I loved this book! I knew going in that this was going to be amazing, as I’ve loved the author’s other books, and I wasn’t disappointed at all! Sera was a really interesting protagonist and I loved seeing her grow into a more confident and powerful person. I loved the forbidden romance aspect and by the end, I was on the edge of my seat! I’m so excited to find out what happens in the next book, and I would definitely recommend this to any fantasy fans!

The Dagger and the Flame is a thoroughly enjoyable YA romantasy that is steeped in tension. I had so much fun with this and certainly wouldn’t expect anything less from Catherine Doyle!

“…sometime it takes a monster to destroy a monster.”

I adored how atmospheric this story was. I felt like I was swept away into Fantome which felt reminiscent of historic Paris with the gothic catacombs and cobbled streets. The magic system was intriguing and I will always love a tinkering alchemist.

The characterisations were such a delight. I loved Seraphine, and her friendships with Val, Bibi and Theo were amazing. I can’t wait to see where the story goes with this unlikely new order. My absolute favourite was Ransom and Seraphine; the pining, the tension, the flirty banter was perfect. I loved their little notes to one another, especially the ones from Ransom: “You are my hobby, Seraphine. Do you want to come out and play?”; “ You missed my liver, Seraphine. If you come outside, I’ll let you trace my scar to prove it.”

I am so excited for the next book and can’t wait to see where Catherine Doyle will take us next!

I would highly recommend this to lovers of YA romantasy.

GOOD GRIEF!
I devoured this book in the span of 24 hours. It is an intense, well crafted fantasy world of dark magic. It is a wickedly hot enemies-to-lovers story that had me gripped in its clutches. I am a little broken up that I will have to wait to see how the climatic ending pans out - but I will be there with bells on when the next instalment is released, because I loved it.
4.5 ⭐

I loved this book! Absolutely devoured it and just couldn’t stop reading at all! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

R E V I E W

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle

☆☆☆☆☆

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by Simon and Schuster UK Children's

After seeing a few reviews about this book, I'd initially decided not to read it. Having read some of the Twin Crowns series, I believed this would be another young adult story without enough substance or mature content for me. As it happens, I was wrong, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Dagger and the Flame.

Set in a Paris-inspired fantastical setting, this story follows two rival orders; the Cloaks (magic-fuelled thieves) and the Daggers (magic-fuelled assassins). Chased into the city after the death of her mother, Seraphine Marchant has little choice but to heed her mother's warnings and join the illusive Cloaks, battling her own fragile morals whilst evading the handsome Dagger at her throat and striving for revenge against the man behind it all.

This enemies-to-lovers fantasy proved to be quite addictive, as we become immersed in Ransom and Sera's cat and mouse dynamic and their flirtatious tête-à-tête. Whilst the term 'enemies' is often casually applied to this trope, where two individuals meet with shared antagonism, it is rare to see a story where true enemy-like behaviour is employed but employed it was as Sera fights for her life, tooth and well, letter opener against the Dagger with a score on her head.

A gripping story that could have been a stand-alone but with an intriguing conclusion that has me eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

Great cat and mouse game between a thief and an assassin in an alt Paris city. I liked the concept a lot. The magic system was also quite fun.

The Dagger and the Flame führt uns in eine spannende und großartige Welt. Catherine Doyle ist eine bemerkenswerte Autorin, die einen von der ersten Seite an fesselt.

The story is nice and well done, I like the intrigue and the mysteries around the characters. Love Randsome backstory and his character was very intriguing. The FMC fell a bit rush and clueless for me at times , but still enjoyable.

The most joyous read from start to finish and in every which way. I was fully engrossed in the story from page 1 and before I knew it, I was turning the final page. Just brilliant!

Thank you for this eARC. This was an enjoyable read, with wonderful lush worldbuilding, and a few tropes, but those were done well.

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

Set in a world where magic is controlled by rival guilds, the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins, The Dagger and the Flame follows 17-year-old Seraphine is on a mission to seek vengeance for her mother's murder when her path crosses with Ransom, heir to the Order of the Daggers, who has been tasked to kill her.

Oh the enemies to lovers was so real with this one! Those who love with the enemies to lovers won with this book. Their scenes had be squealing and giggling like a little girl, one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book. Sera and Ransom are both unpredictable, reckless but also brave and that's what makes them entertaining to read about. You never know what you're going to expect next from them. The tension and banter between them didn't disappoint one bit. There were times that you didn't know whether they would kill each other or kiss each other. I can't wait to read the next book to see what happens next with them.

The only thing that I didn't rate this book a full five stars was because the pacing a times was a bit off. Some parts were info dumping and didn't make much sense at the given time. I do think that perhaps this book would be better marketed as NA and not YA, the only thing that makes this book Young Adult is the characters being teenagers.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me to an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Fantastic Start to the Series

This series kicks off with a compelling slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance that keeps you hooked from the very beginning. The story is packed with intense action, corruption, and secrets that unravel in unexpected ways. While some characters are morally grey, making complex decisions that add depth and intrigue to the plot, others are more straightforward, providing a balanced and dynamic cast. Each twist and turn keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the intricate character development ensures you are deeply invested in their journeys. This is a must-read for fans of intense, layered storytelling and those who enjoy exploring the complexities of human nature

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

Seraphine Marchant is the daughter of a smuggler, or rather, she is the recently orphaned daughter of a smuggler. Running from the Daggers, Fantome's underground order of assassins, she seeks sanctuary in the only place she will truly be safe, the order of Cloaks. Now facing down a life as a thief, Sera must stay vigilant - there is still an assassin on her tail. Ransom, drawn into the Daggers as a child, is that assassin. But there's something different about this mark, and try as he might, be just can't bring himself to kill her... not right away at least. Set in a world where Shade, dark magic, is stronger even than the rule of law, Sera and Ransom must work together, wittingly or unwittingly, to untangle the twisted web of magic and lies that robbed her of her mother, and seeks to rob Ransom of the only family he has ever known.

This was an action-packed fantasy, with an interesting world that felt well crafted and fleshed out without being too complex which made it so easy to become completely absorbed in and lose yourself in the world of Fantome.

This book is perfect for fans of young adult and new adult fantasy who love the following tropes:

- enemies to lovers
- fantasy romance
- high stakes
- slowburn
- interesting world building
- found family

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒐𝒋𝒊𝒔:🔥🗡️💀✨🖤
𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒕: The first book in a new YA Romantasy series filled with magic and mystery.
𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕:
🔥Found Family
🗡️Forbidden Romance with banter
🔥Rival Guilds, both using magic to carry out their respective thieving/assassinating
🗡️Heists & Mystery
🔥Twists and Turns

𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘:
This was a fabulous fantasy, with an interesting world that felt well crafted and fleshed out without being too complex which made it so easy to become completely absorbed in and lose yourself in the underbelly of Fantome.

There were twists and turns, some I guessed (go me!) and some I didn’t which was fun but my favourite part was the banter between Sera and Ransom which felt wonderfully electric and the notes they traded- it had me grinning while reading!

I’ve come to the conclusion that I just VIBE with Cat Doyle’s style of writing- I’ve loved both this book and Twin Crowns (one of my favourites!) that she co-wrote…Cat’s style just suits me perfectly and is so easy for me to consume! I can’t wait for Book 2 (and literally anything else Cat writes😂)

𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Sadly, this book didn't work for me and I ended up DNFing at 30%.
I loved the Twin Crowns series and was really excited for this release because it sounded right up my alley, but I just couldn't get into it.

Something about the writing style felt distant, I. can't really pinpoint my issue with it because objectively, the writing is good, but I could tell that it stopped me from getting invested.

I also found the plot a bit repetitive and by the time I DNFed, it felt like nothing much has really happened. I usually love dual POV but a lot of what was said in one was then repeated in the other.

I know other people really loved this book and I'm quite sad that I didn't, but I just didn't get invested and had no interest in finishing.

i loved this so much. ive been slumpy atm and this book?? amazing i just read 200+ pages in one sitting which is an adhd FEAT. ty for letting me read this

This was a very enjoyable book that was a breeze to read. Its full of;
- enemies to lovers
- fantasy romance
- high stakes
- slowburn
- interesting world building

There is a lot to like about this one. I love when books follow a structure, just because it makes everything usually very easy to read. This one plays on the Romeo & Juliet dynamic, and i think it was done really well. The mystery and intrigue is also present right from the first page which helped to keep me hooked and wanting to read more. I was also really interested in the complex and well thought out characters. Even those that were secondary and didn't really play a big part in the overall story line, appeared to have been throughout really well.

I really appreciated how easy things ere to understand. None of the politics or magic systems were overly complicated and that just meant that i was able to focus on what was unfolding within the story rather than trying to remember key info.
Of course because this is a romantasy book it was obvious that the tension between the two main characters would develop into romantic tension, and it didn't disappoint at all!!
I really enjoyed not quite knowing what each character was going to do in these intimate moments, They're both reckless and unpredictable which made it an even funner read.
The plot twist near the end was pretty obvious, but it was still good, It also makes sense for a YA book to be predictable.

The pacing was a little bit hit or miss, It felt at times like the author was trying to cram as much as they could into this book without thinking on how it would impact the overall flow, Some parts were just info dump heavy, boring, or didn't really make much sense/ seem very relevant at the time.

Overall, really enjoyable! very curious to see where things go in book 2

3.75

What to expect?

- Enemies to Lovers
- Fantasy
- Sworn Enemies (Romeo & Juliet vibes)
- High Stakes
- Slow Burn
-Found Family
-Touch her and die

My thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It felt very on brand for Catherine and I think anyone who has enjoyed her previous work will enjoy this novel. The world was unique and interesting, I liked the Romeo/Juliet feuding houses elements as well as the mystery surrounding the tragedy at the start of the novel.
I saw the plot twist coming pretty early on, but that's to be expected with a YA novel. The characters were intriguing, especially the friends Sera found along the way.
I would have liked some more 1 on 1 interaction between our protagonists a bit earlier on and struggled with the pacing in the middle.
However, this was a great story full of fun twists, turns and tension.

When I first heard the term Romantasy, I knew it was created for me. I love fantasy, I love romance, but actually both of them only if they are combined. And in those cases I personally like there to be as much fantasy as there is romance. So, when I came across this book on Netgalley I of course had to request a copy and Simon and Schuster was so kind to give me a copy. I was even more surprised when the Dutch publisher Harper Collins NL gifted me a special edition hardcover!

This book was everything I had hoped it would be. From the start I was sucked into the story. That's mostly because the author created some really interesting and layered characters. In a way they are both teens, stuck in a shitty situation. Which means they are willing to be a little reckless, a little daring and a little brave. And that's exactly what keeps the plot flowing and what creates some delicious tension.

Especially because the author does a great job making that tension both romantically and dangerous. Of course, we know it's a romantasy, so we kinda know they're probably not really going to kill each other and yet, there are quite a few situations where they came very close. There are quite some moments where we don't know for sure what they're gonna do. Are they gonna kiss? Or are they attempting to murder the other?

I also really liked the setting and the magic. It's not too complicated, so from the start it's easy to grasp what's going on, how the magic works and what led to the use of this magic. However, it does lead to some very interesting situations. Especially because during the book the author keeps on adding to the mythology and magic, combining it with Alchemy. I'm really curious what will wait for us in the sequel. It feels like there is a lot more amazingness to come!

I knew Catherine Doyle wouldn't let me down with her book and this didn't. I loved everything about this book, the plot, the characters, THE ROMANCE and the world building. Just so good. I will definitely be rereading.