This series has such promise; I devoured this first book, I fell in love with the characters in the opening chapter, I was hooked from the start. So much so that I downloaded the second book before I had finished reading this!!.

Bride of the Shadow King is a fantasy romance, and I loved every second of it.
The world building wasn’t over done, just enough that I felt I had a good grasp on the story at all times, I knew where I was and what I was doing in every moment. I really liked the characters in it, loved the sisters, loved our main man, (I love a respectful man with a firm hand) and I really like our mfc, I feel there is a lot of potential for character growth and am really looking forward to their romance story arc in the following books!

This book started off strong and then unfortunately felt stagnant by the half-way point. For a first book in a series with book two being the only other released novel of this series, the pacing was much slower than I was expecting. The first quarter provided that delicious slow-burn and tension that I had been looking forward to, and after that shocking turn of events I anticipated the pace to speed up. This was not the case for me and instead I found the pages feeling longer to get through. I think this book tried to prioritise establishing the kindling relationship between Vor and Faraine and also the world-building aspect, and as a result this book felt like it contained too much filler to build-up to that elusive ending which anticipates the continuation of this story in book two. The storyline is strong and holds great potential, and I would have enjoyed and appreciated this book had it displayed more progress within this book to really immerse me into the story and see the vision that the author is trying to create. I’m definitely interested enough to continue this series and see where it goes, and I hope to see further development of the story and it’s characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for the DRC (digital review copy) in exchange for an honest review.

Rating my first ARC right off the bat a solid 4.5/5✨!

Slow burn, twisted plots and characters with real feelings?! I say YES! This book had me at every single word, sentence and chapter!

The dual POV is very nice in this book. The characters added so much with their own POV that it almost made me double take on who was actually speaking at the moment. Some can say this is confusing, but to me it was evidence that there was no repetition present. Most POV show what the characters viewed in that particular moment and then the other character viewed the same moment but from their side.. This is was not the case here (not a lot at least) which gave the book a rather good pace and you wouldn’t be so bummed out about the slow burn going on!

The slow burn.. it was slow! But oh so good! I started this book with the idea that it would pick up early in the book and that it would be like most books to just carry the romance throughout the rest of the book.. this slow burn will have you wanting them (the MC’s) to just find one an other already! (I understand that this could be frustrating for some..)

The plots… They came out of no where and also at the right time I suppose. Ha!
I enjoyed how creative the plots were and how, at times, so twisted that I just needed a breather. As an autistic girl myself, at times couldn’t handle the intenseness of the twists and turns. (So my fellow Neuro’s be aware of this!)

[The deaths were rather shocking in the beginning, but it made the story so much better! (hide spoiler)]

I have some remarks why it isn’t a full 5/5✨:

- The word unicorn threw me off.. I feel like the whole book had so many creative names for people, ‘animals’ and things for it to feel so out of place with unicorn… it takes me out of the story completely! (Thank god it isn’t mentioned more then 5 or 6 times!)
- Also the creative words that were mentioned in the Trolldish language were so interesting that I would have liked an index with the meanings. (This is a small remark, the story was amazing the way it was with all the new words!)
- Lastly I am rather disappointed that the fMC didn’t at least have an interest in the remembering of the Trolldish words the heard or that she didn’t show any interest in getting to know the language… [ Faraine mentioned when she arrived at Vor’s world that she noticed that no one from the Trollde bothered to learn the human language for her welcome. She then proceeded to mention they also didn’t when Vor came to the human world.. I guess it would have been nice to see them bond on her trying to get to know some words in Trolldish. (hide spoiler)] (but again this is a small remark!)

The open ending is so good as well, I need to get my hands on the next book ASAP! I cant wait to read what will happen next with these characters that have become so dear to me :)

This has been my review for the amazing book, I hope it was useful and happy reading!

Thank you Sylvia Mercedes for the ARC via NetGalley!

Unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. I really wanted to love it, and I did love how unique it was and the worldbuilding was excellent and really well written. It was unlike anything I've read before. That's why it gets a 3 stars from me.

The book covers are also so stunning!

What I didn't love so much was that, because the book is a series not alot seemed to happen in this one and it felt like a set up book. The book felt really long and I struggled through it a bit.

For me personally the plot took a turn mid way through and I didn't like the tropes that the book then focused on.

This is my own personal opinion, and I'm sure others would still enjoy the book very much.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the review copy.

A great romantasy with unique fae and mythical creatures. It felt fresh and had me hooked straight away. The start gave off Bridgerton vibes! There’s some good twists which kept the pace going for a quick and fun read.
The romance is an arranged marriage, there is a forbidden element giving us yearning, a simmer of spice and complications!
The dual POV works so well and it was great to see both sides as the characters are from completely different worlds. The FMC gives us an underdog, she has a chronic illness and has been sheltered until now. The MMC is loyal to his people and is a respectable character. I liked both characters and want to know how things unfold for them both.
Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I have to admit that I mostly fell in love with the cover. I also saw the old covers of the series and they were amazing too, but this one speaks to me a little bit more. I was therefore very happy when I found the book on Netgalley and even happier when Daphne Press granted me a review copy. I love a good romantasy. It's basically what I read all the time and Sunday afternoon, in between lunch and watching cycling, it was finally time to dive in.

This book is exactly what you expect it to be. If the summary speaks to you, grab yourself a copy and you won't be disappointed. Mostly because this book does romantasy as it should be done. Yes, the focus is on the feelings the main characters are developing towards each other. Yes, there are quite a few paragraphs dedicated to describing their future significant other. But it's not JUST that. There is magic, there is danger, there is a prophecy, there is politics, there is fantasy.

Since this is not an epic fantasy the world building is not more detailed than it should be. We learn about both kingdoms what we have to learn and that's it. But due to hints and small remarks the author does give us the impression that the world is quite big and there are quite a lot of parts of that world we have not explored in this book. So despite the fact that we don't learn everything there is to know it doesn't feel like we lack knowledge either.

I also really enjoyed the constant tension in this book. Of course there is the tension when it comes to the romance. If you're expecting a fast burn story with loads of spice this might not be your thing. But I kinda enjoy the fantasy tension even more. We get to see why both kingdoms need this alliance, but we don't get all answers. We don't know for example what's exactly in the prophecy. And since this book doesn't give everything away yet I'm really excited about the sequel!

This book is a very slow burn! I enjoyed the plot but found my focus’s drifting often as it felt like there wasn’t a lot going on at times. The FMC is underdeveloped and it’s hard to understand what makes her interesting to the MMC, I kept waiting for more to be said but was left without. The concept of the story is intriguing and makes up for the lacking character development. The best character in this by far is Lyria, but again I feel like there was more to be found out about her.

A slow-burn romance, dual-POV romance, with twists and turns that build to an enthralling ending.
Faraine is an exiled princess, who has been sequestered into a covenant for shaming her family in front of a potential ally. She holds a god given power which seems to be more of a curse than a gift.
Faraine is torn away from her convent by her brother. Her sister is about to make a similar mistake as she did, ruining a potential alliance that could save her kingdom. After being set upon by dark fae riders, Faraine is saved by a mysterious handsome and brooding fae man. Riding close to him on his unearthly mount, she feels a calm and connection to him that she has never experienced before.. But, in a twist, he turns out to be the King of Shadows, the ruler of an underground realm, and her sister's suitor.
This was my first Sylvia Mercedes novel. I can say that I am definitely not disappointed!

Sadly I didn't enjoy this one and couldn't finish it. The writing just didn't work for me and I found it a struggle to keep picking up.

I adore the cover and the premise of the book though.

With the influx of fae romance hitting the market, with its tried and true but perhaps tired tropes, I was immediately intrigued that the male lead here is not your classic elf - but a troll. Their difference from the mortals is emphasised and brought out in the dual narrative, which I enjoyed.

The trolde world is completely enchanting (reminded me a bit of certain underground caverns in Skyrim - no, the nice ones, not the ones full of horrible goblins). The tension between duty and desire is also played out nicely: a lot of the conflict in romance seems to be introduced by stupid decisions or miscommunication which really annoys me and makes me think the characters l deserve consequences over happy endings… I’m happy to report this isn’t the case here!

Not only that, but the plotline isn’t just sheer romance: there’s a strong political storyline and a mysterious threat to the kingdoms that is slowly uncovered throughout the story, but still not entirely revealed.

The spice itself is basically just tension in this book but the romantic tension is still great. Can’t wait to find out what comes next!

Thank you so much for accepting my request for this novel.

Perfect novel, I enjoyed it thoroughly

A deliciously swoon-worthy, fae-based romantasy that’s chock full of magic, political intrigue, betrayal and a sizzlingly slow-burn romance that had me on the edge of my seat (and rooting for our angst-filled protagonists) until the very last page.

Set in an epic fantasy-style world rich in detail, we follow two characters, Faraine the eldest daughter of King Larongar, whose lands are under constant attack from the neighbouring Fae. And Vor, the Shadow King and ruler of Mythanar- a subterranean realm struggling to withstand a deadly darkness that is killing off his people.

In order to survive both kingdoms must join forces. As King Larongar agrees to loan his magic wielding mages (called Miphates) to Vor (to help find a solution to the darkness) in exchange for Mythanar’s help in battle-so long as he marries Larongar’s beloved daughter Ilsevel. Vor has always been reluctant to take a human bride but, given the importance of the alliance, her beauty and fiery personality, he happily agrees.

There’s only one problem. He can’t stop thinking about Faraine, the king’s eldest daughter, whose gods’ blessed gift has left her shunned by the court and her own family.

I’m a huge fan of slow-burn fantasy romances so jumped at the chance to read this (especially after seeing Daphne Press’ stunning new cover.) And I’m happy to report that it definitely lived up to my expectations.

The world- building was really good, if not as in depth as I would’ve liked. However, the unique magic system and lore surrounding the Troldefolk was incredibly gripping and really helped to bring Mythanar (and its unique underground setting) to life.

I was also intrigued by Faraine’s god-gifted abilities which make several appearances throughout the book, I just wish they were more in depth as I was soo fascinated by them. As this is only the first book, I’m hopeful that we’ll get to explore the limits of her capabilities in much more detail throughout the rest of the series.

But of course, the pièce de résistance has to be the gorgeously angsty romance that we see grow between Faraine and Vor. Their chemistry was off the charts from the moment they first meet, and I genuinely liked how the similarities between two were explored —particularly when it came to their complex family relationships and feeling like they don’t belong.

As I said before it is a slow-burn romance, so if you don’t enjoy those (I’m talking Mariana Zapata levels of slow-burn) then you might want to skip this. However, if you’re anything like me (and love them) then you’re gonna adore the deliciously intense build up that we get.

Overall, a solid series starter that fans of These Hollow Vows or plot-twisty romantasy, with marriage of convience trope and the forced proximity trope will absolutely love. Though be warned it does end on a cliffhanger!

Also, thanks to Daphne Press and Netgalley for the e-arc

I absolutely loved this book, it was such a surprise and not what I was expecting! While the tropes are quite traditional, arranged marriage, fae and humans, magic, the story was fresh and interesting. The world-buildning and magic system was unique and well executed. I devoured this book in one day!

The twist and turns of this book were surprising, and I could never really predict what was going to happen. I liked the characters, especially Vor, and I am intrigued with how Vor and Faraine's story will develop. Their romance was mostly based on insta-love, magic, and lust; I wonder how this can progress into a “proper” relationship.

However, I do feel that the plot was at times slow, and the story could have been sped up a bit more.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book and really thought I was going to love the entire book! Sadly as it progressed it became a bit difficult to read.

3.5 ⭐️

I’m kind of giving this book the benefit of the doubt. I enjoyed it on the whole, though it did feel like it took an entire book to set-up a relatively simple plot. Why did it drag so much in places?? I’m not sure why the author made the choice to have the plot line with Ilsevel instead of just using Fairie instead? I’m not sure it made sense in terms of plot logic or writing, but whatever, it’s done now. I probably will read book two to see if it improves.

I thought the world building was good and interesting, and the writing style was fun. It was kind of like a fantasy regency romance. Overall, good.

Bride of the Shadow King was quite surprising for me! Once the plot started to unfold I was totally hooked, I read the majority of this book in one day.

I would say the pacing is a bit slow, the story spans a couple of weeks but it doesn't actually cover much in that time. I think more could've happened, it felt like this was mostly setting up the series.

I liked the characters, I'm intrigued to see how Vor and Faraine work things out. I would've liked more romance in this book, the characters don't actually spend a lot of time together and their bond is mostly magical so I needed more of an emotional connection.

The world-building is great, the setting is different to anything I've read so far and everything felt really real. The magic system is interesting too, I'm left with a lot of questions but hopefully the rest of the series will explore that more.

I definitely recommend Bride of the Shadow King if you're looking for a new romantasy book!

I have such mixed feelings about this book. At first, I was enjoying it so much. The writing is beautiful, and I was really pulled into the story and desperate to find out how the story would develop. I had read a few reviews that said something big happened about 50% into the book, I was not sure what to expect, but I decided to read and form my own opinion.

I knew as soon as I got to that bit. It was a horrible twist and absolutely ruined the book. It was like from that point, the story turned, and it was not thrilling or exciting anymore. To be honest, I struggled through the second half. I was so closing to not finishing it and was skimming through the pages. It made me feel so uncomfortable and just sad for Faraine. It was also incredibly creepy for her parents to do that and everyone to happily go along with it. I have read many books with heaps of triggers and they never affect me because usually they add something to the story but the twist in this book just brought the whole magic to an end.

I really enjoyed Faraine and Vor for the first half. It was a nice slow burn romance between them, and I reaaally wanted to see how things unfolded. But then it was like the author decided not to care anymore about her characters. Their actions didn't fit the characters from the first half of the book, and they were changed to fit the narrative.

I give this 1 star purely for the first half, but I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I won't be picking up the next books to find out how it ends.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this book.

"I’m not a romantic. I never have been. I’ve spent the better part of my life avoiding such powerful and problematic emotions. Yet somehow, I find myself suddenly playing the role of a heroine straight out of a ballad!"

First of all, I would like to offer my enormous thanks to both Daphne Press and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my unbiased review.

I want to be generous here with my rating, because this is eminently readable, and after the first few chapters I did find myself drawn into the story. The plot moves quickly enough to be engaging and the cliffhanger ending works well despite the fact that it's a trope I sincerely dislike.

However, I did find myself getting frustrated at times. Faraine's gift is neither explained, not even fully described, which makes it difficult to empathise with or even really imagine. The writing is a little too juvenile and melodramatic to effectively convey emotions during tense scenes, and I definitely felt that it hindered the character development.

Well, well, well, what a gem this was! I inhaled it!

Vor, the Shadow King, has to find a way to save his world, Mythanar, and so does Faraine's human family in Gavaria. They think they both find that way in a marriage union. Only, after a doozy of first attraction, it's not Faraine who needs to marry the King of the Trolde but her sister!

The world building was superb, I loved the way that Mythanar was described, there was murder and treachery and the story was fast paced (which was utterly perfect!)

So in short I found this to be a fabulous romantasy but hoping for a bit more steam in the next book!!!

'Faraine will be my life. Or my doom.'

Oh and that epilogue, maybe a sniff of what's coming?!