from the first pages. All her characters are well defined and always developing and growing.
A Deathless Empire is a growing epic fantasy you should read!
Valina is a fierce assassin with incredible skills and a good moral compass. She also has a vulnerable side which is shown only for a bit as she is confronted with truths an feelings she never felt.
I am curious to find out more about her magic and fate.
Malik is the maniacal king, our morally grey character. I like how honest and straightforward he was to Valine about his intentions but he still has some well kept secrets. I wonder what those are.
There also a good variety of side characters I love and wait to develop.
It is hard to put into words the amalgam of emotions this book made made me feel. After reading it, I have to agree with its dedication, it really is "For those who felt pure feminine rage when they told you what you couldn't do with your body."
August 8, 2024
I could not put this one down until I was finished (to the point I was using the screen reader function on my kindle so I could read while I worked 🤭😆) This gave me some TOG vibes, while managing to be it's own thing, which was an amazing feat on the author's part 👏🏻
Valine is an assassin who only has a few rules regarding the types of jobs she takes, the most important being that she doesn't work for royals. It's too bad that Malik doesn't give a shit about her rules and hires her anyway, giving her little choice in the matter. The immediate attraction and tension between Valine and Malik is palpable, and it only gets worse the longer they have to be near each other. As well as more obvious to everyone around them that they are attracted to one another. But with plots in play, and assassinations to plan, the last thing on Valines' mind is the enigmatic king. There were so many times I was screaming with joy and gasping in shock while reading this novel, and I absolutely cannot wait to read the next one when it comes out. (I lie, I can wait but I'll be thinking about this book for a long while haha)
Valine is an assassin who only has a few rules regarding the types of jobs she takes, the most important being that she doesn't work for royals. It's too bad that Malik doesn't give a shit about her rules and hires her anyway, giving her little choice in the matter. The immediate attraction and tension between Valine and Malik is palpable, and it only gets worse the longer they have to be near each other. As well as more obvious to everyone around them that they are attracted to one another. But with plots in play, and assassinations to plan, the last thing on Valines' mind is the enigmatic king. There were so many times I was screaming with joy and gasping in shock while reading this novel, and I absolutely cannot wait to read the next one when it comes out. (I lie, I can wait but I'll be thinking about this book for a long while haha)
July 27, 2024
This enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romantasy was amazing. The world-building was the perfect balance of explanation and action. I felt like I understood what was happening but wasn't getting bogged down with too many details.
The main characters were also so well-developed that I felt I could feel what they were experiencing. Between the revenge, plot twists, banter, and spice, this has become one of my favorite fantasy reads for the year.
The main characters were also so well-developed that I felt I could feel what they were experiencing. Between the revenge, plot twists, banter, and spice, this has become one of my favorite fantasy reads for the year.
July 19, 2024
Effin incredible!!!! Grabs you from the first page!!! bad ass Val and hot af Malik and all the other characters I grew to love so much… action packed… hilarious… drama… that slow burn was 🥵🥵🥵🥵 and worth the wait… magick & mythical creatures… now to not so patiently wait for book 2… can’t wait to get a physical copy
August 6, 2024
This is only the second book I’ve read of Kayla’s but I knew I was in good hands and that it wouldn’t disappoint. Valine is everything and Malik is delicious. Not to mention how much I fell in love with the rest of their entourage. The banter and tension leading up to the spice is soooo good. And the world building/adventure was refreshing since I haven’t read any books that are heavy in those elements lately. A perfect read if you’re wanting something with a good solid plot that builds alongside the romance aspect.
March 7, 2025
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡.
A Deathless Empire
Series: Book #1
Rating⭐️: 4
Spice🌶️: 2
POV🗣️: Single POV, 3rd person
Read this series if you like -
✔️He’s the king, she’s his hired assassin 👑🗡️
✔️Scheming and Plotting
✔️Warring Kingdoms
✔️Feminine Rage
✔️Mythical Creatures
✔️Badass Necromancer FMC
✔️Interesting Magic System
✔️Found Family and Friendships
✔️Court Intrigue
Came for the cover, stayed for the story ❤️🔥
If you’re in the market for a fast paced story with interesting, complex characters, then this one’s for you. A Deathless Empire follows Valine, a for-hire assassin who is hired by a king, the MMC. What starts as a job, turns into a call to destiny as she finds a place amongst new friends.
“I don’t sleep with people I work for” okay miss lady we know how that goes. 😏 The sexual tension between Valine and Malik is just *chef’s kiss* - there is instant attraction between the two of them but it was because the characters were just open about their sexuality and made it clear from day 1, which was refreshing. I love how open all the main characters were, especially Valine. She was unapologetically herself and steadfast in her values. Speaking of which, I love that real world issues, such as equality for same-sex relationships and bodily autonomy for females, was woven into the plot.
The ending was a badass mic drop moment, which was a breath of fresh air from all the cliffhangers lately, but also still made me excited for the next book. Overall this set a good foundation for an epic fantasy and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes us!
The dedication: “For those who felt pure feminine rage when they told you what you couldn’t do with your body.”
🗣️I will not see our world turn back centuries on the whims of bored old men.”
A Deathless Empire
Series: Book #1
Rating⭐️: 4
Spice🌶️: 2
POV🗣️: Single POV, 3rd person
Read this series if you like -
✔️He’s the king, she’s his hired assassin 👑🗡️
✔️Scheming and Plotting
✔️Warring Kingdoms
✔️Feminine Rage
✔️Mythical Creatures
✔️Badass Necromancer FMC
✔️Interesting Magic System
✔️Found Family and Friendships
✔️Court Intrigue
Came for the cover, stayed for the story ❤️🔥
If you’re in the market for a fast paced story with interesting, complex characters, then this one’s for you. A Deathless Empire follows Valine, a for-hire assassin who is hired by a king, the MMC. What starts as a job, turns into a call to destiny as she finds a place amongst new friends.
“I don’t sleep with people I work for” okay miss lady we know how that goes. 😏 The sexual tension between Valine and Malik is just *chef’s kiss* - there is instant attraction between the two of them but it was because the characters were just open about their sexuality and made it clear from day 1, which was refreshing. I love how open all the main characters were, especially Valine. She was unapologetically herself and steadfast in her values. Speaking of which, I love that real world issues, such as equality for same-sex relationships and bodily autonomy for females, was woven into the plot.
The ending was a badass mic drop moment, which was a breath of fresh air from all the cliffhangers lately, but also still made me excited for the next book. Overall this set a good foundation for an epic fantasy and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes us!
The dedication: “For those who felt pure feminine rage when they told you what you couldn’t do with your body.”
🗣️I will not see our world turn back centuries on the whims of bored old men.”
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews