I never thought I'd read a "monster" romantasy book but here we are! I will devour anything fae related, combine that with a fantasy romance and a title like Bride of the Shadow King and you have a winner in my books.

Bride of the Shadow King is a fantastic fantasy romance, there's angst, there's longing, and there's pining too! Bride of the Shadow King has all the markings of a slow burn romance and with dual POVs this trilogy has a lot of potential.

I took an immediate liking to the female main character Faraine, adorably nicknamed Fairie, I found her to be a little too passive but I think she has a lot of potential and I hope to see some character development in book two. Vor, the male main character also has a lot of potential, I felt like his character was a little more developed than Faraine, but I appreciated his POV but I hope in book two we see a little more from his side that isn't necessarily a repetition of Faraine's POV.

Bride of the Shadow King is well written, the world building is interesting, and I never thought I'd be interested in trolls but here we are! A point I'd like to bring up is I felt like the pacing was a little off and I did keep forgetting the characters were underground but I'm interested in finding more about the world. I think there's a lot more potential to develop the plot, the characters and the world building.

A really fun great binge read. If you like a slow burn romance this is for you! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for allowing me to read this book.

3.75 Stars!

I have mixed feelings on this book, as there are elements I loved, and others that I didn't enjoy so much. For me, I think it is the author's writing style that I'm not a huge fan of, having read several of her other series I find the same things bother me in all her books, so I can understand how people would rate this a 4/5 star, but for me it's probably more 3/3.5.

I loved the plot, I found it interesting and different. I find with Sylvia's books, the storyline alone is enough to keep me reading the rest of the series because I want to see how everything plays out, and I definitely do want to read the rest of the series to find out how it ends! When I heard it this series was being picked up by a published in England I was a bit concerned about whether it would still be available on Kindle unlimited as this is where I originally read her books, and I can't decide if I like them enough to purchase outright if they are no longer available to read through KU.

I loved the tension, and the slow burn between the characters, the forbidden romance element, and the slight touches and glances. This is something Sylvia writes so well. While I am invested in the relationships, I do find the characters to be a little boring and one-dimensional. They are very predictable and don't seem fully fleshed out. The heroine is very much someone who does everything expected of her, very meek and mild and I feel like there is a missed opportunity for her to be more than just a forgotten daughter locked away because of a chronic illness.

I would recommend this to lovers of fantasy romance, or romantasy, but bear in mind the romance is the main plot, the fantasy aspect is more of a secondary plot which doesn't fully develop until later in the book, going into the later books of the series.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this arc.

4 stars / 5 stars

Things I loved:
Loved the slow burn romance
Loved the world building
Ahhh the cliffhanger
Things I didn’t loved:
Would have loved a little more steam in the romance closer to the end
Pacing was a little slow

While openly admitting I am not the target audience for YA romantic fantasy, I am really surprised by uh. How not really reaching for the stars this book is, in terms of quality. The main purpose of any secondary characters is to make the protagonists look appealing by contrast (so much politically unsavvy vulgarity... how is this kingdom alive?!), to the extent that the dialogue is almost comically cartoonish. The leads themselves are okay, but instalove doesn't actually do them many favours. (Neither do other characters being unlikable buffoons around them, but I feel like I have already lodged this complaint.) The intentions and pitfalls are telegraphed so loudly a sleeping person won't miss them.

Not for me is my verdict, but perhaps others can have a more relaxing time with this read.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for this eCopy to review

I loved Bride of the Shadow King, the characters, locations and plot were beautifully described. I really liked the alternating points of view between Vor and Faraine they helped bring their relationship alive and see the worlds from both points of view. I was swept up in the "romance" and am rooting for them to get together in the future volumes. I am also desperate to know what is causing the poisonous gas in the Shadow Realm.

A great slow-burn fantasy

This book is everything and more!!
I loved the story, it keeps you engaged throughout to the point I couldn’t put it down, there’s a wonderful selection of characters and tropes.
I would recommend this book for fantasy lovers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I enjoyed this, the world felt well fleshed out (I find it very annoying when romantic fantasy books neglect this aspect). I also liked how neither love interest was considered 'perfect' by their respective families. A fast paced easy read overall :)

This was such a pleasant surprise! While the premise is romance-oriented, there is equal, or perhaps more focus on the plot surrounding our main characters. It was a bit slow to get going but I wasn't bored at all as the writing style flowed perfectly for me with a nice use of vocabulary, moderate pacing and didn't get bogged down by being overly descriptive.
The trolde kingdom and the lore we learn of it through this book had me hooked! Their beautiful caverns and struggles with their unknown and increasingly dangerous depths totally captivated me.
There are dual POVs over alternating chapters. Faraine is a gentle yet brave FMC and Vor is a stoic and respectful MMC. I loved their interactions, not just with each other but with all the other characters too! I really liked the supporting characters and look forward to reading more about them and seeing how the story develops.

You'll enjoy if you like:
-instant attraction
-sweet romance
-political marriage
-magic
-hidden powers
-likeable side characters
-a constant sense of foreboding

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am really conflicted about this one. I am a really visual reader and I love trying to construct the world in my head as I read…but I really struggled to visualise the world and characters in this book. I also found parts of the story convoluted, and some of the names just made me cringe.

Having said that, I love the slow burn romance, the two main characters are very likeable, and there have been some good creative choices in the types of magic and villains that are portrayed.

I did NOT realise this was going to be such a cliffhanger. And I’m not sure I’m invested enough to keep going. This one was just okay for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Daphne Press for the eARC.

Overall, a good fantasy read. I enjoyed the world building as it wasn't overwhelming, but all context was given. The pacing was well setup, and the alternating PoV kept the story flowing.
The characters was nice to read, with a sensitive heroine, but not weak. The hero was complex and the chemistry was fun to read.

This book leads us into an interesting world where the fae are invading the human lands and the king is desperate to protect his world from them - even if that means contracting the help of the trolde folk and their fearsome king. However, it seems that despite his looming appearance, the trolde king is gentle and kind. He is betrothed to an unwilling princess, the favourite child of the human king, who is ruled by her duty to her father and her people though she seems far less suited to the trolde king and his lands than her sister, Faraine. I was interested to see how the story would unfold after the trolde king returned to his lands to await his bride. Without giving too much away, there’s desperate scheming and secrets, a little magic and some danger all keeping me on the edge of my seat. It did feel that, for the length of the book, not much progress was made in the storyline and it would have been more realistic perhaps to experience more of Faraine’s grief rather than only her guilt. All in all though, it’s an intriguing read and ends with a lot of drama and a bit of a cliffhanger.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

"I've come to fetch you home, Faraine," he declared without preamble. "The Shadow King is looking for a bride, and you're needed at once."

“IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD ME MERE HOURS AGO THAT I would, before the night's end, find myself riding on the I back of a great, spined, nightmarish brute, wrapped in the arms of a magnificent, blue-skinned warrior king, I'm sure I would have laughed out loud.”

Unexpectedly good!!! In a story of deception and magic, a fae king in search of a bride will find love in the human girl whose sister he is supposed to marry!!!
It was really intriguing !!!! Vor and Faraine’s story is magical, complicated but exciting nonetheless. The fact that they feel something for each other but they won’t have the time to explore it before he has to marry her sister was tragic. And the fact that by a certain point in the story something will happen to put her in a very difficult position … so much so that she will have to pretend to be her sister and marry him instead … such a good plot twist !!!!
Until you get to that point, it is almost frustrating how much they are both putting duty before anything else even that blossoming heat they are starting to feel for each other. But there is nothing else you would expect from the fae Shadow King who’s trying to save his people and a young woman who’s trying to keep herself safe from her own father’s rage and his unloving gaze. Two kinda broken soul who will find solace in each other during an impossible time … and then lose it once again !!! And it definitely ended with a cliffhanger worth notice !!!! Can’t wait to experience the next book in the series !!

"How your human men may pretend they are stronger than their women. If they acknowledged what women endure simply to bring life into the world, they would necessarily have to adjust their thinking."

“Faraine will be my life. Or my doom.”

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book before its UK release to review.

I’m not going to pretend that I was head over heels with this book after reading most of it in one sitting, because unfortunately I wasn’t. The plot’s pacing was all over the place, it was hard to tell how much time passed and this felt unfinished, like there should have been a more solid conclusion. I was incredibly confused about why characters were acting certain ways towards the end and then it felt like a cheap “he had been poisoned/was under a spell” bone was thrown to us as an explanation.

It was mentioned near the start that two of the characters were siblings and on page 22 we were given the dreaded “sis” nickname twice, which always feels awkward and unrealistic. We then basically never saw those siblings interact again, even when they were in the same place.

I went into this book genuinely wanting to like it, it had been on my TBR for a while, but I felt let down a bit so won’t be continuing with this series.

Bride of the Shadow King was a pleasing fantasy romance read. Vor and Faraine were both intriguing characters with some depth to them, and I enjoyed seeing the arc of their relationship throughout this first book in the trilogy. The plot was interesting, becoming more so as it progressed, and the world building was well handled. The end of this volume definitely left me interested to read on and find out what will happen next both in terms of the romantic storyline and regarding what is happening in Vor's kingdom. I am giving this book 4.5 stars.

Thank you Daphne Press and Netgalley for the arc of Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This is a totally wonderful escape of a book, delivering dual POVs, longing, romance, mystery and set in a world I’ve not really considered in this context of writing before. Faraine is the eldest princess in a human royal family, whose lands and people are being terrorised by the Fae. Vor, the Shadow King of the Troldegard people (troll people,) and who needs human magic to help his people survive the darkness that is stalking them. A marriage of arrangement that barters each kingdom’s needs.

There’s a lot to be said for the action in this book, it kicks off pretty much immediately, plunging the reader straight in at the deep end. However, it isn’t uncomfortable or confusing. Mercedes does a great job in laying the foundations of the story out as you progress through, no lectures here.

The world building is really interesting and I really need to know more about mushroom forests and what that is at the bottom of the chasm but, I’m sure it will count out in the next couple of books in the trilogy.

Overall, a great structured fantasy romance, with a hint of spice, that doesn’t hesitate to take you to new worlds, and delivers a thought out magical system, and world that I need more of.

I really don't know how I feel about this book. I was neither blown away or disappointed. Somewhere in the middle, slightly satisfied?

The basic premises of the book was intriguing, I was prepared for secret pining and forbidden romance. The idea that the shadow king was betrothed to a sister while pining for the other was alluring.

The pining was short lived. I wanted more. I wanted secret touches and whipered promises. Their feelings for one another (vor and faraine) bordered on insta love. It was almost instantaneous. I was sort of hoping for a 'fated mates' tropes but again I was was left wanting.

Vor's character fell flat for me. He was pictured as this gentleman even though his race of troldes were seen as uncivilised. He didn't really get interesting until he discovered the betrayal and that was simply because he was poisoned.

Faraine, ah faraine. The cliche Virgin good-two-shoes FMC. It got old really quick. She just let things happen to her, just blindly went along with it. Sent away to a covenant? Fine. Pushed into the shadows at court? A-OK. Literally had her face swapped, no problem. She was just a bystander In the whole story. I'm at a loss to find her value in the book.

Overall. This book wasn't for me. If you hadn't guessed. I was expecting more.

** NetGalley-Specific Disclaimer: 4 stars only for the publisher's e-ARC being really, terribly formatted and made it very difficult to read. Words and letters were consistently squished together which made me have to re-read sentences all throughout the entire book. If you suffer from dyslexia or have other reading challenges, this will be very frustrating for you and may color your opinions of the book. If the story weren't so compelling, I would have given up within the first chapter. For a book that was already released in the U.S. last year and is available now on Amazon UK, I wish the publisher would have sent the actual e-book. **

I don't normally read full-blown fantasy or romance, but when I do, I love the "two main characters from different worlds" theme (probably subconsciously relevant to my immigrant life, I suppose!) so "Bride of the Shadow King" by Sylvia Mercedes appealed to me to change up my reading for something new. Honestly, if I had seen the sexier U.S. cover before I saw the upcoming UK book cover/the one I'm reviewing (hey, I like my covers abstract or more subtle!), I might have passed on it... and I'm glad I didn't! Don't judge a book by its cover definitely applies here.

So whoa, this one! Fast-paced, slow burn, fantastic world building, the believable conflict, and characters who made sense even in an imaginative setting. I surprisingly, absolutely loved it. A few romance tropes that felt a bit too cliché for me were woven throughout, but the action and the world-building strengthened it into a solid story that would interest readers who are curious about fantasy.

You have the human world and then you have the trolde world (think cavernous, no sky, under the earth dimension type of place) to explore and appreciate, and Mercedes makes the latter really come alive in written imagery. This dark, yet full of light kind of world makes you fall in love with the leading hero, Vor, a bit more as he moves through it despite his being a borderline formulaic archetype of a handsome king.

I learned this was a trilogy, so the background of a life-threatening conflict between the fae, humans, and troldes stretches throughout the story and leaves on a cliffhanger for the next installment. You also get glimpses of a trolde-specific problem and the inkling that the main character Faraine will somehow help in future books. No spoilers, but definitely buckle up for the long haul for this series.

I couldn't put this one down and had already ordered the second "Vow of the Shadow King" before I finished the first. For someone who isn't into outright romance novels, this one may be redeeming the genre for me if all books could be as balanced and well-constructed as this one. More "this actually makes sense in real life" plots, please! Highly recommend for anyone looking to dip their toes into the glimmery world of fantasy.

// Thank you so much to NetGalley and Daphne Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! //

I read this book in one evening - I just really wanted to know what happened next! It’s a slow burn, easy-to-follow romance with some interesting little tweaks to more traditional mythological stereotypes. I really enjoyed reading this story from two differing points of view and, given its ending, I’ll be looking to pick up the sequel.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley and Daphne Press in return for an honest review.

This book was a nice, slow paced fantasy. Its slow burn and has some great mystery elements to it. I did find the POV'S hard to switch between, often having to read the same scene from two perspectives could be frustrating. But I loved the world building and overall it was an easy read, could be great for getting you over those book slumps.

I'll for sure be carrying on with the upcoming books in this series too!

4.5 out of 5 stars

When they compare this book to Bride of the Elf King, they do it correctly. It does feel similar to that book, but not in a way that feels like a straight-up copy. It's its own story, with vibes that worked really well for me. Once I started reading, I didn't want to stop.
It has slow-burn, it has magic, it's fantasy, it's everything I could have ever wanted. I'm definitely going to read book 2 as soon as I can.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.