Rating: 3.5 stars for a comfortable mood read and intriguing world concept

This was 100% a vibe read. If you’re looking for your next enemies to lovers where the burn is just slow enough to satisfy, but not so slow that we wait until the next book for anything to happen between our MC’s, then this will probably fit the bill.

The world was interesting, though I thought there would be more relevance between the jewel nations and like…the jewels they were named for? I hope that the world is built upon more in the second novel as it has great potential and could set the series apart from other enemies to lovers romantasy series.

This is a very easy and comfortable read, it was perfect for the book slump I was in because it’s very quick off the mark in terms of plot and didn’t drag. I did find our main character very cringe at times and our love interest is a dark and broody copy/paste of every other romantasy interest we know and love. But hey, we like what we like right?

All in all, if you want something familiar and low stakes, this is for you.

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I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
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The following are some of my favourite series or books, all of which I rate 5* to give weight to my rating:
* The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
* The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski
* Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
* Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
* The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

This book will easily win over fans of ACOTAR - brooding, handsome bad boy love interest? Gothic nightmarish kingdom? Sloooooow burn romance? Fae?!

This was a really pleasant, easy read and a great introduction to the trilogy. There are definitely some weaknesses - pacing is a little off, and I would have loved some more detail about the world building, but it was an enjoyable read and I'll definitely be picking up the next book in the trilogy. There's a lot of promise, and a really strong plot, if a little predictable at times. I'm interested to see more from this author, and would definitely recommend if you're a fan of similar fantasy.

This could become a great series as the author deliver a well plotted and intriguing story that kept me hooked.
A great FMC, a plot full of twists.
The world building is a bit sparse but I'm sure more will come in the next novels.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

New book boyfriend anyone?👀

I found the beginning a little slow, like the first three chapters or so but after that I was flying through this beauty, absolutely LOVED IT! The morally grey Kane is enough to make anyone swoon, I also like our main character Arwen, she was an interesting character, I loved her development through this book and even though I'm just like WOULD YOU GUYS GET IT ON ALREADY I liked the way she was like no man is worth everything in the middle of war but I hope they sort it out in book two which I'm super excited to read 😍

A Dawn of Onyx was a good introduction into this world! Kate Golden does a really good job at world building and making an interesting world at that. I’m excited to read more.

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

This book was a mixed bag for me. I think the story concept is great and it felt original, but the world building was quite limited. Pacing was also an issue for me, I really enjoyed the beginning and the end but felt that the middle dragged as not a lot really happened.

Arwen has spent her whole life in the Kingdom of Amber secretly using her healing magic to help people. Everything changes when her brother returns unexpectedly from the war one night with stolen Oynx gold and they have to quickly pack up and leave everything they have ever known. It doesn’t go to plan and Arwen finds herself offering her life in exchange for her brothers and taken to the Kingdom of Oynx as a prisoner.

I’m not 100% sold on the characters yet they felt a little two dimensional but I’m hoping this will be expanded upon in future books. Likewise with the romance, they were drawn to each other very quickly and it felt a little forced. All you’re told throughout the book is ‘you have to stay’ and ‘I can’t free you’ despite there being no logical reason for her to stay which isn’t explained until the very end.

I understand why the author didn’t do a dual POV to add to the mystery and for the reveal at the end, but after reading Kane’s POV of their first meeting once I’d finished the book I felt like this could have been really beneficial to include and would have helped the pacing as well as helping to develop the story more.

As a debut novel it was good and hopefully the storytelling will improve with experience as I really enjoyed the concept and I’m intrigued to see where the story goes.

A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

I received this as an arc from NetGalley. I had seen this cover floating about and when it was available as an Arc, I had to apply!
The first instalment of The Sacred Stones series was gripping, well paced and beautifully written. I was hooked from the first chapter. It has been a while since a fantasy series got me immediately immersed in a world. The characters were believable and were true and solid in their intentions throughout. The FMC was a breathe of fresh air not falling over herself for the MC but the slow burn romance was on point!
If you’re looking for another fantasy world to get lost in this is definitely the one to start. This is a definite purchase for my trophy shelf. I can not wait for Book 2!!

𝐀 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐧𝐲𝐱 𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧
Captured by the king of darkness, forced to find the light within. Arwen never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brothers. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious king.

Arwen knows better than to face the ancient, wicked woods that surround the castle on her own, which means working with a fellow prisoner might be the only path to freedom. He’s as infuriating as he is cunning and seems to take twisted pleasure in playing on her deepest fears. But in this kingdom trust isn’t a luxury she can afford.

If you love a story filled with cunning royals, dark magic and dangerous beasts that lurk in your wildest nightmares than this is the book for you. Untold power lies at your fingertips in this book, all you’ll need to do is keep turning the page to find out if the power remains dormant or will be ignited with a spark. Maybe you’ll find yourself loosing your heart to this book, and may your life because you will become obsessed.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘈 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘯𝘺𝘹 𝘣𝘺 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯

This was ONE of the BEST books I have read!! I absolutely devoured this and stayed up after midnight to finish it. This is my new obsession I love! I ordered a copy for my friend. If I had to describe it, i would say that it is Blood and Ash meets A Court of Mist and Fury, but with a very different world.
One of my fav books I have read this year

I think that this could have been a really good book. The plot sounded really interesting and the writing style read pretty well in the sample I saw. Unfortunately, the book ended up revolving around the main characters developing relationship and it felt very rushed. You wait for most of the book for something to happen and almost immediately something else happens that renders the entire book's worth of relationship building worthless.

It also really lacked in world building. It was really hard to imagine what this entire world looked like, or where anything was. They travel across various countries? Continents? Kingdoms? I don't know what the specific designation is, because the world is not really explained at all. By the end, I had the mental image of a mainland Europe type of area, but who knows if that was correct. Along with not explaining the various Kingdoms (I'm gonna stick with Kingdom considering that they have Kings, Princes and Princesses) they don't really explain the difference between the cultures or the people or anything. There was one point about lilies grow in one kingdom but not in the kingdom of Onyx, but nothing more than that. We didn't even get the basics of any specialties of each Kingdom, like does one specialize in forging weaponry? Does once specialize in fishing? In cultural pursuits like the arts? In food development?

It was a good idea, but it was not fantastically executed.

Massive thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

“I love to listen to you explain medicinal practices,” he purred.
“And I’d love to listen to you fall off a cliff.”

*screams*
Do you ever feel like some books give you this tight hug and make you feel like you're a part of the fantasy world, completely immersing you in every single page? That's what happened to me with A Dawn of Onyx. I enjoyed every single moment and ever since I finished it's all I think about.
Tropes:
hidden identity
secret powers
political intrigue
found family
enemies to lovers
he falls first
who did this to you
delicious banter
slowwwwwwwww burn
steamy tension

Guysss. I have a new book boyfriend. *blush*
His name is Kane, he's morally grey, dark, broody, tall, and handsome. And he's totally hilarious in that sardonic way. I SWOONETH.

All jokes aside, I absolutely loved this. It was so easy to sink into this world and discover things along with the FMC. Who was also a delight. I've been wanting to read a book that has an MC whose main power is healing. I feel like that's so underrated but usually, the protagonist has this heart of gold. Arwen was like that. :) Precious little (violent) baby.

And their banter. It was everything. EVERYTHING. I was kicking my feet and giggling. Their tension build-up was done so elegantly and I was always left wanting more of them. I mean he saw her in a dress and all he could say was “You look so—I mean, very—hello.” WHIPPED.
I can't wait to see more of them. They have me in a grip.

I am looking forward to book 2 because I hope we learn more about this world. I feel like we have only scratched the surface because we are learning along with the FMC who grew up in a small village and didn't really know a lot of things all of her life. The world feels unique and creative and I love how many possibilities there are. All in all, this was a delight from start to finish: entertaining, adventurous, romantic, mysterious, lovely!

In the fantasy debut book A Dawn of Onyx, a girl named Arwen makes an sacrifice by becoming her nation's Enemy Healer in order to save her family. It takes a spin on a beloved cliche of mine: the enemy to lover trope.Despite the plot's extreme predictability, I kicked my legs and screamed at the well-known line, "who did this to you?"
I recommend this book, and I will read the sequel to find out what happens to some of my favourite characters after that ending

I am Thankful to NetGalley for providing me with the book for a honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long time, the world building is interesting and I'm loving the MC's. Can't wait to see where this slow burn goes, very much looking forward to the next installment!

I love a fantasy romance and this is a series I will hopefully be adding to my favourites. This is the first book and does a great job in building the world and setting the scene for future books.

I really liked our female main character - she’s quietly brave and one of the strongest characters I have read. She’ll do anything for her family, no matter the risk to herself.

The MMC is broody and reserved. We learn a lot about him as the plot develops and he becomes a much more likeable character.

There’s plenty of twists and turns and some great side characters who I suspect will be playing a bigger role in the rest of the series.

This was a great read and I will definitely be picking up the sequel in April 2024.

Thanks to @NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review.

A Dawn of Onyx is yet another brilliant debut fantasy that I had the pleasure to read lately.

There are kingdoms at war, magic, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance that I really enjoyed. Arwen’s magical abilities allow her to heal everyone in a few minutes, except her chronically ill mother. And as the war between her kingdom and the ruthless Onyx king perseveres, Arwen fears for the life of her brother and his best friend on the front line. But, an unexpected turn of events forces her to make a deal with the enemies to protect her family, so she is taken to Onyx to work as a healer. While she tries to find a way out, Arwen discovers that the truth about the war is much more complex and darker than she thought and that maybe she can’t really trust anyone, not even the man she’s been falling in love with.

I had so much fun reading A Dawn of Onyx. I liked the characters, starting from the protagonist Arwen who, even though at times was a bit naive, I found strong and quite resourceful, determined to protect her family, even at the cost of her life and I enjoyed how her relationship with her broody and evasive love interest develops, with lots of banter and chemistry.

There are also an intriguing world-building, twists, magical creatures, loyalties tested and secrets revealed, with an ending that promises more exciting things to come in the sequel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
I liked this book back when it first came out and still just as happy with it!
Enemies to lovers with a protective possessive MMC. Fantasy, romance and all the good things.

Our broody king just wants his woman and is dying for her. The slow burn tension was palpable and had me swooning.

I need book 2. Pronto.

I was drawn to this book because of its tropes and it did deliver everything that was promised. This book also helped me get over my reading slump and was the perfect palette cleanser. I love a good romantic fantasy book so I got exactly what I was looking for.

Arwen and Kane’s relationship was developed nicely and fleshed out well. Although I expected a dark vibe from the book, it was not /that/ dark. I was giggling and kicking my feet!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a highly anticipated read for me – I enjoyed it so much and had a great time reading it! As the first book in a trilogy, I feel like it opened up really well and I'm definitely excited to see where the story goes.

There's banter and tension between the mc's, great side characters that give found family vibes and the romance is slow burning. It has so many of my favorite tropes too and I was DELIGHTED to get a "one horse" moment.

I honestly don't have a whole lot more to say. Just make sure to read this book if you want a romantasy with magical kingdoms, twists and turns!

Un-put-downable. Is the phrase id use to best describe this book! It had me hooked from the very beginning. From the compassionate and headstrong female protagonist Arwen to the mysterious and powerful Kane, I just couldn’t stop!

If you like enemies to lovers, warring kingdoms and sexy tension… this is the book for you!

"A Dawn of Onyx" is the first installment of "The Sacred Stones", a na fantasy romance series written by Kate Golden and currently in progress.

I admit that I struggled initially with this book. In the first few chapters I repeatedly rolled my eyes and huffed, bored by the extreme predictability of the narration. But, and I emphasize BUT, as I continued reading I found myself sucked into the story without realizing it, thanks to captivating writing and a fast pace. In my opinion it remains an unoriginal novel in its various elements, definitely inspired by other romantasy series, with numerous flaws here and there. However, although it did not particularly impress me, in the end it still entertained me a lot and left me with curiosity to continue.


The world building seemed rather sparse and nebulous to me. The cruel Kingdom of Onyx and the quiet Kingdom of Amber are at war with each other, with more hidden, deep, and complicated motives than they might seem on the surface. The story takes place mainly in the castle of Shadowhold, in the kingdom of Onyx, which contains a large military camp and is surrounded by dark and threatening woods. I liked the descriptions of the locations, but I would have liked some more detail about the setting. The magic system is vague at the highest levels, however, I hope for future improvement.

The story proceeds dynamic and brisk, full of court intrigue, power plays, subterfuges, deceptions, secrets and lies. And of course a good romance enemies to lovers! As mentioned above I found everything already seen and reviewed in other romantasy series, so much so that I guessed the various plot twists in advance and couldn't even feign surprise. In addition, I sensed several plot holes and numerous convenient situations, which made me turn my nose up at times. Despite these flaws the smooth and intriguing narration, combined with the presence of short chapters, kept me glued to the pages and entertained a lot.

I liked Arwen, protagonist and only first person pov. Arwen lives in the Kingdom of Amber and is the eldest child in the family, which consists of a seriously ill mother, a ten-year-old sister, and a brother engaged as a soldier in the war against the Kingdom of Onyx. Arwen cares for her family and works as an apprentice in the local infirmary, making use of the mysterious healing power she possesses, which for unknown reasons does not work on her mother. She never left the confines of her village until her brother, now given up for dead, suddenly returns with money stolen from a group of Onyx soldiers. Hunted down and forced to flee in the dead of night, Arwen is captured by the robbed patrol and decides to offer her life and her powers to save her brother. Imprisoned and taken to the castle of Shadowhold, she finds herself facing an extremely difficult situation. Arwen is a girl deeply afraid of everything, suffering from panic attacks and feeling inferior. I appreciated these frailties of hers, the fact that she does not hide them, and her evolution throughout the story.

About the male character I won't say anything to avoid spoilers, except that he convinced me right from the start. The relationship he develops with the protagonist is a well-managed enemies to lovers, full of tasty banter and highly sizzling chemistry!

All in all, this is an enjoyable book, not very original and with several flaws, which I recommend to lovers of fantasy romance!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!