To Bleed a Kingdom

by Ella Dawes

A bastard prince

A fiery beauty

A star-crossed love that will bleed through the realms...

For over thirty years, the city of Seboia has barricaded itself against the Gods Cursed kingdom of Brecca and their monstrous creations. Now, the Soulless' numbers are swelling and their attacks are rising in frequency — an ominous prelude for the darkness sure to come.

Captain of the Guard, Darius, must remain focused in his duty to protect his kingdom. But when a group of foreigners arrive in Seboia, their alluring leader becomes an unwanted distraction. A scarred beauty with a sharp mind and even sharper tongue, Lena rouses an all-consuming hunger within the Fire Immortal. A hunger he fears only she can satisfy.

Lena has traveled to Seboia for one purpose and one purpose alone. But when she discovers the Gods’ influence rooted within the very souls of its people, and meets the surly Captain who awakens long suppressed needs, she finds herself helplessly veering away from her sacred path.

As their enemies close in, Lena and Darius are thrown together by forces outside their control. And unless they can find a way to trust each other — and tame the desire scorching through their veins — their passion will set the kingdom ablaze in blood and flames.

Featuring a fierce heroine, an alpha immortal, and a quirky cast of fae and shifters, To Bleed A Kingdom is the first book in an addictively sexy, action packed, dark fantasy series.

Authors Although To Bleed A Kingdom is humorous, fun, and a bit quirky, it also contains dark and violent elements that may be difficult for some. For CWs, please reference the author's website.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Dark Romance

499 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2024

About the author

Ella Dawes has always held an unhealthy fascination with fae, vampires, magic and romance — and you’ll find all of the above in her books. She loves to write alpha heroes and the fierce heroines who clash with them, in all their glorious complexities and fatal flaws. When she’s not writing her own fantasy worlds, Ella can usually be found between the pages of another or watching Game of Thrones reruns. She married her very own book boyfriend and they live in Michigan where they try - yet continuously fail - to wrangle their comically mischievous daughter.


https://www.instagram.com/elladawesbo...
https://www.tiktok.com/@elladawesbook...

Reviews

[Books_and_Crafts · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodreads deleted my review????

I DNF this at chapter 10. Warning to those that need it, the prologue has the most detailed *ġrape scene I’ve ever read. Content warnings do state non con, but this was just… awful. I felt disgusted. Should have stopped the moment I felt uncomfortable- don’t be me. I now have to live with scenes I can’t ‘unsee’.

The writing wasn’t great and overall I feel like this was a dark fantasy romance that took it too far.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really solid debut Romantasy.

I would absolutely continue on and I NEED to know what happens to Darius and Lena. I liked the side characters, the magic powers and there were some awesome reveals right at the end. I was completely blindsided. My mouth was hanging open. There was a lot of great tension to the story and the stakes felt very high.

However, there were 2 areas that floundered for me. I want to be honest because I genuinely believe this author is going to grow and improve so much. There are just some aspects that need tightening up.

The first thing was the pacing for me. I feel like in certain situations we went round and round a few too many times before moving the story onward. I felt a bit of a yo-yo effect.

The other thing almost had me DNFing, so I'm gonna bring it up. This book was unnecessarily crass and strangely modern in that respect. I am in no way a prude, but it felt so "off" to be reading a Fantasy Romance and having so many c*cks and c*nts and p*ssy's flying around. It made me roll my eyes more than anything.

I know Darius and Lena are Fated Mates, and they are going to feel super duper attracted to each other. Cool! I'm here for it! Love that! However, it became ridiculous how we are worried about an ARMY OF SOULLESS and Lena is getting "slick" for him... Come on! From the first time they catch a glimpse of each other, that's all we hear about.

Yet this was called a slow burn... Sure, they don't fully consummate until later in the story but.. they are literally humping each others legs at every opportunity, mauling each other in public. It just made me lose respect by a certain point. Hence, I almost DNF'd because not only do they want to bone each other... but everyone else wants to bone them too and they spend half the time scaring off rivals. *eye roll*.

Okay, that's enough, I said I wouldn't rant as this probably won't bother everyone else. But there are other ways to show the heat and desire between two Fated Mates without hard pricks and slick lady bits. (Yes, lady bits is actually a term used in this book.) And I am only bringing this up because it happened over and over and OVER.

Again, there was lots of good to this story. I was very hooked after a powerful prologue and some dark elements throughout. Great characters and complex family dynamics. I see lots of promise in this series. That is why I was so annoyed by the other stuff.

If what I mentioned won't bother you, please give this a go. I will be continuing myself as well.

3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)
2 on the spice scale

CW: SA, Forced Pregnancy, core, violence, torture, PTSD

[Lena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Nerd fam for the gifted ARC!

I had really high hopes for this book, but it fell flat for me. I didn’t really feel any connection to the characters, and they came off as very one dimensional. The book was over 500 pages long and really not much happened. The romance was boring to me—they had an unexplained instant “bond” and were just kinda obsessed with each other and there wasn’t any depth to the relationship. I thought about DNF’ing many times but ultimately decided to stick with it.

Lastly, this book needs A LOT of editing. I’m usually not one to pay attention to typos but there were a lot. There were multiple times that characters names were misspelled, once a paragraph was written twice, and a ton of spelling/grammatical errors. Certain phrases were repeated excessively, such as “amethyst orbs” and “her cherry, vanilla, and cinnamon scent.” And the smut didn’t hit bc of the worst possible words: “cream,” “juices,” and “mound.”

I hate rating books lower than 3 stars…I just really did not vibe with this book and it took me a week to get through, which is a lot for me.

[Lexi Rachelle Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book thinking it was going to be 5 stars and I was exactly right😆

What a great debut! The world building was immersive and the magic system was very clear and understandable. A lot of first books in a fantasy series contain massive amount of info dumping which can be tedious and overwhelming. To Bleed a Kingdom didn’t have any of that! It jumped right into the story and you learned about the world and magic very organically.

The found family was one of the best I’ve read in a really long time! It had me cry laughing at times because the banter was so real and believable. It felt like I was in the room with them, laughing along🤣

I could talk for hours about the romance. I absolutely love a possessive MMC, especially when they’re a little unhinged. Darius checked all the boxes and is now at the top of my book boyfriend list🖤

Perfect if you love…
⚔️possessive MMC
🖤slow burn romance with spice
⚔️fierce fmc
🖤the BEST found family
⚔️so much banter and tension
🖤morally grey characters

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy to review!

[Cheri Sypolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay let me first say I was blown away with this book. It is a good balance between world building and romance. Perfect for the readers who want to start out reading fantasy. I fell in love with Darius and the fact that his pov was very heavy made my heart swoon. THE SLOW BURN HAD ME ON MY TOES!! I am obsessed how both main characters are so strong and powerful in their own ways. The ending…….. wow I did not see that coming and I need the next book to come out asap!!!

[Susan Carolynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! OMG screaming, finally a romantic fantasy that has actual world-building and a clear magic system. I read this in a day, and I couldn't put it down.

After thirty years of closed borders, the city of Seboia has been victim to an increasing number of attacks from the Gods Cursed Soulless. And its fae and immortal citizens with elemental magic are at the Soulless' mercy. Darius, the Captain of the Seboian Guard, is in charge of protecting his kingdom. But his duty begins to waver when a group of mysterious travelers enter the kingdom, one of whom is Lena. Lena has one purpose in Seboia—something that does not include falling in love with Darius. But as enemies lurk closer, Lena and Darius are thrust onto a new path.

I loved how the book immediately jumped into the action and was a very harsh introduction to the state of the kingdom. The first 100 pages of the book threw me into the world and did a great job of establishing that there's a looming threat, even though everyone seems to be at peace. Adelphia was easily one of the most interesting characters. I love how the prologue was in her POV, and that completely contrasted with the portrayal of her being cold and detached in the rest of the book.

The world-building was so interesting. The elemental magic, with jewel markings, alongside rarer gifts was great. It was easy to visualize the physical setting and the magic.

It was a pleasant surprise after the prologue that there was humor and banter throughout the book. Based on the first few chapters, I thought this would be a much darker fantasy, but the dialogue was fairly light-hearted and often comedic.

The side characters were great, and I loved how Amara, Aurora, Zander, Kade, Griffin, and Tristan all had distinct personalities. And why did I like all of the side characters more than the main characters?

While the book was overall great, it did slow down in pacing during the middle, before picking back up again. I didn't fully understand the insta-love and insta-bond between Darius and Lena. It felt a bit unnatural, and Darius' possessiveness over Lena was a bit too much after he knew her for all of five seconds. And there were some choice words in the spice that were, let's say, not my cup of tea.

And while I love a good scheming unreliable female narrator, there was not enough information about Lena and her realm revealed in this book. I know it's a series, but I wish we got more answers in this book about who Lena was and where she came from. The lack of knowledge made me feel detached to Lena as a character. I also wish there was more information about what fate and the gods had planned for Darius.

But could not recommend this book more for romantasy readers who lean more towards the fantasy part of romantasy!

Thank you so much to The Nerd Fam and Ella Dawes for sending me an ARC of To Bleed a Kingdom. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)

[Alex (HEABookNerd)]

DNF @ 11%

The idea behind TO BLEED A KINGDOM was cool but I'm not really engaged by the characters. Additionally, there's been several instances of side characters making lewd comments about women that seemed really unnecessary and following the graphic sexual assault scene in the prologue it's feeling like this author just doesn't like women.

[Sara Sinclair · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spelling errors and grammar issues (Example; chapter 17 the first word is "nnees" meant to be knees). Reads like a Wattpad story rather than a well thought out novel.
Unique magic system but poorly explained.
Cringe interactions between characters.
It had the bones to be good, but none of the meat.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC.
(E-ARC)
Rating- 3 stars
I was super excited to read this book. The synopsis really sold this book for me and included tropes and things that I love in fantasy books. It sold me more being a dark fantasy romance book. I was so happy to have received an copy of this. This book was not bad but it was not fantastic at the same time.

To bleed a Kingdom is a dark adult fantasy romance book that features a fierce heroine, an alpha immortal with a cast of shifters and fae. This book does include trigger warnings at the start of the book-please be mindful of your triggers and protect your mental health. This book has:
Unique magic system
Found Family
Touch her and you'll die
Lush world building

As you start the book, there is a very heavy prologue that features a lot of the trigger warnings that is present at the start of the book. It is a very heavy scene, a scene that I had to put the book down for a few more days before resuming. Although the book is dark, it does become quite lighter in context and you really get to know the characters from the beginning of the story. The characters are described really well and the author gives plenty of context for each character. This also goes hand in hand with the amazing world building. The world building was beautiful and really made you get a feel for the place as it was packed full of tidbits and context. The author really did a amazing job with the world building.

The fond family/romance was also done brilliantly too but I really thought that it overshadowed too much. It was great to see a foundation of characters being developed and forming friendships/relationships as it really sets up for future books. It keeps you guessing on what will happen in future books. But the romance really took over to a point where by 35% in the book I was yet to see a actual plot. I knew something was happening with the main character Darius but it was lost and never picked up.

With no plot, it was a constant cycle of romance, fighting, posseiveness etc. Whenever Darius saw another male touching her, he would go off in rage and threaten to kill someone or end up killing someone. It became so predictable. I really felt like the whole relationship was toxic- the way he made her say you're mine in the breath of a minute really got me annoyed. I really did not feel like they should have been together. Furthermore, it was also a nightmare to guess what the female and her group of friends were doing in the town. There was no inclination of what they were doing or what they were up to. You had no way of guessing what was going on and after the ending of the book we still do not know.

I also want to point out that my copy was a E-ARC and had errors throughout. As we were told that these would be sorted out in the final copy, we were told not to worry. The repetions of phases as the colour of their eyes, the way she smelled, few spelling mistakes. In one scene, the same names were used that compared another character to another. I knew who the character should have been and thought that it would be corrected in the final version. It was not which makes me wonder if errors has been picked up and corrected. I also did not like the fact that the c word as someone pointed out in their review 28 times. It was not needed at all.

I did enjoy this book in some parts but with the constant errors, lack of plot etc it really lacked for me as a reader. I do however want to say that the author does have some much potential as the world building and the fond family trope were excellent and really were the highlight of the entire book.

[KMart Vet]

Dnfing at 22%.

Listen, I do not like writing reviews like this.

The trigger warnings are there for a reason. Please listen to them.

This starts with a horrific scene where a woman sacrifices herself to save her children. Her husband is murdered in front of her and she is raped. On page. It's not fun. And as a result of that, she has her rapist's child. The main character is the product of this violent rape and I thought that this was going to be a heartbreaking and nuanced examination of his mother's trauma and being forced to relive that whenever she sees her son's face. I thought we would explore the difficult situation of her son not having any control over that and them learning to get past that. Instead, she repeatedly acts out against her son and everyone just calls her names and hates her.

This might change in the rest of the book, but as I continued, the tone was quite a bit more goofy. I did not trust the story to discuss this in a respectful way. I also did not like the repeated incidents of misogyny and all of the characters acting incredibly juvenile. This did NOT fit the tone of the prologue and I was left feeling uncomfortable.

Not for me, sorry to say.

Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC.

[Jennys_library · Rating 3 out of 5]

To Bleed A Kingdom by Ella Dawes is a dark fantasy and first of The Bleeding Realms series.

A kingdom with closed borders is beginning to see an increase in attacks. A mysterious group of strangers arrived around the same time. Can the Captain of the Gaurd protect his kingdom, or will these strangers prove to be the worst kind of distractions?

This was a good, fast-paced romantasy. It had an element of mystery with secrets and betrayals. Not a lot of world building, most of the book took place in the same area. I think that was sort of the point because of the whole, closed kingdom thing.

The best part of this book was the group of mysterious strangers. They brought such an interesting level of curiosity. The story gives you action, slow burn, star-crossed lovers, and magic.

Check TW.

[Katie Conquest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella is a BRAND NEW AUTHOR!! Like new new!

This book sucked me in from the offset, its a dark fantasy romance/ Romantasy.
The MFC is witty, holds nothing back and her group of friends are funny and quirky. The MMC is an a$$ ( there is a reason!) but don’t we all love an alpha hole?! Poor sod has been through some tough 💩, don’t even get me started on the Queen, that woman 😠!! The cover on this book is stunning and I loved it so much I have even placed a preorder!

Touch her and 💀
Morally grey MMC
Unique characters
Slow burn 🔥 with spice
Bad A$$ MFC
Touch him and 💀
Excellent world building
Found family
Fae and shifters


I received this book as an arc and opinions expressed on this post are genuine and entirely my own.

[Bookishandbrewsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like an open overprotective “you’re mine” mmc and a fierce but secretive FMC then you’ll probably enjoy this book.

After 500 pages I’m still not sure what’s going on other than they are being attacked by vampires, maybe?

Either way I’m excited for the next book and hopefully getting some answers.

[jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK/ARC REVIEW: To Bleed A Kingdom by Ella Dawes

4 STARS

A solid first book that I think could be very very good series overall!! This one does start off with a slower beginning where you are just thrown into this world of fae, immortals and humans. Then a pretty good amount of action and adventure happens. AND LOTS of secrets, and they only unravel as you keep reading. But I still have lots of questions and I can’t wait until the next book!

With dual pov, we have Lena and Darius, and then tension between them TOP TIER. And it’s a deliciously good slow burn with an explosive ending I guess you could say. Aka let’s just say that it is WORTH THE WAIT!! There are LOTS of “she’s mine” “youre mine” and “MINE” also throw in some hand necklaces. SWOONING FOR DARIUS!!!!

VIBES;
- romantasy
- slow burn
- fae, immortals & humans
- strong secretive FMC

I did have some issues with a few word choices, I do think they could have been said better in another way. But it’s not going to stop me from reading the next book.

[Kaitlyn Collier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Nerd Fam for sending me an ARC of this!

I felt like the first 75% of this book was amazing. It started out really strong with an absolutely heartbreaking few scenes that have you flipping the pages (make sure to check the triggers). Fast forward 34 years later and you get lush world building and interesting characters. The fae characters have elemental magic and the humans are disliked in this realm. You get a mysterious group of people settling in a new town with strange accents.

One of the characters Lena has such a magnetic energy about her that everyone is drawn to her. With her beauty and amethyst eyes, she is admired by everyone.

The MMC Darius is instantly entranced by Lena, but this was not properly explained even later on because they apparently have this bond. He is very very protective of her and she feels the same way about him. Sometimes it felt a little unrealistic, but I’m really holding out for hope that it’ll be explained in book two.

My favorite scene was the fight in the forest. I think Lena is a badass and she can hold her own. And the tension between her and Darius was so good.

I think the banter in this book was funny and I really loved the character Amara. She was very feisty and crass which added some extra personality. I also liked Zander a lot, but other than that I felt the side characters fell a little flat. Maybe we will see more in book two as well.

One thing that I don’t like in books is the C word for certain female anatomy and it was in there 28 times. I was okay with it for a little bit, but it’s my least favorite word. That’s totally a personal preference.

This was a great slow burn and you get some tension the whole book, and then an open door scene around 80%.

Okay so the last 25% of the book is where it fell a bit flat for me. I stopped liking Darius as much during this time. He was super alpha protective the whole time which was hot in a way, but then he did some things that I did not care for. I also was expecting to get answers from Lena and I never got them. But I didn’t rate it lower because of that. I just would’ve liked some explanation because a really big scene happened that completely turned the romantic mood around.

Overall I think the series could be fantastic because this one ended on a cliffhanger that demands more answers. The character depth could’ve been a little bit better and I hope to get some things cleared up in book two.

[Andrea Morgan -Bookaholic Sisters blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic debut, an exciting and gripping start to a series I'm very excited to continue!!!!

"For monsters are not destined for love. Only blood and death"

This book completely consumed me, from cover to cover I was swept away and lived and breathed these characters I think you can definitely tell I loved it 🤣

Please please make sure to read the content warnings before reading because I can honestly say To Bleed A Kingdom has one hell of a brutal prologue, but I definitely think this hightens the feelings and gives a much deeper connection and understanding of the characters.

Ella Dawes weaves a wonderful slow burn, dark and gritty story that will evoke every emotion and leaving the reader to try and connect the dots which I might add I'm still trying to connect 🙈 I finished the book with my heart in my throat and my head still trying to catch up, the world building is amazing and immersive, the magic system is "chef's kiss" and a breath of fresh air in a genre that can sometimes feel repetitive. I loveee a story that keeps the reader on the edge guessing and wondering what's going to happen next and this book definitely doesn't disappoint!!.......I have so many questions and I cannot wait for the next book to hopefully get a some answers.

One of the favourite things about this book for me is the characters 🥰 Dawes has given us a fantastic group of witty and sarcastic characters that you can't help but smile about, the banter is on point, I absolutely adored Kace he never fails to make me laugh and I cant wait for more 😍

I definitely recommend reading To Bleed A Kingdom, it's a fantastic debut that is showing all the promise of being an amazing series and I cant wait for what's to come.

"Let me show you that true power lies not within the Void, but with the stars"

100% recommend!!!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book starts out absolutely BRUTAL with murder and rape. It sets the scene for our mmc’s existence but man, it’s brutal. So huge trigger warning there.

After I got past that gut wrenching scene, this became an epic fantasy.

🖤 fated mates
🖤 gods, immortals, humans, cursed
🖤 mysteries for days
🖤 action
🖤 kingdom’s political drama
🖤 best friends & unbreakable bonds
🖤 touch her & die!

Some of the characters reminded me so much of beloved characters in the SJM universe. Our MFC reminded me of Amren with her locked down power and mysterious background.

It does end on a cliffhanger so I obviously can’t wait to read the next one!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars
Felt like reading fanfiction, but poorly rewritten as a book series.
The 2 main characters are pretty terrible.

[Lilia Atkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶️

This one will be interesting for me to rate because there was a lot I loved about it but also some things I wish had been done a bit differently.

Right from the start of this book I could tell it would be pretty dark and heavy. (Read trigger warnings because there is very intense events in the prologue).
What I really admired was that our FMC was a total badass and that didn’t change must throughout the book. I loved her power moves and they way she commanded respect. Her delight my devoted friend group also had me all sorts of happy because it gave a sense of found family. The same went for the MMC and his friend group. I love that they had people who chose to be loyal to them and I loved even more when those two friend groups mixed !

When the magic system was introduced I had a bit of hard time trying to follow what the crystals meant and who could do what. It got easier as the book went on and I also went to the authors Instagram where she has a informational post about the magic system and races.
There was also a lot of unknown and potential behind the idea of the gods and their role in the realms. I think this paired with the mystery of Lena and her friends was what grabbed ahold of me and truly propelled me through the book.

Along side the mystery of Lena I was also very intrigued by what the Soulless were and how they connected to Lena. There is definitely a lot more to that story that I’m hoping we will see in book two !

There were two main things that I felt I wished done just a bit differently. The first is the almost teenage behavior moments of them teasing each other or pulling pranks. I know the goal was to bring a lighthearted nature to the book but sometimes it just got too childish for me.
The next may be personal preference and might not be something others mind. I found the amount of swearing/vulgar language amongst the writing to be just a bit excessive. When it was used I felt at time it took away from the plot that was unfolding on the pages.

Overall I really enjoyed this and found it a quick and enjoyable read. I’m excited to read book two and learn more about Lena and hopefully see more of the mysteries unfold !

[Dayna | daynas.bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

i REALLY went back and forth with this one, and ultimately had a fun time but there were things that just weren’t my fave!

to bleed a kingdom is a dark fantasy romance (PLS read content warnings bc it dives head first right into it with the prologue) where fae and humans are enemies and dark creatures plague the land. this brings me to what didn’t sit right with me right off the bat- the prologue is pretty gory & has r*pe on page in detail. i personally feel that that content warnings saying “non consensual sex” wasn’t enough to prepare the reader, but to each their own. it kinda felt like watching the pilot episode of an HBO show, because after the prologue it wasn’t too crazy.

besides that, there were elements i did like! the insta lust + slow burn romance-to-love is a trope i can get behind. loved the found family elements and how unabashedly themselves the characters were (even when saying words like juices and orbs excessively🫠). i thought the magic system was super cool (shifters + elemental powers) and really wished there was more of that!! loved how strong of a character Lena was, and how she can take care of herself in the brutal kingdom. i loved the concept of a mate bond where they can feel each others’ emotions and wished that was more of an integral part of their relationship, but most of the book they had it “closed off”. i can see how in future books it would be used more when (and if) they trust each other but i wanted MORE from them in this first book (besides lust).

my biggest irk was that I WAS PROMISED STARCROSSED LOVE!!! i personally wouldn’t categorize this as that, and it was a huge bummer for me. wah.

the audiobook was GREAT! dual pov narrators who did accents and voices for each character. i’d give the audiobook 5 stars just to the narrators 👏🏼

thank you to the nerdfam and podium audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I tell you that Darius reminds me so much of GERALT of Rivia… 😫🔥 Darius is the bastard Prince, captain of the guard, one of the most powerful immortals who growls and has a filthy mouth like our favorite Witcher 😍 This is the first book in a 18+ DARK fantasy romance series told in dual POV with elemental powers, soulless monsters, found family and spice! 🖤 ideal for fans of Romantasy with comedy like A Ruin of Roses!

Be prepared for some pearl clutching with lots of dirty banter filled dialogues 🥵 & an insta-lust romance with slow burn build up to spice! I loved the worldbuilding, the different creatures (fae, humans, immortals, shifters) and their different powers and how they are related to the jewels they wear. The story is filled with naughty puns and hilarious moments, which also lighten the dark start of the book! The sexual jokes were a bit too often but I still enjoyed it. The book is perfect for fans of character driven stories where the plot moves at a slower pacing. Overall a great first instalment of the series!

What you can expect:
🖤 An alpha immortal MMC
🖤 Touch her and I’ll ☠️ you
🖤 Naughty dialogues
🖤 elemental powers
🖤 unhinged found family
🖤 insta lust with slow burn romance
🖤 badass FMC that all men crave
🖤 you’re mine (possessive MMC)

Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy for review

[Bryanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

literally…what

i am speechless. genuinely. this was so good i was LOST in the entire world every single time i picked up this book. if i could give it a hundred stars, i absolutely would. 🥹

there was just enough going on at any given time that it kept my attention, but not so much that it was overwhelming. i felt such a deep connection to every single character (yes, even the queen) and loved watching the build of the relationships between lena and her friends and darius and his soldiers.

i love a good fantasy book and bonus points if it’s romantasy. this book is just that, with one of the slowest slow burns imaginable. there’s a little bit of insta-lust but it’s for a reason, we just haven’t figured out what that reason is yet. i still have so many questions 😭

that cliffhanger had my eyes bugging out of my head!!!! i need the next book immediately. now. yesterday.

thank you so much to ella and the nerd fam for the arc of this book 🫶🏻

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always
🥁🥁🥁🥁
DUAL POV
🙌🙌🙌


I thought this was pretty decent for a first in the series of a dark fantasy romance.  Definitely check TW/CW because some of the stuff is dark dark

The magic system was unique and the world building was great and easy to follow! ( i really enjoy world building )   I really enjoyed the banter

This is the slowest of slow burns but it burns really good. The tension is tortuous in the best way.

I also liked that there's a bunch of different races in this world ( humans, gods, fae, shifters)
Characters are interesting. We have a funny quirky FMC with touch him and 💀 vibes and the morally Grey alphahole MMC also with touch her and 💀 vibes. And some main side characters that you'll love to hate and hate to love.

* there's some tropes in this book that aren't my vibe but it doesn't effect the rating*

Rounded up to 4 stars

[Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story. It was exciting, fast-paced, and had some great characters! I loved the tension and banter between the MCs. Our FMC is sassy and fierce, and the MMC is the perfect amount of broody and possessive.

I was lucky enough to get an ALC of the audiobook, and I absolutely loved the narrators for this book! They did a fantastic job with bringing these characters to life, and I had such a great time with this read.

The plot twist and cliffhanger at the end were perfection, and I'm really excited to continue the series!

4.5⭐️

[Sydney Alizadeh · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 18%

Not at all interested in the plot & the writing is not doing it for me

[Ruby]

First and foremost, thank you to the Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC.

I was SO excited for this book, but I unfortantley DNF-ed it.

Why? well

This book needs some major editing that I could not get past - there were SO many spelling and grammatical errors.

Instalove, blegh.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and Darius was not it for me. He seemed emotionally immature at times, and that was such a big turn off for me.

I tried to truck through, but life is too short to read books that you are just not connecting with.

[Ryan Mcdonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to DNF 50% in. I felt like this book had zero stakes. I wasn’t invested in the characters and it fell flat.

[Pia]

Rating: 2.5✨
Spice: 1.75🌶️

Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC. This review as always is voluntary & honest.

Okay listen, writing this review actually had me upset because for the first 50-60% of the book, I was vibing & having a good time. And even though I wasn’t “in love” I was enjoying it! I liked the FMC, the group of friends she had and some of the other side characters that we met in the kingdom this story took place. I was also intrigued by the world, the plot that was developing, even though I felt like the plot was sacrificed on some parts for the development on the relationship. I was having an overall good time.

However, with that said, one thing that I ended up disliking by the end was the MMC. I will admit, i really liked him in the first half, I swooned for him and cared for him and his story. I wished him happiness & all the love. I was rooting for him. I understand that this man had a hurtful past & upbringing, that he was brought up thinking the worst of himself, but his actions by the end had me fuming. Mainly because, I just felt all his actions were entirely hypocritical & I could not understand how he could do a 180 so easily, where he became some sort of patronizing alpha-hole. His actions had me rolling my eyes and thinking he and common sense had never even met.

Now, I really think the author has so much potential. I enjoyed most of this book & I do think I may read the second book in the series (mostly because of just certain characters). however, characters to me are such an important part of my reading journey & when I feel a disconnect from them, it just makes it go downhill for me. But keep in mind, that’s mostly personal preference & you may not feel the same in your own reading journey.

So keep it all in mind when reading this review & making a decision on reading this book. Also, please also read the trigger warnings because there’s plenty of scenes that could be triggering to some. 🫶🏻

[FloofyMooseReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Bleeding Realms series, a new dark fantasy romance with gods, fae, shifters and humans. While it is a bit funny and quirky, there are some truly dark elements that are on-page so you absolutely need to look at the content warnings. Tropes include instant attraction, touch him/her and die, found family, morally gray characters and one rather stabby FMC.

The Lovely: This book was straight up fun to read. I loved the humor and the quirky characters, especially Amara (whom should not be given a spoon). The world-building, in terms of races and the magic system, was well thought out and explained without it feeling like an info dump. There is an underlying commentary on the intersection of race and class within the realm.

Also Lovely: I also enjoyed the characters, main and side, and the different relationships between them. This formed the basis of the found family aspect, which was hysterical at times. Last, I loved how the reader was in the dark (along with the MMC) about why the FMC was in the capital, for most of the book. It made it fun to try to figure out her motives and ascertain what was really going on.

The Mundane: I did feel like the MC’s relationship was insta-lovey, which is fine, but I was expecting more of a slowburn. I don’t want to risk spoiling so I’ll just say there’s a reason for their connection. Also, some of the dialogue between the MCs during spicy time is a bit cringy and felt out of place to me, especially given what the MMC knows about the FMC.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 2/5 Flames

Recommendation: Thank you to the author for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. This book was a fun, crazy ride and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. Rarely do I come across a romantasy where there is humor, so this made for a fun read. I also appreciate that the quirky characters were allowed to be quirky and it wasn’t stigmatized. I hope to see more of this in book two.

[Chaos & Courtships~ Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Yet another stellar debut from a promising new indie author! This dark fantasy romance was a fast-paced, thrilling ride, brimming with high stakes action and slow burn romance. The story was refreshing and original, and I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.
There was just enough world building to keep the story interesting, without overtaking the entire story. And I was fully invested in these characters, both the major players and the supporting cast. I loved the sprinkling of humor and playful banter between the whole ensemble. Even though the book encompasses some darker themes, these moments of levity created a beautiful balance within the story.
I enjoyed the dynamic between Lena and Darius- there was a bit of an Insta-love situation, which can be tough trope for me to swallow. But they had some beautiful chemistry and banter, so it ended up all working for me. Still a lot of answers are left to be uncovered regarding Lena, which I’m sure will be addressed in the next book. Looking forward to seeing where everything goes, especially after the cliffhanger ending. 💀
All in all, an absolutely solid debut, and I am fully invested in this story. This author is definitely gonna make her mark in this genre.

✨Morally grey MMC
✨Strong FMC
✨Banter and humor
✨Touch her and 💀
✨Found family
✨Shifters & fae
✨Unique magic system
✨Dual POV
🌶️Slow burn that leads to spice (1.5)