Wow I really enjoyed this! It was quite different from other fantasy books I have read recently. The world building was brilliant whilst still maintaining a fast placed plot. I loved the slow burn romance element and can’t wait for the second instalment!

I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend to anyone who loves
fantasy, adventure, secrets, mythical creatures and slow burn romance.
honestly one of my top reads for 2023

For me it was meh at best. The plot didn't engaged me much however the description was interesting. I couldn't relate to any of the characters, not that I ever wanted to be taken as prisoner etc. The writing was pretty good though it was an easy read.

i loved this book. the world building sucked me in but wasn’t too complex as to leave me confused for the first half of the book. really interesting layers of unanswered questions throughout. i loved the mcs and their banter and all the twists (many i saw coning but still loved them). the tension was brilliant <spoiler>(albeit slightly annoy as there was no release in the book) but it should make the eventual completion of a spice scene very rewarding.</spoiler> i loved the beauty of the world, as well as the mythology. thoroughly enjoyed, but not sure what i’m supposed to do with myself now whilst i wait for the next book.

I really enjoyed this book, I would recommend it to anyone who loves a romantic fantasy with enemies to lovers, touch her and I'll unalive you energy, secret prophecies and hidden identities.

It has all the great tropes and plot devices that I enjoy in romantic fantasy stories, with great world building and sets the scene really well without dumping loads of information on you right off the bat.

I sometimes found the main character a little annoying and shallow, but this felt quite accurate to her age and naivety. I loved how fleshed out the side characters were, they had depth and not just used to serve the plot.

Kane was everything I love in an MMC and I can't wait for book two to see where the story leads!

The ending !!!
Immediately preordered book 2 and can not wait to read it.

If you are looking for a new romantasy series with a slow burn enemies to lovers trope then look no further.

The pacing was perfect, starts off slow and steadily picks up the pace so it never feels dragged out or rushed.

I was provided an arc of this book by netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I'll be posting my review on goodreads and my Facebook bookclub group

Set in a world divided into the names of precious gems, Arwen is a healer from the region of Amber with a gift to mend those in her care with some unknown magical skill. After her brother returns unexpectedly from war, she is pushed into trading places for him in captivity and ends up moving to the Onyx Kingdom. There's nothing original or shocking in this book but I really enjoyed it! The main character is likeable and the decisions she makes (that of course place herself at risk) are based on understandable reasons such as attempting to protect her family. It was similar to other books centring around fae love interests but it was an engaging read that didn't require too much deep thinking to understand the story.

Despite a couple of discrepancies and inconsistencies early on I had a great time with this. The pace really picks up and although it felt slower at times once all the characters had met and intermingled, I raced through it. There are some great characters, Arwen our fmc did bug me initially but I soon warmed to her and was fully routing for her in the end. We gets lots of lore and fantasy creatures, an epic war building and a cast to love and despise heartily, oh and lots of mystery and heart. I adored the tension between Arwen and Kane their chemistry was great. There's a lot going on and at times I wished it had slowed down and given more depth. A lot of info and reveals are thrown in relentlessly that hurtled you to the end. And what an ending! The fairly surprising events leave you a bit whiplashed and slightly agonised but craving more. I'll definitely continue with the series.

A great start to what is going to be an epic tale. I loved this romantasy and cannot wait to read more!

Unfortunately, reading this book didn't go as I hoped!

Unfortunately I found everything very banal, excessively predictable.

Even the characters failed to win me over.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

5 stars

This was just... so good. The characters were well fleshed out, the world-building was done really well, and the tropes were done to perfection. A true enemies-to-lovers full of swoonworthy moments. I'd say this is one for fans of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book.

Brilliant! This the first book in the trilogy by Kate Golden. The story centres around Arwen, who is our FMC, and her journey to kick ass and hopefully not fall head first for her captor.

Overall, it was an interesting read. I enjoyed the banter and relationship between the characters. I look forward to seeing what development occurs in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was a very enjoyable fantasy romp that left me wanting more. Excellent pacing and a gripping story made this book a great read for me. If you like dragons, magic and romance (of the slow burn variety) definitely give this book a go. I am very excited to read the sequel.

I'd heard great things on this from New Adult reviewers so gave it a shot and it was fine, but didn't quite keep my interest all the time.
Many Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will start with the positives on this- So the main thing i loved about this was the writing style. It was fresh,clean and i did find it flowed very well. The pacing was spot on and the worldbuilding was minimal, but was fine for the story being told.
I didn't mind the characters but i didn't particularly love any of them either.

okay so now to my potential slight rant on the plot- The market at the minute for fantasy enemies to lovers books is at an all time high so making books kind of stand out, especially when you read a lot, can be daunting and overwhelming to authors which i massively get and appreciate. However when you pick up a book expecting something different and come out of it based on the premise but recently seem to read new books that come with a close to carbon copy of quite a lot of other books just released it's kind of difficult to enjoy as you sit and swear you have read this story before and question your sanity. I did this for about half of this book and it was absolutely distracting to the point i debated a DNF. I feel bad, but also i'm seeing this more and more across all genres but this is the most pronounced example i have seen in a long time.

The romance also felt....forced. Like i had no moments of chemistry fizzle on the page for me where i was like"ah there, thats the moment" but it never came.

Overall if you want a fantasy romance then yes this is a solid book, but it's just not standing out to me in any way that makes it more than 2 stars.

somehow found this book in a store and it was incredible! my first venture into kate goldens writing and it certainly won’t be the last, her writing is everything i look for in a fast paced read that emotionally connects with you and it felt like these characters saw into my soul as i felt myself relating to them at points and the journey this book took me on was one of my favourites of the year!

Engaging, fast-paced action. The world is slowly explored through the eyes of the heroine, so various secrets are revealed until the last pages. It feels like this is just the beginning of the story, it doesn't look like an epic fantasy yet, but a nice story with which we can spend an afternoon and root for the characters.
There is some brutality, a delicate romantic thread, war, fighting, healing, magic, fae.
It feels like we've only seen the surface of the story, I'm waiting for the next part, maybe the story will gain more dimension there 👑🦎🗡
In places I felt the atmosphere and inspiration of ACOTAR

4/5⭐️

• A dawn of a new favourite •
What a wonderful first instalment of the new romantasy trilogy ‘The sacred Stones’ by debuting author Kate Golden.
The story flowed effortlessly with thrilling plot twists and turns. The world-building was rich and imaginative, but perfectly balanced and easy to picture and grasp. The characters, especially the MCs, Arwen and Kane, drew me in and held me captivated throughout from the first to the final chapter. I can’t wait to see how their story will unfold. I loved the informative and revealing bonus chapter from Kane’s POV with his realisation: “Oh Gods. I was fucked.” And it’s kind of the same sentiment you have as a reader finishing A Dawn of Onyx, knowing you’ll have to wait until April 9th 2024 for the sequel. I look forward to follow Arwen, Kane and friends on their journey in A Promise of Peridot.
Thanks to Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and Netgalley for the eARC of A Dawn of Onyx.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher/author for accepting my request to read and review a copy of A Dawn of Onyx!

This book was one I had heard so so so much hype for. All the FBAA girlies were callin it a new #1 - the new OTP - and I was SO EXCITED

And yet, 40% into this book I had absolutely zero desire to keep reading.

This book was straight up a carbon copy of like 3 other NA fantasy romance books/series, in terms of plot. In terms of world building…. Sorry..: where was the world building?

I am always HERE for a spicy enemies to lovers but I was beyond BORED reading these two characters interact. There was ZERROOOO chemistry or intrigue. Actually, I felt more chemistry between myself and the decision DNF than I did with these characters. WHERE IS THE PIZZAZ?? WHERE IS THE SWOON??

I keep finding books of this genre to be so disappointing and unoriginal lately and as awful as it sounds this was no exception.

While I appreciate that smutty fantasy has become so much bigger, I wish that more time and effort was being taken to create works that are enticing and engaging

I loved A Dawn of Onyx from start to finish. From the very first page I was immediately drawn into Arwen’s life and the magical world around her, and I quickly found myself addicted to Kate Golden’s writing.

This book has an interesting magic system, one that’s pretty different to anything I’ve read before, thanks to the different kingdoms and how they all work. There’s also a couple of surprises, one of which may or may not include a dragon!

Kane Ravenwood is a badass book boyfriend, encompassing everything I love about male characters in the romantasy genre — he’s hot, powerful, protective, and so secretive and mysterious it’s hard to trust him for most of the book. Whether he’s wholly good or bad still remains to be seen, and at the moment he’s firmly morally grey. Arwen has a great way of dealing with him, and I loved her character. She’s intelligent and headstrong, perfectly matched to Kane and his broody persona.

A Dawn of Onyx is a fast-paced addition to my romantasy bookshelf, and I can’t wait to read the sequel, A Promise of Peridot. I’m already fully invested in Arwen and Kane, and I loved this book so much I had to buy a signed copy. Roll on book two!

An enemies to lovers slow burn romance. With plenty of secrets and mystery’s to be uncovered

I loved Arwen’s character and that her desire to help and heal often overrode any preconceptions of her enemy.

The mystery and twists had me gripped and the romance had me wanting more can’t wait to see more in the next book. I need more Mari and Griffin.

Only reason for 4 stars is sometimes the pacing was off overly fast during dramatic parts and slower in other areas.