Thank you so much NetGalley for this e-arc

Catherine Doyle's The Dagger and the Flame is a spellbinding tale full of rich world-building, gripping intrigue, and emotional depth. The story effortlessly blends high-stakes adventure with intimate character moments, immersing readers in a world of magic, loyalty, and betrayal. Doyle's writing is captivating, with vivid descriptions and well-paced action that keeps the plot moving at a satisfying pace. The characters are complex, particularly the protagonist, whose journey of self-discovery and courage is deeply engaging. Fans of fantasy and strong heroines will be thoroughly enchanted by this enthralling read.

Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction!

GO AND READ THIS BOOK!
Like now, GO.
Honestly you won't regret it.
This will be one of the biggest fantasy reads of the year.

Cat Doyle has delivered Enemies-to-Lovers, actual enemies, not the soft 'urgh you annoy me' vibes but the brutal 'I will unalive you and smile while I do it' vibes. I am talking multiple murder attempts, savage banter and the kind of tension that was just *chefs kiss* angsty chemistry for the win!

Couple that with the insane world building we've come to expect from Doyle and the City of Fantome just bursts off the page. The magic system felt unique and imaginative. I loved the concept of the two waring guilds, the Cloaks and the Daggers, how each faction used magic differently and for different purposes. The duel point of view, offered a great insight into both Sera and Ransom (new book boyfriend acquired) and their reluctant blossoming romance as they have put aside their annomosity
to work together against a bigger threat.

This was a 5 star read. It had everything I wanted and I can not wait for the next book.

Honestly consumed this entire thing so fast because this was REAL and TRUE kick-your-feet-and-giggle FUN. I had such a good time reading this!!! Actual enemies to lovers who have real reasons to hate each other and have multiple murder attempts and injuries courtesy of each other. Combined with genuine connection and effort to get to know and understand each other????!!!! It’s been a long time coming!!!

The plot had me hooked. Was it the most well crafted insane storyline ever created? Absolutely not but I was ENTHRALLED and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the reveals. The romance had me blushing and I can’t stop thinking about these characters and their care for each other. Also big fan of the family drama B plot, as well as the ragtag bunch of friends and animal sidekick. Honestly, this book has everything. I’m so excited to see how it continues.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's UK and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall had a good time with this! The magic system and romance were super interesting and I am curious to keep going with the series. The pacing was lacking at points and I think the book could've been a bit shorter but overall enjoyable!

4.25 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Catherine Doyle really fed our cravings for shadow magic but with a unique twist and I ate it up, the enemies to lovers banter was feet kickingly good and funny. I was always excited to pick the story back up when I had to put it down and the last 25% really hooked me the most, so much so that I read it in the short time I had before work yesterday morning 😂

My favourite quote:
"I almost gave up, and then you came barrelling over the horizon like a runaway sun. You shattered the darkness, Seraphine. And I realize now that all these years I wasn’t wishing for freedom. I was wishing for you."

I've now since pre-ordered the special edition from Waterstones with the sprayed edge because this is a new favourite and I can't wait for the next instalment in this series!

My Instagram review will be posted tomorrow 13th September over on https://www.instagram.com/chadreadsrom/

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
4 stars book from me. Loved the plot and the storytelling in The Dagger and the Flame and relatable, likable characters,. Loved every single second reading it.

“sometimes it takes a monster to destroy a monster”

If you're looking for a TRUE enemies to lovers fantasy romance, thats filled with sass, a slow burn romance, rival gangs and a SUPERB plot. Look no further.

Not only is the romance deadly, but this tale is filled with dark magic, monsters, assassins and more. With the control of the city of Fantome at stake and Seraphine desperate to not only survive but get revenge on the leader of the Daggers, the one to blame for her Mother's murder, we thrown into a world filled with secrets and dark magic.

The Dagger and the Flame will have you not only swooning but gripping the edge of your seat, prepare for an enemies to lovers fantasy tale filled with secrets and plot twists.

Can I just say wow? I was totally hooked on this new enemies to lovers fantasy. Slightly NA the YA due to one little spicy scene, (no sex) but what I loved is that the romance was important but also didn't overshadow the amazing unique plot that Catherine has created.

What to expect

True enemies to lovers
Fantastic worldbuilding
Monsters
Magic
Found family

The city of Fantome, I was picturing a dark Paris, is a place where it's underground is ruled by 2 opposing sides. The Daggers are trained and brutal Assassins, and the Cloaks are Theives.
When Seraphine loses her mum to the Daggers, she turns to the only place in the city she might find safety, the Cloaks. But there are events that have already been set in motion that will change what they though they knew forever.

Ransom, a Dagger has been set the task of killing Seraphine. I loved the cat and mouse game the 2 had throughout this book. And the slow realisation that they need each other, very reluctantly I might add being enemies on opposite sides. When Monsters stalk the city, killing all in their path they must join together to save themselves and their city.

I loved the side characters in this, they were really well developed. Also I love Found Family and this was giving me all the good vibes.

I think this book is going to be super popular and it deserves all the hype. It has so many twists and turns to keep you hooked, and it is set up nicely for a sequel without leaving too much unfinished, which I love!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC.

I loved the tension this book brought and the way that the enemies to lovers trope was done. Sometimes it can be a little over done but this one hit the nail on the head and I loved Seraphine and Ransom. So perfect. The tension, the banter, so good.
The world building was really lovely and really immersive, I felt like I was in the city with them, running through the streets. It was a great book and I look forward to the next.

3.75 ⭐ just couldn't quite connect with the characters in this one, the plot was good but everything just felt flat and stale co sidelong I love a good enemies to lovers, I didn't vibe with the two main characters dynamic or relationship and banter was not as exciting. The plot overall was OK but the storyline just felt meh in conjunction with the couple and worldbuilding.

Oh this book! Everything about it sucked me in and I just HAD to keep reading.

Our main characters Ransom and Serephine were perfect together. The very definition of enemies to lovers and the angst and tension between them was perfection. The banter had me smiling all the way through.

I didn't see any of the twists and turns coming, they were great and the found family aspect made me very happy too. It was so sweet to see everyone come together as a family, and be betrayed by people they loved.

Definitely one to watch and I will be looking forward to book two. Serephine will be living rent free in my head for a while.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Actual enemies to lovers, a genuine connection between two characters, and a fresh-feeling magic system. I liked the plot of this; shadow monsters and discovering once-lost magic, falling in love when he’s meant to be killing her, and discovering her family secrets along the way. It hit a lot of marks for me!

Sera managed to be a ‘spitfire’ without her banter feeling like cringe one-liners. Ransom has a feral smile and fits perfectly in the morally grey love interest trope without it feeling like an over-done copy. The side characters were cute, even if the found family felt a little flat to me.

The only thing I didn’t like was the ‘spicy’ scene in the middle of the big battle/conclusion? It felt so ridiculously out of place, and probably should have been moved to a different point in the story.

A solid start to a series though, I’ll definitely check out the sequel!

Catherine Doyle's "The Dagger and the Flame" kicks off the City of Fatome series and brings fresh blood to the young adult fantasy category.

The setting is a dark city that feels like a magical twist on Paris, where two rival groups, the Cloaks and the Daggers, are always clashing.

Seraphine is a Cloak and Ransom is a Dagger, and they really, really want to kill each other. Their back-and-forth relationship is filled with tension, witty banter, and undeniable chemistry. Doyle does a great job showing how they move from being enemies to working together, making their growing bond feel real and satisfying.

The magic system revolving around "Shade" reveals interesting twists and keeps the stakes high all the way through. The plot moves fast with loads of surprises.

The supporting cast, including Sera's found family and Ransom's crew, adds depth to the story and teases things to come in future books.

Even though the book shines in so many ways, some readers might find the pacing a little off in the middle, but overall the story is exciting enough to make the read worth it.

"The Dagger and the Flame" is a fantastic addition to the romantasy genre. With its mix of action, romantic tension, and magic setting, this book is sure to please romance and fantasy fans.

Spicy, fast-paced enemies to lovers fantasy adventure with strong world building and memorable characters. Bit too YA for my young teen readers but solid YA steamy romance without the use of explicit language if that’s a useful way of placing it within the romantasy range!

True enemies to lovers trapped in a world of magic that steadily kills it's users with weird moments that ruined the overall experience.

"if you could stay still while I'm killing you, I'd appreciate it"


Things I liked before I get into the review:
- proper enemies to lovers
- intresting and new magic system
- assassins vs thieves
- the mystery (but this would have been so much cooler without the prologue)
- the end


The opening is weighted down with the past taking away tension from the FMC circumstances. I am never a fan of a prologue that can be later woven in or hinted to so it put a damper on the beginning.

It was made slower still by the dual POV describing the same set of events, even if the new perspective was interesting it felt unnecessary. I thought the names were funny, it made it sound more of a fairytale and I couldn't take some of these 'criminals' seriously.

The MMC use of nicknames felt juvenile and it felt unnecessary for a twenty year old. Like "cabbage head", really? His chapters also felt a lot more sexualised at times it felt quite unnecessary.

For plot twists, I enjoyed the FMC one 70 or so percent. I don't feel it was foreshadowed well other than the mother hated him (granted I may have missed some) but I wish it felt more clever but maybe I've been reading too many good thrillers.

Throughout this there are soo many countdowns to build tension but it becomes more annoying after the third time. It looses the effect and makes me more inclined to skim.

I knew about the 20% mark that it was going to be a favorite and I'm definitely not wrong: it's such a 5 star favorites I loved it so much and am so happy to discover this book and its world!

I already liked Marvel's Cloak & Dagger base idea so that what made me request this arc because I was intrigued. And while we're still different from the inspiration, the changes gives such a great and interesting fantasy world, with powers and dangers and fall backs all the more intriguing.

I really loved Seraphine and Ransom, may it be their personality on themself seperately from each others, but also - and especially - when they're together. We have here a true ennemies (true, Ransom has to kill Sera lol) to lovers with some cat and mouse games, I'm trying to kill you but you save me so I'm saving you back, and all of that ponctuated with great tension. I really loved the character growth of them both, but more for Ransom especially with what happens at the end /spoiler iykyk/.

The story itself is very fast-paced and holding your grip, I didn't want to put the book down. There's always some actions or important revelations that shades away the boredom and there's not a moment dragging slower. I also really loved the explanation on why the word Flame was used in the title (instead of Cloak), why the fire had such importance to the story, to the plot. It was really well made and used, and I so wish to talk about it but it's too spoilery for you.

Also this is romantasy because the romance has a huge importance to the plot (if there were no romance there would have been no plot as Sera would be dead at like Chapter 2 lol) but it's still done well and it was even, well-balanced between romance and fantasy. And as I'm usually afraid of starting book announced as romantasy because most of the time there's 80% romance 20% fantasy, it wasn't the case here and that's what makes this romantasy so great for me.

The ending leads to more adventures and more conflicts, and this book 1 isn't even released yet that I can't wait to dive into book 2, it's torture!


PS: I do feel like it's more upper YA or New Adult, as both MCs are 19-20 years old, and there's a spicy scene that while it was short, it was pretty descriptive on what they were doing.

So, the first third of this book felt a wee bit slow but as soon as I got past that I was completely and utterly sold.
Seraphine is a fantastic character and I love her energy. I love her band of friends she makes and of course we all love a pet sidekick.
Ransom just stole my heart, his story just makes him such an endearing lovable character and my heart breaks for him
The overall plot was incredible and I'm obsessed with the world building. I loved the comedic moments, my favourite being in the catacombs.
I cannot wait for the sequel to be available now. I'm completely sold.

After reading all the twin crowns books in one go, I was so eager to read this one - as I'd LOVED those.
I loved the Dagger and the Flame just!
The story just flows so nicely and it's one of those booked you'll get suck into and just fly through.
Can't wait for more!

I've read and loved all of Catherine's middle grade novels and have also read book 1 of the Twin Crowns series (written with Katherine Webber) so I was keen to read The Dagger and the Flame... and I wasn't disappointed.

A YA book, The Dagger And The Flame centres around Sera and her fight to stay alive following the murder of her mother. The pair lived a life between the Daggers and the Cloaks, providing shade magic, but now that her mother has been killed Sera knows that her life will never be the same again. She claims sanctuary amongst the Cloaks and is desperate to avoid the Dagger (Ransom) tasked with killing her; however the longer the chase goes on, the closer the pair become.

There's a gothic feel to this fantasy that oozes danger and darkness in a way that completely draws you in. Told through a dual point of view, the chemistry that builds between Sera and Ransom is compelling; the romance that builds works well with the plot and will keep readers intrigued. With plot twists that keep you on your toes, the book is one that I found a compelling read and left me needing to know what the second part of the duology holds for the characters.

Hooked from chapter 1!!

This book was an excellent start to the series/trilogy!! ❤️

Things I loved:

❤️ The dual POV was so well done - I loved how their paths crossed and that their interactions were filled with delicious tension and threat!

❤️ A true Enemies to Lovers plot!

❤️ The pace and plotting was fast and gripping - every chapter had something happening to keep you invested!

❤️ I genuinely liked both POVs equally!!

❤️ Fantastic ending! Thoroughly looking forward to the next book!

One thing that slightly took me by surprise - I found the steamy scenes a shock for a YA?? Perhaps more NA in parts??