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The City of Fantome #1
The Dagger and the Flame
From the number one bestselling author Catherine Doyle comes the most fiery enemies-to-lovers romantasy of the year. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo and Stephanie Garber.
In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love…
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?
Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before… Among rumours of monsters stalking the streets and the rival guilds grappling for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are drawn together by something more than just magic and must face a deadly choice - forgiveness or vengeance? Kiss or kill? Dagger or Flame?
In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love…
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?
Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before… Among rumours of monsters stalking the streets and the rival guilds grappling for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are drawn together by something more than just magic and must face a deadly choice - forgiveness or vengeance? Kiss or kill? Dagger or Flame?
509 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2024
1566 people are currently reading
59387 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Doyle
21 books2,624 followersCatherine Doyle grew up in the West of Ireland. She holds a first-class BA in Psychology and a first-class MA in Publishing. She is the author of the Young Adult Blood for Blood trilogy (Vendetta, Inferno and Mafiosa), which is often described as Romeo and Juliet meets the Godfather. It was inspired by her love of modern cinema. Her debut Middle Grade novel, The Storm Keeper's Island (Bloomsbury, 2018), is an adventure story about family, bravery and self-discovery. It is set on the magical island of Arranmore, where her grandparents grew up, and is inspired by her ancestors' real life daring sea rescues.
Aside from more conventional interests in movies, running and travelling, Catherine also enjoys writing about herself in the third-person.
Aside from more conventional interests in movies, running and travelling, Catherine also enjoys writing about herself in the third-person.
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January 8, 2025sad that shadow and bone got cancelled? here's freddy carter voicing a character named Ransom, for your troubles
October 4, 2024
3.75!
“He only stared at her, as if she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. A slant of sunlight breaking through a storm. A lone star in a cloud-swept night.”
Oh my god I was so immersed in this book!! Don't be discouraged by my rating because I enjoyed this book a lot! These are good 3 stars, like I enjoyed the book a lot but had a few problems that bugged me. Lets start with the thing that had me hooked and it was Doyle's writing style, it was so fun and it had it all, you would be hooked from the first page, you will enjoy the fuck out of the story and the characters and the banter between them was sooo good, if that wasn't enough it did deliver on the enemies to lovers!! I usually like enemies to lovers when they're enemies even after the first and tho it wasn't the case in this book I enjoyed it a lot. If you want a good hooking book this would be the one and it's perfect for Autumn since it has that vibe. Also this book is marketed as YA but I think it falls slightly in the NA or Upper YA, it is pretty YA in terms of reading and the tones and themes discussed but there is one slightly explicit scene and foul language.
“When the world is at its darkest, we must reach bravely through the shadows to find where the light blooms.”
Seraphine, it's such a gorgeous name tbh like its so fun to say and also a relief to say that she lived up to that. I liked how snarky she was and me like our mmc doubted her at the beginning but she totally surprised me. I love characters that our driven by curiosity but know when to stop and they are even more when they have a pet with them who they care for more than anything and that would be Seraphine. Reading her monologue was so much more enjoyable than the mmcs. Ransom our male main character and when I first came across him my first thought was 'What the fuck is that name?' but thankfully that isn't his real name but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed his monologue, I did prefer Seraphine's over his but I liked his character, I like how he was made to kill but clouded by morality but his character was one of the reasons why I gave this book a 3 as I did not feel satisfied with his arc and it felt very incomplete.
“The chase was his favorite part of a job. It turned Fantome into his own personal playground, every building a ladder, every shadow a slide.”
The romance was sooo good, it was actually so good, like it was swoon worthy. The way Ransom's head was clouded by the thoughts of Seraphine. The notes shared between them were actually so giggly and feet kicking also pillow screaming worthy, The knife to the throat scene. The way they went from I wanna kill you to I love you had me bouncing off my walls. The banter between those, the whole chase thing was so fun. The scene near the end was sooo hot I actually wanted more!! It was well done, It definitely did deliver on the romance part.
“In Fantome, shadows were dangerous. Anything could be hiding inside them. Anyone.”
Okay so these are the main problems that I found:
The plot was not that strong and it dragged a little bit during the second half, I needed more when it came to the world building it was something that I felt missing and found it to be affecting my enjoyment, the side characters needed to be more prominent for me to actually feel something for them and to enjoy their banter and one more thing was needing more from the MMC but I think that these thing will be dealt within the second book so I am very, very, very excited about it and I can't for it!!!
Overall, I enjoyed this book so much and I would definitely recommend!!
___
I heard this is enemies to lovers done right and I am not ready to finish the last book of twin crowns (I heard my ships not happening) :( but I am so excited to read this!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for a E-Arc of this book*
“He only stared at her, as if she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. A slant of sunlight breaking through a storm. A lone star in a cloud-swept night.”
Oh my god I was so immersed in this book!! Don't be discouraged by my rating because I enjoyed this book a lot! These are good 3 stars, like I enjoyed the book a lot but had a few problems that bugged me. Lets start with the thing that had me hooked and it was Doyle's writing style, it was so fun and it had it all, you would be hooked from the first page, you will enjoy the fuck out of the story and the characters and the banter between them was sooo good, if that wasn't enough it did deliver on the enemies to lovers!! I usually like enemies to lovers when they're enemies even after the first and tho it wasn't the case in this book I enjoyed it a lot. If you want a good hooking book this would be the one and it's perfect for Autumn since it has that vibe. Also this book is marketed as YA but I think it falls slightly in the NA or Upper YA, it is pretty YA in terms of reading and the tones and themes discussed but there is one slightly explicit scene and foul language.
“When the world is at its darkest, we must reach bravely through the shadows to find where the light blooms.”
Seraphine, it's such a gorgeous name tbh like its so fun to say and also a relief to say that she lived up to that. I liked how snarky she was and me like our mmc doubted her at the beginning but she totally surprised me. I love characters that our driven by curiosity but know when to stop and they are even more when they have a pet with them who they care for more than anything and that would be Seraphine. Reading her monologue was so much more enjoyable than the mmcs. Ransom our male main character and when I first came across him my first thought was 'What the fuck is that name?' but thankfully that isn't his real name but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed his monologue, I did prefer Seraphine's over his but I liked his character, I like how he was made to kill but clouded by morality but his character was one of the reasons why I gave this book a 3 as I did not feel satisfied with his arc and it felt very incomplete.
“The chase was his favorite part of a job. It turned Fantome into his own personal playground, every building a ladder, every shadow a slide.”
The romance was sooo good, it was actually so good, like it was swoon worthy. The way Ransom's head was clouded by the thoughts of Seraphine. The notes shared between them were actually so giggly and feet kicking also pillow screaming worthy, The knife to the throat scene. The way they went from I wanna kill you to I love you had me bouncing off my walls. The banter between those, the whole chase thing was so fun. The scene near the end was sooo hot I actually wanted more!! It was well done, It definitely did deliver on the romance part.
“In Fantome, shadows were dangerous. Anything could be hiding inside them. Anyone.”
Okay so these are the main problems that I found:
The plot was not that strong and it dragged a little bit during the second half, I needed more when it came to the world building it was something that I felt missing and found it to be affecting my enjoyment, the side characters needed to be more prominent for me to actually feel something for them and to enjoy their banter and one more thing was needing more from the MMC but I think that these thing will be dealt within the second book so I am very, very, very excited about it and I can't for it!!!
Overall, I enjoyed this book so much and I would definitely recommend!!
___
I heard this is enemies to lovers done right and I am not ready to finish the last book of twin crowns (I heard my ships not happening) :( but I am so excited to read this!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for a E-Arc of this book*
September 27, 2024
➸ 5 stars
— thank you to netgalley, the publishers, and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
🗡️ enemies to lovers
🔥 thieves and assassins
🗡️ revenge
🔥 shade magic
🗡️ forbidden romance
🔥 forced proximity
🗡️ touch her and you die
🔥 found family
“The rule was simple: Daggers and Cloaks stayed out of each other’s way. Daggers didn’t thieve and Cloaks didn’t murder.”
In this epic enemies to lovers romantasy we have two rival groups, the Cloaks and the Daggers, the thieves and the assassins. In a deadly game of revenge, the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love…
“Playing with magic was like playing with fire, and in the end, someone always got burned.”
immediately when i finished this book, i knew my review was going to be extremely long which unmotivated me to actually write it and i figured now that it’s release day i’d sit down and write it. it’s not my best and definitely a little sloppy since i read this a month ago so my memory is kinda iffy…
“When the world is at its darkest, we must reach bravely through the shadows to find where the light blooms.”
i absolutely LOVED this book. i devoured it and couldn’t get enough. it had everything i’d ever want in a romantasy and in my opinion the enemies to lovers was done SO WELL!! this was utterly ADDICTING and unputdownable. I loved the writing, the prose, the tropes were perfect and this book just has a tight grip on me! i’ll definitely be reading Catherine Doyle’s other books because i entirely fell in love with this one.
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
“She would not cower. She would not be afraid.”
➺ seraphine - she’s the dreamer. the girl who wishes for freedom, for the kind of adventure she reads about in books, for a life that makes her feel like she’s truly living. i loved her so much. she’s strong and determined, but also softhearted. i loved seeing her just… try. i can’t forget to mention her dog pippin!!! he’s the cutest companion ever and a real one for always noticing someone lurking in the shadows…
“She was a woman now, a living flame of power and vengeance, and she was done hiding.”
after everything that happened at the beginning, i loved how determined seraphine was throughout this story and seeing her bravery was amazing!! i did guess one of the plot twists from the very beginning because it was very predictable but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment!!
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
“Home is not just a place. It’s people. It’s family.”
“In such a short space of time, these people had become unimaginably important to her”
the side characters? AMAZING. bibi, val, and theo were the most amazing friends and provided humor to this story and i loved every second they were mentioned!! i wish i picked out quotes for them but trust me they’re funny, loyal, and theo is quite flirty!! i loved the found family that was starting to form here and i can’t wait to see more of it considering how the ending was set up!!
“Nothing in this world is ever black-and-white. What we do is not always who we are.”
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
“The chase was his favorite part of a job. It turned Fantome into his own personal playground, every building a ladder, every shadow a slide.”
➺ ransom - the heir to the order of daggers. he is brutal, dangerous; taught to never indulge in sympathy, never feel and never hesitate on a kill. one even says he is death himself.
“Sometimes Ransom wandered until his heart ached, just to remind himself it was still there.”
he is also someone who’s shade powers consume him in an unhealthy way, eating him alive until one day there is nothing left. he is afraid. afraid to leave what he knows. afraid of the unknown. and afraid to be alone. i absolutely loved his character and the amount of emotion in here and i loved reading about him.
he is also hot LOL…
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
‼️ these next parts will include a lot of quotes (mostly banter between the main characters) so if you’d like to know nothing about their dynamic feel free to skip (no direct spoilers to the story/plot ‼️
“Whatever she was doing, it irritated him.
“Get up,” me muttered. “Get up and run.”
Let me chase you.”
the entire cat and mouse game between them had me HOOKED and i loved every second of it. from the very first chapter we see the fmc running through the city and the mmc is secretly following her because she’s his target and that just set everything up so perfectly for the rest of the book and it just got even better after that!!!! someone was always lurking in the shadows…
“One eye was half bronze, as though whatever divine being had painted Seraphine Marchant had run out of sky, and had to reach, instead, for earth. She looked all the more interesting for it. And he was a fool for admitting it. For noticing it at all.”
the writing in that paragraph? BEAUTIFUL. I also loved how he immediately noticed her features and then proceeded to describe her eyes like that?! LOVE. IT.
let’s get into some banter now shall we ;)
“How long have you been following me.”
“Quite a while, but you already know that.”
“For a Dagger, you’re not exactly subtle.”
“He leaned forward and plucked a shard of glass from her hair. “For a Cloak, neither are you.”
“Stalker.”
“I prefer the term ‘assassin.’” he said, tossing it aside.”
“What about gutless prick?”
“No, I don’t think I like that one.”
every scene they had was filled with so much tension and i ate it up!!!! i was literally giggling and kicking my feet at EVERY interaction they had and i quite literally highlight full pages on my kindle and i think that’s going to be very obvious by how many quotes i use and i am not sorry about that because i have to include them all for myself. heh…
“He felt bad about having to kill her before—hesitated, even, and more than once—but now … Now, he really was going to murder her.”
“He almost felt sorry for her. But this was war, and she has drawn first blood. He had thirty-six stitches in his side to prove it.
So he dragged a finger across, and mouthed, I’m going to fucking kill you.”
i loved how in this book they actually tried to kill each other, wanted to kill each other and attempted it many times while also having all the murderous thoughts!! they are TRUE enemies and i was utterly obsessed!! knifes where used, stabs happened, punches were thrown, concussions occurred, blood made quite the appearance, you get what i mean ;)
“Nice try, spitfire.”
“Nasty nosebleed you’ve got there, Ransom.”
“Plenty more glass bottles where that one came from,”
“Truce?”
“No. Let’s talk.”
“I thought you wanted to kill me.”
“Believe it or not, I’m trying really hard to resist.”
“What was all that mouthing about at the Aurore, then? Foreplay?”
“Old habits.”
one thing i LOVED was how they started to call each other theirs… he was her dagger and she was his spitfire and it felt like they thought of each other that way subconsciously without even knowing they were doing it in a way and i absolutely LOVED IT.
“If Ransom had taken shade today, he would have leaped at golden boy Lorenzo like a panther and torn him off her.
Threatening Seraphine was his job.”
THE POSSESSIVENESS?!!!!! GAHHHHHHH OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND THIS MADE ME GIGGLE
“You missed my liver, Seraphine. If you come outside, I’ll let you trace my scar to prove it.”
“Careful, Dagger. I might burn you again.”
“Maybe I want to burn, spitfire.”
“Go to hell, Ransom.”
“Already there, Seraphine.”
they’re enemies… but he comes into enemy territory to stalk around the place she’s staying. they’re enemies but they send threatening letters through her high story bedroom window. they’re enemies, but they start to make each other laugh. they’re enemies, but he draws a picture of her in the moment. they’re enemies. but the letters start turning more humorous. they’re enemies, but they look forward to the letters. they’re enemies, but the lines are starting to blur. AHHHHHHH
“There you are. Enjoying the view?”
“You’re touching me.”
“Just trying to restore your pulse. It’s racing.”
WHEEEWW they made me so giggly and giddy istg
“Three times tonight, she has faced death. Three times he had saved her. And this time. he had the nerve to do it looking like that.”
the question now is whether to kiss or to kill. the lines are blurry. they start saving each other and start feeling concerned for each other. understanding is starting to form and he no longer wants to do what he’s been told to do…
“Seraphine was a spitfire. And Ransom wanted to burn.”
now time for some more exquisite banter
“If you want to kiss me, just say so.”
“You’re projecting, Ransom. You know I prefer stabbing you.”
“Maybe you’re right, maybe I want to know what that smart mouth tastes like.”
“You came back”
“After that kiss, did you really think I could stay away?”
i know there is a lot of quotes but trust me there are so many more moments like these in the book that didn’t quite make the cut into the review and they are yummy!
“And even though he was still a well-seasoned assassin and their truce teetered on the knife edge of their mutual curiosity, she felt like in that moment they were something else—two lost souls, left adrift in the same dark sea.”
“Ransom’s laughter burst out of him, catching flight and soaring up to the roof. It was music she could listen to over and over again.”
“He saw that fear—knew it as intimately as his own. And he wanted to take it from her. To shoulder it, until she could breathe again.”
“He only stared at her, as if she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. A slant of sunlight breaking through a storm. A lone star in a cloud-swept night.”
OH MY GODDDDD I LOVE THEM SO MUCH ITS INSANE
‼️THESE NEXT QUOTES ARE VERY SPOILERY SO PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOK AND SOMEHOW COME ACROSS THIS REVIEW‼️
“Run away with me,” “Tonight. Tomorrow. Yesterday. I don’t care. We have the same dream. Let’s chase it together.”
“You still want to runaway with me? Even after everything that’s happened?”
“He was already nodding. “For ten years, I’ve prayed to Saint Oriel, asking her for a better life than this one. For a kinder fate. The courage to chase it. I never really believed she could hear me down here in the dark, or that even if she could, she would ever bend her ear to the pleas of a Dagger. I almost gave up. And then you came barreling over the horizon like a runaway sun. You shattered the darkness, Seraphine. And I realize now that all these years I wasn’t wishing for freedom. I was wishing for you.”
“His name felt like another secret between them. She liked what it did to his face, filling it with light, and a kind of beauty that was different from the brooding handsomeness she had come to know. It was like sunlight on the plains, the first fall of snow in the winter. It was hope for something beyond this night, beyond this place, and whatever that something turned out to be, she wanted to be a part of it.”
“Sera didn’t care about money. She only cared about the man with autumn-kissed eyes and ink-black hair whose smile knocked the breath from her lungs and whose kiss made her heart sing.”
IM SICKKKKKK SO SICKKKKKKK I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AMD THESE QUOTES ARE EVERYTHING TO ME. they were meant to find each other. they saved each other. I AM ON THE FLOOR CRYING UGH from the very beginning they had a connection to the dancing swan and the exact place they were at just seemed like fate. THE ENDING?! SICK ABSOLUTELY SICK i can’t wait for the next book but oh my gawd it’s gonna hurt!
“In Fantome, shadows were dangerous. Anything could be hiding inside them. Anyone.”
— thank you to netgalley, the publishers, and the author for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
🗡️ enemies to lovers
🔥 thieves and assassins
🗡️ revenge
🔥 shade magic
🗡️ forbidden romance
🔥 forced proximity
🗡️ touch her and you die
🔥 found family
“The rule was simple: Daggers and Cloaks stayed out of each other’s way. Daggers didn’t thieve and Cloaks didn’t murder.”
In this epic enemies to lovers romantasy we have two rival groups, the Cloaks and the Daggers, the thieves and the assassins. In a deadly game of revenge, the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love…
“Playing with magic was like playing with fire, and in the end, someone always got burned.”
immediately when i finished this book, i knew my review was going to be extremely long which unmotivated me to actually write it and i figured now that it’s release day i’d sit down and write it. it’s not my best and definitely a little sloppy since i read this a month ago so my memory is kinda iffy…
“When the world is at its darkest, we must reach bravely through the shadows to find where the light blooms.”
i absolutely LOVED this book. i devoured it and couldn’t get enough. it had everything i’d ever want in a romantasy and in my opinion the enemies to lovers was done SO WELL!! this was utterly ADDICTING and unputdownable. I loved the writing, the prose, the tropes were perfect and this book just has a tight grip on me! i’ll definitely be reading Catherine Doyle’s other books because i entirely fell in love with this one.
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
“She would not cower. She would not be afraid.”
➺ seraphine - she’s the dreamer. the girl who wishes for freedom, for the kind of adventure she reads about in books, for a life that makes her feel like she’s truly living. i loved her so much. she’s strong and determined, but also softhearted. i loved seeing her just… try. i can’t forget to mention her dog pippin!!! he’s the cutest companion ever and a real one for always noticing someone lurking in the shadows…
“She was a woman now, a living flame of power and vengeance, and she was done hiding.”
after everything that happened at the beginning, i loved how determined seraphine was throughout this story and seeing her bravery was amazing!! i did guess one of the plot twists from the very beginning because it was very predictable but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment!!
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
“Home is not just a place. It’s people. It’s family.”
“In such a short space of time, these people had become unimaginably important to her”
the side characters? AMAZING. bibi, val, and theo were the most amazing friends and provided humor to this story and i loved every second they were mentioned!! i wish i picked out quotes for them but trust me they’re funny, loyal, and theo is quite flirty!! i loved the found family that was starting to form here and i can’t wait to see more of it considering how the ending was set up!!
“Nothing in this world is ever black-and-white. What we do is not always who we are.”
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
“The chase was his favorite part of a job. It turned Fantome into his own personal playground, every building a ladder, every shadow a slide.”
➺ ransom - the heir to the order of daggers. he is brutal, dangerous; taught to never indulge in sympathy, never feel and never hesitate on a kill. one even says he is death himself.
“Sometimes Ransom wandered until his heart ached, just to remind himself it was still there.”
he is also someone who’s shade powers consume him in an unhealthy way, eating him alive until one day there is nothing left. he is afraid. afraid to leave what he knows. afraid of the unknown. and afraid to be alone. i absolutely loved his character and the amount of emotion in here and i loved reading about him.
he is also hot LOL…
· · ────────── ·𖥸· ────────── · ·
‼️ these next parts will include a lot of quotes (mostly banter between the main characters) so if you’d like to know nothing about their dynamic feel free to skip (no direct spoilers to the story/plot ‼️
“Whatever she was doing, it irritated him.
“Get up,” me muttered. “Get up and run.”
Let me chase you.”
the entire cat and mouse game between them had me HOOKED and i loved every second of it. from the very first chapter we see the fmc running through the city and the mmc is secretly following her because she’s his target and that just set everything up so perfectly for the rest of the book and it just got even better after that!!!! someone was always lurking in the shadows…
“One eye was half bronze, as though whatever divine being had painted Seraphine Marchant had run out of sky, and had to reach, instead, for earth. She looked all the more interesting for it. And he was a fool for admitting it. For noticing it at all.”
the writing in that paragraph? BEAUTIFUL. I also loved how he immediately noticed her features and then proceeded to describe her eyes like that?! LOVE. IT.
let’s get into some banter now shall we ;)
“How long have you been following me.”
“Quite a while, but you already know that.”
“For a Dagger, you’re not exactly subtle.”
“He leaned forward and plucked a shard of glass from her hair. “For a Cloak, neither are you.”
“Stalker.”
“I prefer the term ‘assassin.’” he said, tossing it aside.”
“What about gutless prick?”
“No, I don’t think I like that one.”
every scene they had was filled with so much tension and i ate it up!!!! i was literally giggling and kicking my feet at EVERY interaction they had and i quite literally highlight full pages on my kindle and i think that’s going to be very obvious by how many quotes i use and i am not sorry about that because i have to include them all for myself. heh…
“He felt bad about having to kill her before—hesitated, even, and more than once—but now … Now, he really was going to murder her.”
“He almost felt sorry for her. But this was war, and she has drawn first blood. He had thirty-six stitches in his side to prove it.
So he dragged a finger across, and mouthed, I’m going to fucking kill you.”
i loved how in this book they actually tried to kill each other, wanted to kill each other and attempted it many times while also having all the murderous thoughts!! they are TRUE enemies and i was utterly obsessed!! knifes where used, stabs happened, punches were thrown, concussions occurred, blood made quite the appearance, you get what i mean ;)
“Nice try, spitfire.”
“Nasty nosebleed you’ve got there, Ransom.”
“Plenty more glass bottles where that one came from,”
“Truce?”
“No. Let’s talk.”
“I thought you wanted to kill me.”
“Believe it or not, I’m trying really hard to resist.”
“What was all that mouthing about at the Aurore, then? Foreplay?”
“Old habits.”
one thing i LOVED was how they started to call each other theirs… he was her dagger and she was his spitfire and it felt like they thought of each other that way subconsciously without even knowing they were doing it in a way and i absolutely LOVED IT.
“If Ransom had taken shade today, he would have leaped at golden boy Lorenzo like a panther and torn him off her.
Threatening Seraphine was his job.”
THE POSSESSIVENESS?!!!!! GAHHHHHHH OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH AND THIS MADE ME GIGGLE
“You missed my liver, Seraphine. If you come outside, I’ll let you trace my scar to prove it.”
“Careful, Dagger. I might burn you again.”
“Maybe I want to burn, spitfire.”
“Go to hell, Ransom.”
“Already there, Seraphine.”
they’re enemies… but he comes into enemy territory to stalk around the place she’s staying. they’re enemies but they send threatening letters through her high story bedroom window. they’re enemies, but they start to make each other laugh. they’re enemies, but he draws a picture of her in the moment. they’re enemies. but the letters start turning more humorous. they’re enemies, but they look forward to the letters. they’re enemies, but the lines are starting to blur. AHHHHHHH
“There you are. Enjoying the view?”
“You’re touching me.”
“Just trying to restore your pulse. It’s racing.”
WHEEEWW they made me so giggly and giddy istg
“Three times tonight, she has faced death. Three times he had saved her. And this time. he had the nerve to do it looking like that.”
the question now is whether to kiss or to kill. the lines are blurry. they start saving each other and start feeling concerned for each other. understanding is starting to form and he no longer wants to do what he’s been told to do…
“Seraphine was a spitfire. And Ransom wanted to burn.”
now time for some more exquisite banter
“If you want to kiss me, just say so.”
“You’re projecting, Ransom. You know I prefer stabbing you.”
“Maybe you’re right, maybe I want to know what that smart mouth tastes like.”
“You came back”
“After that kiss, did you really think I could stay away?”
i know there is a lot of quotes but trust me there are so many more moments like these in the book that didn’t quite make the cut into the review and they are yummy!
“And even though he was still a well-seasoned assassin and their truce teetered on the knife edge of their mutual curiosity, she felt like in that moment they were something else—two lost souls, left adrift in the same dark sea.”
“Ransom’s laughter burst out of him, catching flight and soaring up to the roof. It was music she could listen to over and over again.”
“He saw that fear—knew it as intimately as his own. And he wanted to take it from her. To shoulder it, until she could breathe again.”
“He only stared at her, as if she was the most precious thing he had ever seen. A slant of sunlight breaking through a storm. A lone star in a cloud-swept night.”
OH MY GODDDDD I LOVE THEM SO MUCH ITS INSANE
‼️THESE NEXT QUOTES ARE VERY SPOILERY SO PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVENT READ THE BOOK AND SOMEHOW COME ACROSS THIS REVIEW‼️
“Run away with me,” “Tonight. Tomorrow. Yesterday. I don’t care. We have the same dream. Let’s chase it together.”
“You still want to runaway with me? Even after everything that’s happened?”
“He was already nodding. “For ten years, I’ve prayed to Saint Oriel, asking her for a better life than this one. For a kinder fate. The courage to chase it. I never really believed she could hear me down here in the dark, or that even if she could, she would ever bend her ear to the pleas of a Dagger. I almost gave up. And then you came barreling over the horizon like a runaway sun. You shattered the darkness, Seraphine. And I realize now that all these years I wasn’t wishing for freedom. I was wishing for you.”
“His name felt like another secret between them. She liked what it did to his face, filling it with light, and a kind of beauty that was different from the brooding handsomeness she had come to know. It was like sunlight on the plains, the first fall of snow in the winter. It was hope for something beyond this night, beyond this place, and whatever that something turned out to be, she wanted to be a part of it.”
“Sera didn’t care about money. She only cared about the man with autumn-kissed eyes and ink-black hair whose smile knocked the breath from her lungs and whose kiss made her heart sing.”
IM SICKKKKKK SO SICKKKKKKK I LOVE THEM SO MUCH AMD THESE QUOTES ARE EVERYTHING TO ME. they were meant to find each other. they saved each other. I AM ON THE FLOOR CRYING UGH from the very beginning they had a connection to the dancing swan and the exact place they were at just seemed like fate. THE ENDING?! SICK ABSOLUTELY SICK i can’t wait for the next book but oh my gawd it’s gonna hurt!
June 23, 2025
This was a fun romp. It felt like a great start to a series and I’m interested to see where it goes.
What I loved…
- Enemies but actual enemies, they’re from rival gangs, she stabs the crap out of him and leaves him for dead.
- to lovers - this felt genuine and built on something more than just insta-love
- shadow daddy - in a very unique way!
- villian/morally gray protagonists
- found family
- the cutest pup sidekick
- a very unique and fun world, although a little less fleshed out than I would have liked.
- dual POV
What I didn’t love
- the plot and pacing lagged a bit in the middle.
- the banter and chemistry felt very lacking.
- My biggest issue is the weird, out of place spice scene in the middle of a monster battle show down. There has barely been any kissing, but for some reason we need to stop in an alleyway to give each other a hand job while monsters lurk around the corner?! It felt SO weird and out of place - and felt like they added spice just for the sake of adding spice.
4.25⭐️| TikTok | IG |
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
What I loved…
- Enemies but actual enemies, they’re from rival gangs, she stabs the crap out of him and leaves him for dead.
- to lovers - this felt genuine and built on something more than just insta-love
- shadow daddy - in a very unique way!
- villian/morally gray protagonists
- found family
- the cutest pup sidekick
- a very unique and fun world, although a little less fleshed out than I would have liked.
- dual POV
What I didn’t love
- the plot and pacing lagged a bit in the middle.
- the banter and chemistry felt very lacking.
- My biggest issue is the weird, out of place spice scene in the middle of a monster battle show down. There has barely been any kissing, but for some reason we need to stop in an alleyway to give each other a hand job while monsters lurk around the corner?! It felt SO weird and out of place - and felt like they added spice just for the sake of adding spice.
4.25⭐️| TikTok | IG |
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
October 8, 2024
Well, my expectations were sky high and I’m sorry for this hateful review. I’m really happy if this worked for you but it didn’t for me. Keep in mind that reading is subjective.
There’s 2 things that I randomly started struggling with lately that I cant blame the book for :
1. Why is the first romance always shrugged as ‘not important’ or ‘I didn’t love him’? Because the truth is that you can have more than one love in your life lol. Loving someone deeply doesn’t mean that the next love you’ll have will be less important or less powerful. I’m tired of this dynamic. Am I getting old? Probably.
2. I literally cannot stand to be in a man’s head anymore. Male POVs are just getting too hard to read for me.
Ok now on to the book! I was actually hooked by the writing and the unique storyline. There’s very interesting dynamics going on here. I was actually really enjoying this for the first 20% but my enjoyment quickly fizzled out. The thing is that once I started noticing flaws - I just saw them everywhere.
I will start out by saying that I was baffled by the medical error in one scene (I’m a healthcare professional so it jumped in my face). And I highly think that this mistake was avoidable, so it just made it even worse. I think that’s when everything started going down for me because I just felt like it was so sloppy.
The other thing that I couldn’t wrap my head around was how she just forgot about her childhood friend/lover 😂 out of sight, out of mind I guess?? Especially considering her whole live revolved her mother and that random guy but ok. And then cherry on top ; the random guy knew everything that was going on.
The plot was so inexistant for a long while. And honestly - Ransom (the male) POVs (IMO) weren’t bringing much to this book. Almost all of his scenes were a repetition of the event from Seraphina’s POV.
The side characters were so generic it hurt. I cringed a few times from the interactions and some things (towards the end) felt extremely convenient to the storyline.
The world building was a bit odd. It was weird because I felt like the only members of this town were the Daggers or the Cloaks members. And how did those gang serve the King? Why was the King ok with all of this? At some point they say that the King doesn’t act if the murders don’t look like murders but even when they started looking like murders - nothing happened?😫 why did nothing make sense
The only thing that made me happy was Pippin the dog but unfortunately, we weren’t really reading about him anymore from the 60% mark.
Anyways, read this and make your own opinion. For all I know, I might just be in a hating mood lol.
There’s 2 things that I randomly started struggling with lately that I cant blame the book for :
1. Why is the first romance always shrugged as ‘not important’ or ‘I didn’t love him’? Because the truth is that you can have more than one love in your life lol. Loving someone deeply doesn’t mean that the next love you’ll have will be less important or less powerful. I’m tired of this dynamic. Am I getting old? Probably.
2. I literally cannot stand to be in a man’s head anymore. Male POVs are just getting too hard to read for me.
Ok now on to the book! I was actually hooked by the writing and the unique storyline. There’s very interesting dynamics going on here. I was actually really enjoying this for the first 20% but my enjoyment quickly fizzled out. The thing is that once I started noticing flaws - I just saw them everywhere.
I will start out by saying that I was baffled by the medical error in one scene (I’m a healthcare professional so it jumped in my face). And I highly think that this mistake was avoidable, so it just made it even worse. I think that’s when everything started going down for me because I just felt like it was so sloppy.
The other thing that I couldn’t wrap my head around was how she just forgot about her childhood friend/lover 😂 out of sight, out of mind I guess?? Especially considering her whole live revolved her mother and that random guy but ok. And then cherry on top ; the random guy knew everything that was going on.
The plot was so inexistant for a long while. And honestly - Ransom (the male) POVs (IMO) weren’t bringing much to this book. Almost all of his scenes were a repetition of the event from Seraphina’s POV.
The side characters were so generic it hurt. I cringed a few times from the interactions and some things (towards the end) felt extremely convenient to the storyline.
The world building was a bit odd. It was weird because I felt like the only members of this town were the Daggers or the Cloaks members. And how did those gang serve the King? Why was the King ok with all of this? At some point they say that the King doesn’t act if the murders don’t look like murders but even when they started looking like murders - nothing happened?😫 why did nothing make sense
The only thing that made me happy was Pippin the dog but unfortunately, we weren’t really reading about him anymore from the 60% mark.
Anyways, read this and make your own opinion. For all I know, I might just be in a hating mood lol.
November 24, 2024
Pippin the three-legged dog deserves better. I hope those cardboard cut out friends of hers adopt him.
In this book, generic YA heroine Seraphine flees from her burning home after her mother is murdered by a member of the Daggers, the most illogical guild of assassins yet. Her plan is to join the Cloaks, a guild of thieves who have never heard of the words “subtlety” or “subterfuge” or have any grasp of the concept of “keeping a low profile.” Seraphine absolutely does not want to steal, however, which is sort of a problem if you are joining a thieves’s guild. Instead of spending any time actively working on avenging her mother’s death or meaningfully advancing the plot, she spends her days making friends with various unmemorable side characters (they have names but who could care) to fulfill the found family trope for marketing. Ransom, our broody love interest, is an assassin from the Daggers and tasked with killing her, which shouldn’t be a problem for a killer so skilled he’s been tapped to be second in command to the shadow assassin mafia leader. Except oh no, he thinks she’s pretty and looks really sad and innocent, or something, and he likes how much she wants to live when he tries to kill her? They smirk at each other and snark back and forth trading juvenile quips in what I assume is meant to be banter. There’s not much else to summarize without spoilers because not a whole lot happens in this book. There are monsters, Seraphine and Ransom team up, they both have daddy issues and family drama, there are some silly reveals, minor cliffhanger for book two.
The blurb comps are bold. The Leigh Bardugo comparison is setting impossible expectations considering the bland and flavorless prose, and Stephanie Garber, despite being unable to end a trilogy in a satisfying manner if her life depended on it, at least writes fun romantic tension. I’m no SJM fan, but even her books are easier to get through than this 500+ page slog.
The ultimate sin for me is the use of dual POV. There is so much repetition and rehashing. Every single time we see an event happening in Seraphine’s POV, we then rehash it and how it makes Ransom feel in his POV, and then it is rehashed AGAIN when we switch back to Seraphine. No wonder this book is so long despite having a pretty thin plot.
The worldbuilding feels small and ill thought out. I didn’t get any sense that anyone other than these two criminal gangs live inFantasy France Fantome. I got the impression that the author was trying for an organized crime/mafia vibe with how the guilds operate with full knowledge of the crown, but in practice it makes very little sense. The magic system is ridiculous. We are told the two guilds formed over the disagreement over the right way to use shade but it’s all pretty squishy. Why do the Daggers need to consume the shade at all to kill? (especially given the long term negative effects) Because consuming the shade means you can kill people by touch? The Cloaks have shown they can simply use the shade and become literally invisible, a skill that is just as useful to an assassin as it is to a thief. It seems like the shade is meant to be addictive and drug-like in nature but this is never fully explored so it makes character motivations very flimsy.
This book has an identity crisis. There’s liberal usage of “shit” and “fuck” but characters refer to sex solely as “screwing.” The characters are instantly lusting after each other (albeit in a tame, YA fashion) and the banter is trying to sell the reader on a cat and mouse, enemies to lovers dynamic, but it is so incredibly childish. So it was certainly surprising to get to the alley fingerbanging scene, as vague as it was. I never knew it was possible but this book manages to make instalust into an unsatisfying slow burn. Seraphine and Ransom interact very little in a book that seems to be targeting romantasy readers, and when they do interact they are only thinking about how attractive the other one is, or how annoying (but still hot) the other is, and very little progress is made towards an emotional or romantic connection or chemistry until they kiss at 70% and then decide they like each other and should be on the same side.
I don’t give out one star ratings lightly but unfortunately nothing about this worked for me.
Would I re-read this? Only if I desperately needed a cure for insomnia.
Similar books: Powerless, Heartless Hunter/The Crimson Moth, These Hollow Vows
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In this book, generic YA heroine Seraphine flees from her burning home after her mother is murdered by a member of the Daggers, the most illogical guild of assassins yet. Her plan is to join the Cloaks, a guild of thieves who have never heard of the words “subtlety” or “subterfuge” or have any grasp of the concept of “keeping a low profile.” Seraphine absolutely does not want to steal, however, which is sort of a problem if you are joining a thieves’s guild. Instead of spending any time actively working on avenging her mother’s death or meaningfully advancing the plot, she spends her days making friends with various unmemorable side characters (they have names but who could care) to fulfill the found family trope for marketing. Ransom, our broody love interest, is an assassin from the Daggers and tasked with killing her, which shouldn’t be a problem for a killer so skilled he’s been tapped to be second in command to the shadow assassin mafia leader. Except oh no, he thinks she’s pretty and looks really sad and innocent, or something, and he likes how much she wants to live when he tries to kill her? They smirk at each other and snark back and forth trading juvenile quips in what I assume is meant to be banter. There’s not much else to summarize without spoilers because not a whole lot happens in this book. There are monsters, Seraphine and Ransom team up, they both have daddy issues and family drama, there are some silly reveals, minor cliffhanger for book two.
The blurb comps are bold. The Leigh Bardugo comparison is setting impossible expectations considering the bland and flavorless prose, and Stephanie Garber, despite being unable to end a trilogy in a satisfying manner if her life depended on it, at least writes fun romantic tension. I’m no SJM fan, but even her books are easier to get through than this 500+ page slog.
The ultimate sin for me is the use of dual POV. There is so much repetition and rehashing. Every single time we see an event happening in Seraphine’s POV, we then rehash it and how it makes Ransom feel in his POV, and then it is rehashed AGAIN when we switch back to Seraphine. No wonder this book is so long despite having a pretty thin plot.
The worldbuilding feels small and ill thought out. I didn’t get any sense that anyone other than these two criminal gangs live in
This book has an identity crisis. There’s liberal usage of “shit” and “fuck” but characters refer to sex solely as “screwing.” The characters are instantly lusting after each other (albeit in a tame, YA fashion) and the banter is trying to sell the reader on a cat and mouse, enemies to lovers dynamic, but it is so incredibly childish. So it was certainly surprising to get to the alley fingerbanging scene, as vague as it was. I never knew it was possible but this book manages to make instalust into an unsatisfying slow burn. Seraphine and Ransom interact very little in a book that seems to be targeting romantasy readers, and when they do interact they are only thinking about how attractive the other one is, or how annoying (but still hot) the other is, and very little progress is made towards an emotional or romantic connection or chemistry until they kiss at 70% and then decide they like each other and should be on the same side.
I don’t give out one star ratings lightly but unfortunately nothing about this worked for me.
Would I re-read this? Only if I desperately needed a cure for insomnia.
Similar books: Powerless, Heartless Hunter/The Crimson Moth, These Hollow Vows
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2025
"And then you come barreling over the horizon like a runaway sun. You shattered the darkness, Seraphine. And I realize now that all these years I wasn't wishing for freedom. I was wishing for you."
4.25 stars
This was a refreshing enemies to lovers romantasy. Nowadays the enemies to lovers trope gets slapped onto any book that just has any sort of animosity, which is bullshit imo. Enemies to lovers to me is the characters legit hating each other and wanting them dead, and this book accomplished that.
I did like both characters, especially Ransom and seeing his character's development and his growing feelings for Sera. I think the relationship developed a little too fast, especially considering any time someone else voiced issues against her, he waivered every time. Soooo was she worth it or not?
The storyline was really interesting, and I think the two orders could have been shown more. Like Sera joins the cloaks and then does basically nothing for them despite getting paid to be there. It would have been fun to see her develop as a cloak and see her do more than one job. Same on Ransom's side with the daggers.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the start of this series and will be looking forward to the sequel ❤️🔥
Thank you Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
4.25 stars
This was a refreshing enemies to lovers romantasy. Nowadays the enemies to lovers trope gets slapped onto any book that just has any sort of animosity, which is bullshit imo. Enemies to lovers to me is the characters legit hating each other and wanting them dead, and this book accomplished that.
I did like both characters, especially Ransom and seeing his character's development and his growing feelings for Sera. I think the relationship developed a little too fast, especially considering any time someone else voiced issues against her, he waivered every time. Soooo was she worth it or not?
The storyline was really interesting, and I think the two orders could have been shown more. Like Sera joins the cloaks and then does basically nothing for them despite getting paid to be there. It would have been fun to see her develop as a cloak and see her do more than one job. Same on Ransom's side with the daggers.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the start of this series and will be looking forward to the sequel ❤️🔥
Thank you Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
February 27, 2025
✩ 2.55 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Assassins & Thieves
➼ Shade Magic
➼ Morally Gray MMC
➼ Found Family
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Revenge
➼ Kiss or Kill
➼ Monsters Lurking
➼ Family Secrets
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Third Person POV
This entire book had a very solemn vibe to it that made it hard for me to maintain interest in the story. The MC’s are in rival gangs of sorts and the MMC has been tasked with assassinating the FMC. There is a star crossed/tragic element to their connection, but I never fully understood how he got away with putting off the completion of his task for so long.
I also would have liked her powers to have played a bigger role in the story. I understood the ending, but I was left with a lot of questions about some of the character motivations and how her powers could impact the plot moving forward. Taking into consideration a few major events at the end, I really don’t see where the author could be going with the storyline at this point. Perhaps other characters will be introduced to make it make sense, but it seems like our MC’s will again be on opposing sides which sounds like we’ll be in for a boring book two featuring the same overly solemn angst. Unless the ratings are 5 stars, I likely won’t be reading it. Could easily drop this to two stars but I’m feeling kind.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ���✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’m about 20% in and I’m not feeling very invested. Not bored enough to DNF but I’m not really connecting to the characters or the plot so far… hoping things pick up!
What to Expect:
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Assassins & Thieves
➼ Shade Magic
➼ Morally Gray MMC
➼ Found Family
➼ Forbidden Romance
➼ Revenge
➼ Kiss or Kill
➼ Monsters Lurking
➼ Family Secrets
➼ Dual Narration
➼ Third Person POV
This entire book had a very solemn vibe to it that made it hard for me to maintain interest in the story. The MC’s are in rival gangs of sorts and the MMC has been tasked with assassinating the FMC. There is a star crossed/tragic element to their connection, but I never fully understood how he got away with putting off the completion of his task for so long.
I also would have liked her powers to have played a bigger role in the story. I understood the ending, but I was left with a lot of questions about some of the character motivations and how her powers could impact the plot moving forward. Taking into consideration a few major events at the end, I really don’t see where the author could be going with the storyline at this point. Perhaps other characters will be introduced to make it make sense, but it seems like our MC’s will again be on opposing sides which sounds like we’ll be in for a boring book two featuring the same overly solemn angst. Unless the ratings are 5 stars, I likely won’t be reading it. Could easily drop this to two stars but I’m feeling kind.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ���✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: I’m about 20% in and I’m not feeling very invested. Not bored enough to DNF but I’m not really connecting to the characters or the plot so far… hoping things pick up!
October 16, 2024
3.5 Stars
Talk about a surprise...
I have not been into YA the last few years. In fact, if you've read any of my yearly updates from last year and this year (ongoing), you will know that I've been on a drawn-out quest to get my physical tbr down. Much of which has ultimately involved un-hauling quite a bit of unread YA fantasy series. It just doesn't spark my interest like it used to.
That said, when picking my Book of the Month selection last month, nothing really looked all that appealing...but I really wanted some of the add-ons, so I said screw it and picked this book in order to get my box.
And before you say this isn't technically YA, I'm aware of that. But it is definitely YA-ish in a lot of ways. And given what I said above about not really caring for YA fantasy anymore, no one is more surprised than me at how much I actually ended up enjoying this.
Was it a bit of an amalgamation rip-off of some epic fantasy series? Yes.
Did the drinking of "Shade" remind me of the metals of Mistborn? Absolutely.
Did the world and guilds setup remind me of so many other series? 100%
But what can you do. Not every book can reinvent the wheel.
The characters were flat and the world-building wasn't all that great. But I enjoyed Ransom and Seraphine's chemistry. And I just had fun. I'll probably read book two when it comes out.
Talk about a surprise...
I have not been into YA the last few years. In fact, if you've read any of my yearly updates from last year and this year (ongoing), you will know that I've been on a drawn-out quest to get my physical tbr down. Much of which has ultimately involved un-hauling quite a bit of unread YA fantasy series. It just doesn't spark my interest like it used to.
That said, when picking my Book of the Month selection last month, nothing really looked all that appealing...but I really wanted some of the add-ons, so I said screw it and picked this book in order to get my box.
And before you say this isn't technically YA, I'm aware of that. But it is definitely YA-ish in a lot of ways. And given what I said above about not really caring for YA fantasy anymore, no one is more surprised than me at how much I actually ended up enjoying this.
Was it a bit of an amalgamation rip-off of some epic fantasy series? Yes.
Did the drinking of "Shade" remind me of the metals of Mistborn? Absolutely.
Did the world and guilds setup remind me of so many other series? 100%
But what can you do. Not every book can reinvent the wheel.
The characters were flat and the world-building wasn't all that great. But I enjoyed Ransom and Seraphine's chemistry. And I just had fun. I'll probably read book two when it comes out.
August 12, 2025
3.75
This was FUN. Just what I needed after reading a bunch of heavier books.
Sort of like if Heartless Hunter met Jade City in a way. The romance was not perfect… enemies are not supposed to flirt with each other. But hey, it was fast-paced, the world was fun to be in, and I flew through this!
This was FUN. Just what I needed after reading a bunch of heavier books.
Sort of like if Heartless Hunter met Jade City in a way. The romance was not perfect… enemies are not supposed to flirt with each other. But hey, it was fast-paced, the world was fun to be in, and I flew through this!
November 29, 2024
this was fun! I particularly loved the setting, a dark gritty city (reminded me a bit of ketterdam or rifthold). there were moments of AMAZING banter between our characters, the dialogue is very well written. I think I just don’t feel overly obsessed with the story? I was invested but not to the point that i HAD to know what happened next. I thought this was a solid YA fantasy but I don’t know how much the story and characters will really stick with me.
October 11, 2024
i’m BEYOND relieved this is over. like, it was painfully cringey no no nooooo
July 1, 2024
“sometimes it takes a monster to destroy a monster”
The city of Fantom is ruled by two rival groups, The Cloaks (thieves) and The Daggers (assassins). They both utilise Shade, which is a magical substance that wields darkness 🖤 4.5⭐️
“Playing with magic was like playing with fire, and in the end someone always got burned.”
After the tragic assassination of her mother, our FMC Seraphine joins The Cloaks so she can find & kill The Dagger responsible. With the help of her new friends & a gift from her mother she discovers she will need to became a flame within the dark 🔥
“And when the time comes, you will rise far above this wicked city, and become a flame in the dark.”
This book is for you, if you love:
>Enemies to lovers 🔥
>Found family
>Magic & monsters
>Revenge
>🔪to throat
Two moments that are playing on repeat in my mind:
‘We’re already in hell, Seraphine. And in case you haven’t noticed, it belongs to me.’
‘I suppose fire is only mesmerizing until it burns you”
I will be reading Catherine’s other series Twin crowns in attempt to fill the void while I desperately wait for book 2!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The city of Fantom is ruled by two rival groups, The Cloaks (thieves) and The Daggers (assassins). They both utilise Shade, which is a magical substance that wields darkness 🖤 4.5⭐️
“Playing with magic was like playing with fire, and in the end someone always got burned.”
After the tragic assassination of her mother, our FMC Seraphine joins The Cloaks so she can find & kill The Dagger responsible. With the help of her new friends & a gift from her mother she discovers she will need to became a flame within the dark 🔥
“And when the time comes, you will rise far above this wicked city, and become a flame in the dark.”
This book is for you, if you love:
>Enemies to lovers 🔥
>Found family
>Magic & monsters
>Revenge
>🔪to throat
Two moments that are playing on repeat in my mind:
‘We’re already in hell, Seraphine. And in case you haven’t noticed, it belongs to me.’
‘I suppose fire is only mesmerizing until it burns you”
I will be reading Catherine’s other series Twin crowns in attempt to fill the void while I desperately wait for book 2!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 21, 2025
overall rating: 4.25 ★
genre/tropes: romance + fantasy, enemies to lovers, y/a
so i finished this yesterday and had to take a day to formulate my thoughts 🥹
when i say a book is truly enemies to lovers, there must be two main characters actually trying to maim or kill one another. this book does not disappoint 😔
i don’t have much to say but i love ransom and seraphine so much! and even though this book may be categorized as a young adult book, some scenes did not feel ya. i was shocked, gasping for air 😭 the yearning + the longing + the giddiness! this book was super enjoyable!
remember girls and boys; real enemies to lovers means stabbing and maiming! some other romantasies have fake enemies to lovers. like what do you mean they hate one another 🙄 they’re undressing one another with their eyes at first meeting ugh.
that’s all thank you for coming to my talk-babble-rant-ish 😇
quote-drop:
pre-read: i have heard that this book features real enemies to lovers (without the omg i hate him 😡 but he’s so handsome yummy! but i hate him really!! first meeting) with actual mcs trying to actively harm one another 🤩 swoons note: actively trying to kill one another is okay only in fantasy!
genre/tropes: romance + fantasy, enemies to lovers, y/a
so i finished this yesterday and had to take a day to formulate my thoughts 🥹
when i say a book is truly enemies to lovers, there must be two main characters actually trying to maim or kill one another. this book does not disappoint 😔
i don’t have much to say but i love ransom and seraphine so much! and even though this book may be categorized as a young adult book, some scenes did not feel ya. i was shocked, gasping for air 😭 the yearning + the longing + the giddiness! this book was super enjoyable!
remember girls and boys; real enemies to lovers means stabbing and maiming! some other romantasies have fake enemies to lovers. like what do you mean they hate one another 🙄 they’re undressing one another with their eyes at first meeting ugh.
that’s all thank you for coming to my talk-babble-rant-ish 😇
quote-drop:
— “What would you give for another chance at freedom? What would you risk to go all the way back? Everything.”
— “You shattered the darkness, Seraphine. And I realize now that all these years I wasn't wishing for freedom. I was wishing for you.”
pre-read: i have heard that this book features real enemies to lovers (without the omg i hate him 😡 but he’s so handsome yummy! but i hate him really!! first meeting) with actual mcs trying to actively harm one another 🤩 swoons note: actively trying to kill one another is okay only in fantasy!
October 17, 2024
AAAAAAAAAA IT WAS SO GOOD. TWO FIVE STAR READS IN A ROW?!?!
I will say that I believe this was published under children’s and YA imprints and it’s a lil too horny for that (she literally has a magical healing orgasm) but it was so GOOD
The enemies were enemy-ing WELL into the lover-ing. The banter was bantering. The PINING WAS PINING
I will say that I believe this was published under children’s and YA imprints and it’s a lil too horny for that (she literally has a magical healing orgasm) but it was so GOOD
The enemies were enemy-ing WELL into the lover-ing. The banter was bantering. The PINING WAS PINING
Currently reading
October 12, 2025I'm really interested in this book, but can we take a moment and appreciate who narrators for the main characters are for the audiobook?!
Narrated in dual POV, Freddy Carter (Kaz from Shadow & Bone) who is the voice of Ransom, while Emily Carey (Young Alicent Hightower from House of the Dragon) voices Seraphine.
Narrated in dual POV, Freddy Carter (Kaz from Shadow & Bone) who is the voice of Ransom, while Emily Carey (Young Alicent Hightower from House of the Dragon) voices Seraphine.
October 11, 2025
After reading Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle, I was very much excited to read what was said to be ‘the most fiery enemies-to-lovers romantasy of the year’ ❤️🔥 Expectations were high, and she did not disappoint 👏🏽 I can confirm Catherine is an exceptional writer ✍🏼
‘In a deadly game of revenge, the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love…’ 🗡️ 🩸 🥰
This was an addictive, and thrilling romantasy richly woven with revenge, dark magic and rival gangs 😈 - deliciously brilliant!
(the 5th star goes to an INCREDIBLY unexpected plot twist 🤐)
Set in the city of Fantome; the dark underbelly of a beautiful city. It was wonderfully vivid and described in rich detail, yet it didn’t linger too long on descriptions. The fantasy world was built so gradually that it seeped into your imagination without even trying.
Catherine sure knows how to write great characters. Every one of them was cleverly depicted in a clear and purposeful manner. The complexity and emotional depth of our protagonists Sera and Ransom was captivating. A dual POV played a big part in this. And furthermore, I loved so many of the characters but Sera, MFC, and her Cloak friends (Val, Bibi and Theo) were among my favourites. I loved how these three welcomes Sera in as one of their own from the very beginning and supported her throughout her challenging journey. There was also a great sense of humour amongst many characters in this book; even the baddies had a dark sense of humour. As for Ransom, he too had supportive friends but they didn’t have the same feel good vibes.
‘When the world is at its darkest, we must reach bravely through the shadows to find where the light blooms’ 💡
I loved how the 2 main characters were slowly developed over the course of the story. The connection between them wasn’t rushed at all. In fact, the pacing of this storyline in general was absolutely perfect. Unlike many enemies to lovers novels, this REALLY was one! There was a real sense of hatred at the beginning, and understandably so. We had murder attempts and everything. If your a enemies to lovers fan, you would soak this up 🥰
‘She was a woman now, a living flame of power and vengeance, and she was done hiding’ 🙂↔️
However, beyond the romance, the plot itself was brilliant! It was full of revenge plotting, family secrets, and a MAJOR PLOT TWIST ‼️ Once I got to the 60% mark, I could not put this book down. It grabbed my attention and firmly held it until the very last word.
Honestly, this book was so much better than I ever thought it would be. The writing, characters, and plot were all perfectly balanced. I can’t get enough of Catherine’s work and am sitting tight for the sequel after a HUGE cliffhanger 🙃 The sequel also comes out on my birthday so I think that’s a sign 😉
‘When the time comes, you will rise far above this wicked city and become a flame in the dark.’ 🔥
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
‘In a deadly game of revenge, the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love…’ 🗡️ 🩸 🥰
This was an addictive, and thrilling romantasy richly woven with revenge, dark magic and rival gangs 😈 - deliciously brilliant!
(the 5th star goes to an INCREDIBLY unexpected plot twist 🤐)
Set in the city of Fantome; the dark underbelly of a beautiful city. It was wonderfully vivid and described in rich detail, yet it didn’t linger too long on descriptions. The fantasy world was built so gradually that it seeped into your imagination without even trying.
Catherine sure knows how to write great characters. Every one of them was cleverly depicted in a clear and purposeful manner. The complexity and emotional depth of our protagonists Sera and Ransom was captivating. A dual POV played a big part in this. And furthermore, I loved so many of the characters but Sera, MFC, and her Cloak friends (Val, Bibi and Theo) were among my favourites. I loved how these three welcomes Sera in as one of their own from the very beginning and supported her throughout her challenging journey. There was also a great sense of humour amongst many characters in this book; even the baddies had a dark sense of humour. As for Ransom, he too had supportive friends but they didn’t have the same feel good vibes.
‘When the world is at its darkest, we must reach bravely through the shadows to find where the light blooms’ 💡
I loved how the 2 main characters were slowly developed over the course of the story. The connection between them wasn’t rushed at all. In fact, the pacing of this storyline in general was absolutely perfect. Unlike many enemies to lovers novels, this REALLY was one! There was a real sense of hatred at the beginning, and understandably so. We had murder attempts and everything. If your a enemies to lovers fan, you would soak this up 🥰
‘She was a woman now, a living flame of power and vengeance, and she was done hiding’ 🙂↔️
However, beyond the romance, the plot itself was brilliant! It was full of revenge plotting, family secrets, and a MAJOR PLOT TWIST ‼️ Once I got to the 60% mark, I could not put this book down. It grabbed my attention and firmly held it until the very last word.
Honestly, this book was so much better than I ever thought it would be. The writing, characters, and plot were all perfectly balanced. I can’t get enough of Catherine’s work and am sitting tight for the sequel after a HUGE cliffhanger 🙃 The sequel also comes out on my birthday so I think that’s a sign 😉
‘When the time comes, you will rise far above this wicked city and become a flame in the dark.’ 🔥
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
May 22, 2025
5/5
Gdy Seraphine traci matkę i dom w pożarze, jest pewna, że to sprawka Sztyletów - płatnych zabójców. Czując, że jest ona kolejnym ich celem, dołącza do Zakonu Płaszczy - złodziei. Podczas gdy Sera poluje na zabójcę swojej matki, Ransom, najlepszy ze sztyletów, dostał na nią zlecenie. Gdy jednak w mieście pojawiają się potwory, a chłopak odkrywa, że dziewczyna ma coś, czego pożąda, wie, że szybkie zlecenie zmieni się w grę w kotka i myszkę o wyższą stawkę.
Dajcie się wciągnąć mroczne alejki miasta, gdzie dwa zwaśnione od lat Zakony, rywalizują ze sobą o wpływy w mieście. Ogromnie podobała mi się legenda, którą autorka stworzyła jako podwalinę całego konfliktu, nadając historii bardziej doniosłą narrację. Magia mroku, będącą jedną z moich ulubionych systemów magicznych idealnie tu pasowała.
Sera, motywowana zemstą odnajduje się w szajce złodziei, tworząc wśród wyrzutów swoja drugą rodzinę wraz ze swoim kochanym psem. Przyjemnie obserwowałam jej drogę przez wszystkie wyzwania oraz sceny akcji, w których w książce nie brakuje. Oczami bohaterów możemy poczuć się jak członek jednego z zakonów - wchodząc do ich kryjówek, spiskując i wykorzystując magię do niecnych celów.
Ale w mroku potworów i walczących zakonów znajduje się relacja romantyczna, w którą zaangażowałam się całą sobą, nie mogąc odłożyć książki na bok. To idealnie poprowadzenie od wrogów do kochanków - gorący jak płomień romans, od którego można się zranić ostrzem.
Ransom z początku bawi się Serą, uważając ją za łatwy cel, ale gdy ta, intryguje go w swoich wyborach, zaczyna ją obserwować i śledzić.
Ona jednak, jest na tyle waleczna, że nie daje się prowadzić w ich tańcu, wymykając mu się niczym mgła w uliczce.
Chemia i napięcie między bohaterami namacalne jest przez strony, gdy drocząc się ze sobą, jednocześnie flirtują, balansując na krawędzi między "wbiję ci sztylet w serce lub to serce skradnę". Tajemne liściki, ukradkowe spojrzenia i ciągłe polowanie oraz starcia, w których nie wiadomo czy się pocałują czy uśmiercą w walce.
I za te emocje, pokochałem tę historię.
Gdy Seraphine traci matkę i dom w pożarze, jest pewna, że to sprawka Sztyletów - płatnych zabójców. Czując, że jest ona kolejnym ich celem, dołącza do Zakonu Płaszczy - złodziei. Podczas gdy Sera poluje na zabójcę swojej matki, Ransom, najlepszy ze sztyletów, dostał na nią zlecenie. Gdy jednak w mieście pojawiają się potwory, a chłopak odkrywa, że dziewczyna ma coś, czego pożąda, wie, że szybkie zlecenie zmieni się w grę w kotka i myszkę o wyższą stawkę.
Dajcie się wciągnąć mroczne alejki miasta, gdzie dwa zwaśnione od lat Zakony, rywalizują ze sobą o wpływy w mieście. Ogromnie podobała mi się legenda, którą autorka stworzyła jako podwalinę całego konfliktu, nadając historii bardziej doniosłą narrację. Magia mroku, będącą jedną z moich ulubionych systemów magicznych idealnie tu pasowała.
Sera, motywowana zemstą odnajduje się w szajce złodziei, tworząc wśród wyrzutów swoja drugą rodzinę wraz ze swoim kochanym psem. Przyjemnie obserwowałam jej drogę przez wszystkie wyzwania oraz sceny akcji, w których w książce nie brakuje. Oczami bohaterów możemy poczuć się jak członek jednego z zakonów - wchodząc do ich kryjówek, spiskując i wykorzystując magię do niecnych celów.
Ale w mroku potworów i walczących zakonów znajduje się relacja romantyczna, w którą zaangażowałam się całą sobą, nie mogąc odłożyć książki na bok. To idealnie poprowadzenie od wrogów do kochanków - gorący jak płomień romans, od którego można się zranić ostrzem.
Ransom z początku bawi się Serą, uważając ją za łatwy cel, ale gdy ta, intryguje go w swoich wyborach, zaczyna ją obserwować i śledzić.
Ona jednak, jest na tyle waleczna, że nie daje się prowadzić w ich tańcu, wymykając mu się niczym mgła w uliczce.
Chemia i napięcie między bohaterami namacalne jest przez strony, gdy drocząc się ze sobą, jednocześnie flirtują, balansując na krawędzi między "wbiję ci sztylet w serce lub to serce skradnę". Tajemne liściki, ukradkowe spojrzenia i ciągłe polowanie oraz starcia, w których nie wiadomo czy się pocałują czy uśmiercą w walce.
I za te emocje, pokochałem tę historię.
October 15, 2025
DNF 52% (219 strona)
Koniec, nie dam rady dalej. Po co się zmuszać?
To jest nudne, jest tu tyle wtrąconych jakiś opisów z nic nieznaczącymi szczegółami, tyle razy powtarzają mi to samo jakbym przez te 200 stron zapomniała 5 razy o jakimś fakcie.
Język jest okropny, teksty rodem z gimnazjum bo „silna” bohaterka to przecież musi być taka pyskata. Ale serio? Wyszkoleni zabójcy i złodzieje i teksty typu rozwydrzona diwa, tchórzliwy fiut, „mam cię obmacać?”.
Dlaczego on w ogóle nazywa ją petardą, petardką itp? Czaję że już każda bohaterka w tych książkach musi mieć swój nickname, ale skąd się w ogóle wzięła ta petarda? Wtf.
Te prawdziwe enemies to lovers to jest pic na wodę fotomontaż. Typ jest wyszkolonym zabójcą, jego cele zawsze szybko giną, ale OCZYWIŚCIE jak widzi ją już pierwszy raz to zaczyna o niej myśleć, dlaczego to ona stała się celem, po drugim spotkaniu to typ zaczyna wzdychać, a jakoś na 4 jak ją obserwuje z daleka jak płacze to już mógłby przyjąć ciosy za każdą minutę jej smutku. Także dupa dupa, a nie PRAWDZIWE enemies to lovers.
Skąd ona w ogóle wydedukowała, że to on jest zabójcą jej matki? Bo widziała jakąś postać z daleka w ogniu? Nie widziała nawet twarzy. ALE CHUJ TO ON I KONIEC.
W ogóle po co budować jakiekolwiek relacje w tej książce? Ta Sera i jej przyjaciółki z Domu Armanda? Po prostu pojawiły się znikąd w jej pokoju i są przyjaciółkami, aha super.
Te pierwsze akcje Sery z kradzieżą to jakiś żart, poszły z nią niby doświadczone osoby, ale zero planowania, zero obczajenia czy ktoś ich nie obserwuje, czy nikt się nie kręci wokół tego domu, po prostu tam weszły XD i jeszcze wyjmując z sejfu ten diadem uruchomiły alarm XDDD nie wiem jak ten biznes im się kręci jak nawet takiego czegoś nie sprawdziły XDDD A TO TAKI STRASZNY GANG PŁASZCZY……
Także przykro mi ale to kolejna książka, którą wam naobiecuje i nie dowiezie. Ponoć już w tej książce dochodzi do zbliżenia między bohaterami, także to enemies to takie nie za długie nie?
Szkoda gadać.
Mój pierwszy DNF w 2025 🫡
Koniec, nie dam rady dalej. Po co się zmuszać?
To jest nudne, jest tu tyle wtrąconych jakiś opisów z nic nieznaczącymi szczegółami, tyle razy powtarzają mi to samo jakbym przez te 200 stron zapomniała 5 razy o jakimś fakcie.
Język jest okropny, teksty rodem z gimnazjum bo „silna” bohaterka to przecież musi być taka pyskata. Ale serio? Wyszkoleni zabójcy i złodzieje i teksty typu rozwydrzona diwa, tchórzliwy fiut, „mam cię obmacać?”.
Dlaczego on w ogóle nazywa ją petardą, petardką itp? Czaję że już każda bohaterka w tych książkach musi mieć swój nickname, ale skąd się w ogóle wzięła ta petarda? Wtf.
Te prawdziwe enemies to lovers to jest pic na wodę fotomontaż. Typ jest wyszkolonym zabójcą, jego cele zawsze szybko giną, ale OCZYWIŚCIE jak widzi ją już pierwszy raz to zaczyna o niej myśleć, dlaczego to ona stała się celem, po drugim spotkaniu to typ zaczyna wzdychać, a jakoś na 4 jak ją obserwuje z daleka jak płacze to już mógłby przyjąć ciosy za każdą minutę jej smutku. Także dupa dupa, a nie PRAWDZIWE enemies to lovers.
Skąd ona w ogóle wydedukowała, że to on jest zabójcą jej matki? Bo widziała jakąś postać z daleka w ogniu? Nie widziała nawet twarzy. ALE CHUJ TO ON I KONIEC.
W ogóle po co budować jakiekolwiek relacje w tej książce? Ta Sera i jej przyjaciółki z Domu Armanda? Po prostu pojawiły się znikąd w jej pokoju i są przyjaciółkami, aha super.
Te pierwsze akcje Sery z kradzieżą to jakiś żart, poszły z nią niby doświadczone osoby, ale zero planowania, zero obczajenia czy ktoś ich nie obserwuje, czy nikt się nie kręci wokół tego domu, po prostu tam weszły XD i jeszcze wyjmując z sejfu ten diadem uruchomiły alarm XDDD nie wiem jak ten biznes im się kręci jak nawet takiego czegoś nie sprawdziły XDDD A TO TAKI STRASZNY GANG PŁASZCZY……
Także przykro mi ale to kolejna książka, którą wam naobiecuje i nie dowiezie. Ponoć już w tej książce dochodzi do zbliżenia między bohaterami, także to enemies to takie nie za długie nie?
Szkoda gadać.
Mój pierwszy DNF w 2025 🫡
Want to read
October 24, 2024omg kaz (freddy carter) narrates the audiobook
January 5, 2025
Rating: 2.5 ⭐️
My main complaint was the romance. For one, it was too quick. The YA romance curse. Suddenly it’s “let’s run away together” while they’ve kissed twice and had maybe ONE (if any) interaction where he wasn’t threatening to kill her.
For me, enemies-to-lovers is so hit or miss. For one, I hate the cliché (s)he’s-attempting-murder-but-(s)he’s-just-so-turned-on thing. I just hate the idea that MCs are so horny they can’t function.
In so many enemies-to-lovers romances I don’t like the MMC. They’re trying to come off as suave/cocky/funny, but to me it comes off as incredibly annoying. Can you not take anything seriously? Let’s have one conversation without a thinly veiled innuendo masquerading as a death threat. And honestly, why are you aroused right now? It sounds like I’m harping on this book, which I don’t mean to do, it’s mostly just the genre. It’s getting a little old.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Pre-read:
Another Fairyloot book to read. Let’s see how this one goes 👀
My main complaint was the romance. For one, it was too quick. The YA romance curse. Suddenly it’s “let’s run away together” while they’ve kissed twice and had maybe ONE (if any) interaction where he wasn’t threatening to kill her.
For me, enemies-to-lovers is so hit or miss. For one, I hate the cliché (s)he’s-attempting-murder-but-(s)he’s-just-so-turned-on thing. I just hate the idea that MCs are so horny they can’t function.
In so many enemies-to-lovers romances I don’t like the MMC. They’re trying to come off as suave/cocky/funny, but to me it comes off as incredibly annoying. Can you not take anything seriously? Let’s have one conversation without a thinly veiled innuendo masquerading as a death threat. And honestly, why are you aroused right now? It sounds like I’m harping on this book, which I don’t mean to do, it’s mostly just the genre. It’s getting a little old.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Pre-read:
Another Fairyloot book to read. Let’s see how this one goes 👀
July 13, 2025
cannot explain what a silly goofy weirdly hot and sexy time this was
May 22, 2025
read on:
(18.03.25.)
↪ ★.25 disappointed stars
🔥 | the hate review.
there's no way i'm wasting a lot of time on this huge disappointment, so this'll be short. i read the twin crowns series by the same author (& another) and it was cringe, but better than whatever this is. the characters? bland. boring. forced to fit in the cool female badass x hot obsessed with her shadow daddy enemies-to-lovers trope. yeah. it sucked. the plotline? nonexistent. i'd give this 1 star but the 0.25 is for the side characters, the fmc's friends. (i forgot their names. yes. that's how forgettable this book is.) um and ENOLA HOLMES WHERE ARE YOU?? CUZ I DIDN'T SEE THE VIBES ANYWHERE. i got so hyped up bcs of the enola holmes comparisons but trust me, this book is not it
in conclusion, do yourself a favor and don't read this. mwah 💋
xx
almas
─────────────────── 𝜗𝜚 ───────────────────
pre-review
1.25 stars because what WAS this nonsense??? rtc
pre-read
it's about time i started this! im currently 40% through and hating it 😍
want-to-read
UMMM I HEARD SOMEONE SAY THIS GIVES PEAK ENOLA HOLMES VIBES AND IS ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS??? GIRL YOU GOT ME AT ENOLA HOLMES IM BUMPING THIS UP MY TBR
꒰🔪꒱ the dagger and the flame by catherine doyle
↪ ★.25 disappointed stars
🔥 | the hate review.
there's no way i'm wasting a lot of time on this huge disappointment, so this'll be short. i read the twin crowns series by the same author (& another) and it was cringe, but better than whatever this is. the characters? bland. boring. forced to fit in the cool female badass x hot obsessed with her shadow daddy enemies-to-lovers trope. yeah. it sucked. the plotline? nonexistent. i'd give this 1 star but the 0.25 is for the side characters, the fmc's friends. (i forgot their names. yes. that's how forgettable this book is.) um and ENOLA HOLMES WHERE ARE YOU?? CUZ I DIDN'T SEE THE VIBES ANYWHERE. i got so hyped up bcs of the enola holmes comparisons but trust me, this book is not it
in conclusion, do yourself a favor and don't read this. mwah 💋
xx
almas
─────────────────── 𝜗𝜚 ───────────────────
pre-review
1.25 stars because what WAS this nonsense??? rtc
pre-read
it's about time i started this! im currently 40% through and hating it 😍
want-to-read
UMMM I HEARD SOMEONE SAY THIS GIVES PEAK ENOLA HOLMES VIBES AND IS ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS??? GIRL YOU GOT ME AT ENOLA HOLMES IM BUMPING THIS UP MY TBR
September 12, 2024
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙄’𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 m𝙮 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩“
🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️
It’s been a long time since I read a romantasy with REAL enemies to lovers. I’m talking about he was legit sent to unalive her and she hates him because he’s part of a group of people who unalived her mother. But there’s also a mix of forbidden romance up there too…
I had the most joy with this. I was literally giggling blushing and kicking my feet. Aside from the romance being absolutely toe curling, the plot itself will absolutely have you hooked and it’s probably what I enjoyed most of all. The family drama was insane and the entire time I was like “ohhh TEAAAAAA”.
There’s so much to unpack in this book and it’s clear there will be more coming. I absolutely adored it and can’t wait to see what’s next. I also love how we have main characters that are not insufferable. I can always trust this author to serve.
I also can’t wait for you guys to meet Theo who recently became the love of my life. Yes he’s a side character I just always weaken for them. If he dies I will die too.
Release: September- make sure to add to ur tbr!
🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️🔥🗡️
It’s been a long time since I read a romantasy with REAL enemies to lovers. I’m talking about he was legit sent to unalive her and she hates him because he’s part of a group of people who unalived her mother. But there’s also a mix of forbidden romance up there too…
I had the most joy with this. I was literally giggling blushing and kicking my feet. Aside from the romance being absolutely toe curling, the plot itself will absolutely have you hooked and it’s probably what I enjoyed most of all. The family drama was insane and the entire time I was like “ohhh TEAAAAAA”.
There’s so much to unpack in this book and it’s clear there will be more coming. I absolutely adored it and can’t wait to see what’s next. I also love how we have main characters that are not insufferable. I can always trust this author to serve.
I also can’t wait for you guys to meet Theo who recently became the love of my life. Yes he’s a side character I just always weaken for them. If he dies I will die too.
Release: September- make sure to add to ur tbr!
November 3, 2024
In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love
November 15, 2024
3.5⭐️
I did like the premise of the book. Unfortunately the dialogue felt a little TOO juvenile at times for me and the dual POV was a bit repetitive.
I did like the premise of the book. Unfortunately the dialogue felt a little TOO juvenile at times for me and the dual POV was a bit repetitive.
April 26, 2025
4 stars . ⊹ ･ﾟ𖥔 ₊ ˑ
⤷ This book was my first by Catherine Doyle and I devoured it! The plot was unique and focused on rival gangs of thieves and assassins that both used magic through a drug called shade. It had true enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, and the theme of light vs dark and good and evil.
The enemies to lovers in this puts so many other books to shame.
“And there she was. His spitfire, staring right at him. Ransom gave her a slow, lethal smirk. He almost felt sorry for her. But this was war, and she had drawn first blood. He had thirty-six stitches in his side to prove it. So he dragged a finger across his neck, and mouthed, I'm going to fucking kill you.”
The main characters were really out for each others throats but I still feel like the tension and romance was integrated really naturally as they both found a common ground and I appreciated that sooo much. They had so much banter like Sera gave us the most hilarious interactions with Ransom that it had me giggling and kicking my feet several times like I'm not a grown ass adult.
Cannot wait to read more of this world in the conclusion to this duology!
⤷ This book was my first by Catherine Doyle and I devoured it! The plot was unique and focused on rival gangs of thieves and assassins that both used magic through a drug called shade. It had true enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, and the theme of light vs dark and good and evil.
The enemies to lovers in this puts so many other books to shame.
“And there she was. His spitfire, staring right at him. Ransom gave her a slow, lethal smirk. He almost felt sorry for her. But this was war, and she had drawn first blood. He had thirty-six stitches in his side to prove it. So he dragged a finger across his neck, and mouthed, I'm going to fucking kill you.”
The main characters were really out for each others throats but I still feel like the tension and romance was integrated really naturally as they both found a common ground and I appreciated that sooo much. They had so much banter like Sera gave us the most hilarious interactions with Ransom that it had me giggling and kicking my feet several times like I'm not a grown ass adult.
Cannot wait to read more of this world in the conclusion to this duology!
October 2, 2025
4,5⭐️
Quelle bonne lecture ! J'ai trop aimé l'univers, cette ambiance un peu sombre et pesante qui règne sur la ville de Phantasma et sur le destin de nos personnages. J'ai trouvé l'intrigue addictive malgré un début un peu lent : c'est finalement pile ce qu'il me fallait pour être happée par l'histoire, captivée par l'ambiance et impliquée dans les affaires des personnages. Une fois que tout est lancé, ça devient extrêmement addictif ! Impossible de lâcher le roman, on va de moments d'action en rebondissements, de révélations en scènes où la romance m'a fait glousser tellement j'étais accro à ce ennemies-to-lovers pile comme je les aime. Breeeef, une très bonne lecture et VIVEMENT LA SUITE ??? (Ransom, marry me stp).
Quelle bonne lecture ! J'ai trop aimé l'univers, cette ambiance un peu sombre et pesante qui règne sur la ville de Phantasma et sur le destin de nos personnages. J'ai trouvé l'intrigue addictive malgré un début un peu lent : c'est finalement pile ce qu'il me fallait pour être happée par l'histoire, captivée par l'ambiance et impliquée dans les affaires des personnages. Une fois que tout est lancé, ça devient extrêmement addictif ! Impossible de lâcher le roman, on va de moments d'action en rebondissements, de révélations en scènes où la romance m'a fait glousser tellement j'étais accro à ce ennemies-to-lovers pile comme je les aime. Breeeef, une très bonne lecture et VIVEMENT LA SUITE ??? (Ransom, marry me stp).
October 5, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ pretty mid but I liked the romance
tbh what kept me going was the fact that Freddy Carter narrated the audiobook (i’m just a girl, sorry 😔), it wasn’t a book that drove me crazy but I didn’t hate it either, maybe a bit more chaos in the second book would be interesting
tbh what kept me going was the fact that Freddy Carter narrated the audiobook (i’m just a girl, sorry 😔), it wasn’t a book that drove me crazy but I didn’t hate it either, maybe a bit more chaos in the second book would be interesting
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