"To Charm a Dark Prince" is a captivating and addicting enemies-to-lovers fantasy story that takes readers on a journey to the magical land of Avalon. This book will enchant fans of both dark fantasy and romance. It has a dark and appealing bad guy, a slow-building romance, and a touch of fairy tale magic.

The story is about Gwen, who suddenly finds herself in Avalon, which is ruled by Mordred, the strong and mysterious Prince in Iron. Mordred rules over his enemies in Avalon by putting them in a magical crystal prison. But despite his fearsome image, Gwen finds that Mordred is surprisingly kind, and she starts to see that he is more complicated than he seems.

Gwen is determined to find a way back home, so she comes up with a risky plan to steal Mordred's heart and break his prized crystal in exchange for her freedom from his control. As she spends more time at Mordred's court, sparks fly between them and a strong desire grows. But with emotion comes danger, and as Mordred's temper and anger show, he warns Gwen that she is going down a dangerous road.

Kathryn Ann Kingsley tells a dark, twisty story full of a seductive dream romance that keeps readers interested from the beginning to the end. The way Gwen and Mordred go from being foes to falling in love is beautifully written and full of tension, angst, and hot chemistry. Their slow-burning desire to each other gives their relationship more depth and keeps readers interested in how it will develop.

The characters are well-rounded, and the way they talk to each other is both interesting and moving. Gwen is an interesting main character because she is smart and sassy, and Mordred's complexity as an evil hero adds depth to the story. As both characters try to figure out how their complicated lives are connected, readers will be drawn to them.

The world of Avalon is described in rich detail, which brings the magical parts of it to life. The author makes the setting interesting, which makes it a great place for romance and mystery to happen. The pace of the story is just right, giving us enough time to see how the characters' feelings change while keeping the plot interesting and moving quickly.

In the end, "To Charm a Dark Prince" is an exciting dark fantasy story that fans of Sarah J. Maas and other well-known fantasy authors will enjoy. Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a great storyteller, and her story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. This book is a must-read if you like romances where enemies become loves, baddies who are seductive, and magical, dangerous worlds.

3 -⭐⭐⭐

"Tell me, Gwen- what would you sacrifice to protect your world, even from itself?"

To Charm A Dark Prince is the first novel in the New Adult Dark Fantasy Romance series, The Iron Crystal, which follows 19 year old Gwen when she is, through a series of strange events, finds herself in Avalon, the mythical realm of King Arthur. In order for her to return to Earth, she is told she must find and break the power Crystal which holds all the magic of Avalon. The problem? A tall dark and handsome man known as the Prince of Iron stands her way, and Gwen knows the only way to get past him is to seduce him...

This book has a great deal of promise. There are tropes that definitely grab readers from grumpy sunshine, villain gets the girl, curses, enemies to lowers, and more.

Gwen plays into a very innocent role as she stumbles into a new world. She feels like she is quite cloistered and so she often makes decision to her detriment. I found her confusion allowed readers to enter the world more but I often questioned her instincts.

Mordred, our villain, is a tradition villain that we tend to love in our fantasies. His backstory is unravelled quite well and I enjoyed his aloofness. His POV helped balance things off as he is the one who knows so much while Gwen knows so little.

The spice in this novel is about a 2 spicy pepper out of 5 spicy peppers as it is a slow burn enemies to love. Spice is around the 80% mark but there is tension leading up to it Now I felt the romance struggled a bit for me. I never really felt a moment where they were falling in love so investing in their relationship was hard. There was some excellent tension and angst, and the spice was well written but because I wasn't feeling their love and connection it didn't resonate like it has in Kathryn's previous books.

"Teasing me is a very dangerous game to play, Gwendolyn Wright. A very dangerous game indeed."

The story itself has an engaging premise and mystery around the fate of Avalon. I liked the idea of the Crystal and the fate that each knight of round table had in here. I also felt it was opening things up for a greater world. At the same time, because I could not really connect with any of the characters I felt this story was a lot slower than it needed to be. It many ways I feel this should have been a prequel novella based on the ending. We get a lot more activity in the end and a fascinating start but the FMC kinda stumbles along with no real sense of focus other than to be reminded of her task...and then she doesn't really do anything.

Overall, if you are looking for a Dark Arthurian Fantasy with enemies to lovers, a unique world, and lots of tropes, this is something you may enjoy. I need a bit more romance.

Thank you to Second Sky and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

“𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫.“

To Charm A Dark Prince is the first book in the Iron Crystal Series and is an enemies to lovers fantasy romance. Gwen jumps into a portal to escape a house fire and ends up in the magical world of Avalon. After finding herself the prisoner of Modred, the Prince in Iron, Gwen is faced with a daunting choice. Betray Modred, even though she’s falling for him and restore Avalon to its former glory or trust Modred that Avalon is better off this way.

I have been a fan of Kathryn Ann Kingsley ever since reading her Harrow Faire and Maze of Shadows Series and if there’s one thing she excels at it’s creating a complex and villainous MMC that you can’t help but love every single time! Mordred was by far my favorite character in this. He’s so broody and untrusting and definitely his own worst enemy, but his chemistry with Gwen was undeniable. The ending was surprising and keeps you wanting more! 4⭐️

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
🗡️Enemies to lovers
🔥Arthurian legend
🗡️Broody MMC
🔥Slow burn
🗡️Betrayal

“𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.“

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬? 𝐎𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐎𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬.“

“𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨, 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐲… 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

“𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫… 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞.“

I’ve liked other books by this author but unfortunately this just wasn’t for me. I didn’t connect with the story or the characters.

3.5 ⭐️

• Slow Burn
• Enemies to Lovers
• Angst

Not a big fan of the FMC in this one. Gwen just came off as a whiny girl who seemed very immature. She also cannot make a single decision, just constantly going back and forth. And this story only takes place in less than a week… How Mordred fell in love with her is beyond me. His broodiness and banter was entertaining though.

The King Arthur/Camelot references were interesting. It actually made the world more intriguing and the end definitely leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

**Netgalley ARC in exchange for honest review**

This book is dark, fun, and easy to read. The FMC getting dropped into this world had the vibe of Whoopi in a Knight in Camelot. I love enemies to lovers and dark morally grey MMCs but sometimes they and their stories can be cringy. This one is not at all! The moral dilemmas and relationships were perfect. I'm 100% continuing this series.

The way that Kathryn Ann Kingsley writes is so captivating and the world-building so enchanting that she has easily jumped onto my auto-buy list in the past few years.

+ Slow Burn
+ King Arthurian Retelling
+ Talking Animal Companion
+ Transported to Another Realm
+ Enemies to Lovers

Gwen's luck seems to be down as she spends her evening at her family home after a devastating breakup with her cheating boyfriend. All she wishes for is a different life than this. After her seemingly normal cat sets fire to her home, creating a portal to another realm in the process, Gwen finds herself teleported to a once magical world.

While I am obsessed with Mordred, I felt disconnected from Gwen. I know that this was not aimed at the same audience as her normal writing, so I did not let that take away from the story. The writing of To Charm a Dark Prince makes the novel incredibly accessible, even if you are new to the genre. The world-building never becomes too convoluted or confusing, but still complex enough to keep you from being bored if you are a seasoned fantasy reader.

Gwen is incredibly passive, and there's not much that I could tell you about her other than she is normal and from Kansas. She did have her funny moments that made her more relatable, and I was thankful for those.

In contrast, Kathryn creates the most compelling and complex villains that you cannot help but fall in love with and Mordred is no exception. He is not the villain for the sake of being evil, but with motivation that he believes to be correct and right. He is a warlord in all sense of the word, but it is to protect his people. His decisions might be "bad," but they are with good intentions.

The banter between the two main characters was entertaining and kept me engaged. Even Gwen had quippy one liners that kept me from wanting to breeze past her dialogue. There is just a way that Kathryn does slowburn that keeps her relationship building as one of my favorites ever.

If you like authors like Holly Black or Grace Draven, but have never picked up Kathryn Ann Kingsley, I HIGHLY recommend picking this or any of her works up! I will definitely be picking up book 2!

To Charm a Dark Prince seemed to be right up my alley -- Arthurian retelling, enemies to lovers, villain gets the girl, Cruel Prince vibes... Unfortunately this just didn't hook me like I had hoped. Gwen's character is a little bland, and I just didn't connect with her at all. I really did love Mordred though, of course.

I really tried to like the book but Gwen felt to much like a whiney weak girl. I had hoped of more world building and more character growth. There were to many modern slange used in the book, so sadly I had to dnf it at 60 percent through.

The idea of a Arthurian Legend retelling is a great concept, but I feel like this retelling just fell flat for me. I have recently read another series by a different author who did a brilliant Arthurian retelling so I had really high expectations going into this book.
Mordred is a morally grey prince and love interest for our FMC Gwen. I did enjoy a bit of the banter between Mordred and Gwen but again these two and the whole love triangle with Lancelot just felt rushed and lacked and not believable.

This book was an interesting read and a series I’ll keep up with. The only reason I give 4/5 is due to the writing style but overall the storyline was unique and kept my attention which is hard to do!

I enjoyed the fact it has a lot based around King Arthur and the Knights of the round table. Calling the grumpy cat Merlin had me laughing as well.

The romance was rather quickly paced but it still made sense and had a good amount of spice even though it was brief.

I didn’t expect the ending to result in the crystals being destroyed but I’m kinda hoping for a hunter/pray situation in the next book between Gwen and Mordred as this man clearly loves a good chase.

** I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

A Beauty and the Beast and Legends of Camelot-infused story is always an automatic sign-me-up moment. Gwendolyn, our 19-year-old main character, gets the adventure she has been dreaming of when her mangy barn cat opens a portal and drops into a world of myth and legend. The mangy barn cat is none other than the legendary wizard of old, Merlin. He has a bad attitude and high expectations but none of the mentorship I'd have expected.

Gwen is rather a flat character but shows moments of spunk and a spine. She is presented with a lose-lose situation and is forced to choose a side. While reading I kept hoping a third middle-ground option would present itself, but alas that was not meant to be. Despite being a relatively flat character I still really enjoyed her. Her naivety is endearing while not being overly annoying. Her love of animals and the need to help all people makes her more real to me. Her back story is a little contrived and overdone but it doesn't make her as jaded as you'd expect.

Mordred, the Prince in Iron, I like him. He's flawed with a strong belief in his duty to Avalon. It clearly weighs heavy on him and this book only beings to explore the why. The final line in the book hit me hard, in a cliffhanger sort of way. It made me rethink everything I had just read and look at it and him in a new light. He's described as the monster and the villain but I'm not sure the role actually falls to him. I truly cannot wait to see his growth as the series continues.

I love all things Camelot and this definitely scratched an itch for me. I was a little sad that King Arthur and Morgana didn't have a role in the story but the glimpse into the knights was a lot of fun. It was a good take on the knights and their roles after Arthur. The story also had some good elements of Beauty and the Beast that I enjoyed almost as little easter eggs throughout. I finished the book and was immediately sad that I will have to wait for the next book to be written; I cannot wait to see what is in store for Modred, Gwen, Merlin, and Lancelot!

Happy Reading!

I absolutely LOVED this book and hope there is more soon. I would give this ten stars if I could!!! I will be recommending this to everyone who sees my monthly review posts on TikTok and Instagram

This might've got off on the wrong foot with me but honestly by the end of it I was really impressed with the slow burn of not just the romance, but the story as a whole. I can completely see the trajectory of this story in my mind and it makes me very excited for the future of the series. ARTHURIAN LEGEND FANTASY ROMANCE!!!!!!!!

To Charm A Dark Prince follows Gwen in her adventure in the world of Avalon where magic and powerful beings called "elementals" have been entrapped in an Iron Crystal which was created by our other mc Mordred, the Prince in Iron. The reason that Mordred has been keeping the magic entrapped is because hundreds of years before, elementals had become much too powerful and reckless with their magic, wreaking total destruction on the world. While maintaining this sort of prison within the crystal keeps Avalon relatively "safe", it's become a quite miserable existence with no vibrancy, no joy, and a super precarious relationship between the people of Avalon and Mordred being kind of a tyrant with his rule. Gwen is wrapped up in all of this by accident? fate? definitely a meddling Merlin who escaped Mordred's entrapment in Avalon years before and had been latched onto Gwen in her backwater Kansas world for a decade. Cheating boyfriend, house on fire, magical portal opened, Gwen crashes into Avalon as a fire elemental... someone who could potentially pose a threat to Mordred's tyrannical reign and the iron-clad control he exerts over the land, the people, his fellow knights, his iron creations, and all the souls desperate to escape the crystal.

LISTEN!!!! THE FACT THAT I CAN EVEN SUMMARIZE THIS NOVEL AT ALL AND ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THE FANTASY OF IT ALL IS A TESTAMENT TO THE AUTHOR'S COMPETENT WORLD-BUILDING AND SUPER ACCESSIBLE WRITING STYLE!!! swear to god I barely understand ANY fantasy I ever read, despite it being one of my favourite genres lol.

The key secondary characters in the story were super enjoyable to get to know, pretty unique, and all have very distinct roles to play in supporting Gwen and/or Mordred. I adored Galahad being like a gentle and wise father-figure to Gwen and a kind of reluctant ally to Mordred, even though their relationship/history is complicated. I loved Lancelot being a smarmy little bitch but kind of in a cute way and just a "good guy" foil to Mordred because fr, we love Mordred for being a brutal, controlling, sharp-edged warlord... we love him for being a very atypical villain or very atypical hero, depending on how you look at it. GWEN WAS FUCKING ANNOYING IN THE BEGINNING I'LL GIVE U THAT, I definitely had to suspend my judgment and push through the "real world" beginning...I feel the author's storytelling strength is in the medieval setting NOT the modern setting. So please do note, the beginning was a bit boring and ridiculous and set Gwen up to come across as super fucking naive and annoying BUT there was growth for her!!! there really was... I gave her more chances and I wasn't disappointed lol.

I recommend this to readers who enjoy ACOTAR and TOG, as well as the Naomi Novik girlies out there!!!! The magic and characters are giving Uprooted and Spinning Silver whereas the drama and the setting are giving SJM.

IN CONCLUSION, KIND OF INTERESTING AND I FEAR THE SPICY SCENE AT THE VERY END WAS UTTERLY SCINTILLATING AND WILL CERTAINLY HAVE ME RETURNING FOR THE SEQUAL!!!

*this review is based off an e-arc provided by netgalley*

This book was.. something.

The main female character faints at every inconvenience.. and the phrasing is so annoying. I can not finish this book.

Here are some quotes from the Gwendolyn (FMC)

“Can.. we get something out of the way, like, first?”

“Um….”

“Kinda.”

“This sucks!”

And a lot of more questions that have “like” in the middle.

I love a good fantasy romance, but the phrasing and immaturity of Gwen, is extremely off putting for me. 🤷‍♀️ this one is not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

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

4 stars / 5 stars

Things I loved:
Loved that it was a quick and fun read, was able to read it in a few hours
Fantasy romance one of my fav themes
Slow burn was good
Loveeee the villain/lover
Things I didn’t loved:
It was written in a younger tone
Not a lot of depth


I am excited to see where the story will go

“I must make her betray me. I must, so that I can put her in the Crystal and be done with her.
I must. Because I love her.”


Gwen, a girl from Kansas, finds herself staying behind while her friends and boyfriend go off to College. While on the farm, she discovers her boyfriend had cheated on her. Wishing for a new life, she never thought her house would catch on fire or for her cat, Merlin, to open a portal to a land called Avalon. What happens when Gwen gets captured by the dangerous dark Iron Prince of Avalon, Mordred? Will Gwen fight to escape or will Mordred be the death of her?




⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I would like to give a thank you to the author, Second Sky, and NetGalley for providing me an Arc in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been interested in novels that focused on Arthur Retellings and I couldn’t put the novel down. I was so engaged in the world of Avalon and what it had become with Mordred in power of the Crystal and Elementals.

I was also very happy that the author depicted the main character to have panic attacks becayse mental illness and disabilities are not spoken enough in novels. I enjoyed how the author portrayed Gwen as someone like me, who suffers with anxiety/panic attack disorder!

“To Charm a Dark Prince” is a slow burn story leaving you wanting more. With sexual tension, frustration, betrayal and much more! You will not be able to put it down!

o Charm A Dark Prince
Publishing August 8, 2023

🔥 Arthurian Reimagining
🗡️ Morally Gray Characters
🔥 Elemental Magic
🗡️ Dual POV

✨ My Thoughts ✨
Kathryn Ann Kingsley is the queen of writing morally gray male love interests! And of books that you will read in one sitting.

I absolutely devoured To Charm A Dark Prince. I loved how the author recreated the tale of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and completely made it her own.

Mordred (the main male character) is such a complex character, and my feelings towards him changed so much as I read. I never knew which characters to trust or not, and reading this kept me on my toes.

This was such a quick, fun read! I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy romance.

Spice - 🌶️ .5

3.5 ⭐️!!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc, here’s my non-biased review! 🤸‍♀️🤣

"To Charm A Dark Prince" is an engaging tale set in a dangerous yet magical world. The relatable anxiety and panic attacks of Gwendolyn, our FMC, add depth to the story, while the morally gray character of Mordred is intriguing. The captivating lore and the concept of magic users being trapped in a giant crystal make for a fascinating backdrop. The story's pacing is occasionally uneven - I found myself struggling to stay invested at times. Also character development could be stronger - maybe this will solve itself in the next few books!! but overall, it's an enjoyable read with room for more tension and chemistry, pretty please. 🤣

To Charm A Dark Prince
The Iron Crystal #1
Fantasy
Kathryn Ann Kingsley
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I've read other books by Kathryn Ann Kingsley and I usually love them and her writing style, however, I have to admit that I struggled a bit with this book.

The plot is a very slow burn and I found myself putting this book down and reading something else multiple times. I did keep coming back to it though.

The world building was ok and I liked the King Arthur/Camelot references.

I really liked Mordred as a character. He isn't a "misunderstood" villain, he does exactly what he wants, when he wants, no matter what other people think. He's not a good guy and doesn't pretend to be. I wasn't keen on Gwen, even though she's only 18/19, she still seemed very immature.

The pacing was slow and so was the plot. It started to get better after around 50% and the last 25% of the book was the best part, for me.

The ending was great. Things finally started to happen and although it was a little predictable, I liked what Gwen chose to do.

I think I would continue this series just to see what happened to Gwen and the rest of Avalon.

*Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*