I honestly give Court of Blood and Bindings the highest praise. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I absolutely loved it.

Fae Fantasy/Romance is my favourite genre, though it can often feel quite similar across many books. However, this story was refreshingly different. The male main character reminded me of one of my all-time favourites in terms of looks and vibe, but he still felt wholly unique.

The storyline and characters were captivating, and I feel like we’ve only just scratched the surface of their development, despite getting so much depth in this first book. Even the side characters were intriguing, each with distinct personalities that left me wanting to know more about them.

I’m completely obsessed with Emelin. Her sass, bravery, and sharp mind really resonated with me, especially her inner dialogue. I also loved the dynamic between her and Creon—how they navigated their struggles and ultimately came together, not only for each other but also for their mission.

The world-building, especially the labyrinth, was enthralling. I can’t wait to learn more about the how and why behind it. The magic system is another highlight for me, particularly how the fae draw power. It added a unique element that kept me fascinated throughout.

This book had everything I love—romance, action, a touch of brutality, suspense, intrigue, mystery, and magic. It’s beautifully written, and I was completely immersed from the first page. The scenes and characters felt vivid, like they were right in front of me. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

This book was really fun and much less predictable and unoriginal than I expected. We follow Emelin as she is kidnapped from her home and taken to a Fae court where she has to act silly and frivolous to avoid death and capture. She has a classic enemies-to-lovers storyline with the Silent Death (incredible name and character, truly), and her inner conflict about everything she knows about him in tension with her burgeoning feelings rung true and nuanced. The worldbuilding feels both easy to follow and really innovative - I'm excited to learn more about color magic and how it works - and the side characters are interesting. I was a little confused about the connection between the gods and the fae, but I'm sure the other books in the series will shed more light and expand the universe, and the Labyrinth was delightful. I'm excited to read the next books in this series!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

At first I was a bit nervous it was going to be another cringey acotar knock off wanna be book but IT IS NOT!!
This has such an interesting magic system I wanted to know all about, I mean it’s based off of colours? How cool.
Good plot and visible growth of the characters. Fake dating BUT MYSTERY?! I’m always down for that and it didn’t disappoint.

This was an easy read seeing as I finished it in a few hours, once I picked it up I did not want to put it down. It was fun, with enough depth to keep your interest. It had the perfect amount of detail and plot without getting out of control which I found pretty refreshing. It gave acotar vibes but not enough to feel like a rewriting, just enough to give you the feel of stepping back into that sort of world.

The magic is unique and easy to understand. I felt Emelin was understandable in her mindset though there were a few times when I wanted to yell, but I find myself wanting to yell at a lot of characters in a lot of books. She was good at playing along and wasn’t the shy about herself or her feelings, which I loved.

I liked the relationship between Emelin and Creon was pretty cute honestly. I felt almost giddy a few times while reading their interactions, and I loved the aspect of him being nonspeaking. There was a twist that I did not see coming that really surprised me.

Overall i liked this book and can’t wait to read the next one! I would also highly recommend the audio of this!

I really liked the magic system in this! And the intial set up. But it lost me about halfway through. I just found the romance a little to sweet for me. Very friends to lovers vibes imo (even tho it's set up for them to be enemies). I would have loved for their to be more banter the entire way through and for me to feel more connected to the side characters as well!

One of my fav part of Lisette's book is hearty (snarky) banter, and this one didn't disappoint at all hahaha I really enjoyed this book! Can't wait to read the next one aaaaa
Oh and I love how she taught him sign language! That part is the cutest aaaaa

This has been on my TBR for so long so thank you NetGalley for providing me a copy.

This book is worth every minute of you reading it. I know it has been compared to other popular fae series, but it is a masterpiece on its own! The magic system is so unique! I also loved that the FMC and MMC weren't perfect.

The book’s pacing is pretty quick, but the romance is more of a slow burn, and I was savoring every single moment between these two. The banter is on point, the looks and touches are loaded with meaning, and I’m obsessed with how they handle their feelings. They don’t shy away, they just flirt and tease, and every moment between them is packed with anticipation. The chemistry is electric, the tension is out of control, and the mix of deep feelings with that insane attraction makes it all even more intense.

I loved it! I'll be reading the other books in the series, for sure!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my review

Holy. Cow.

This book! What a ride! I am in love with this world and its characters! The magic system is so unique. Emelin is such a wonderful FMC. She’s strong willed, independent but vulnerable and far from perfect. And Creon? Major swoon! Tall, dark, handsome, mysterious, mute with serious touch her and die vibes. I cannot wait to read the rest of this story.

This book was better than I expected. I have never read a book by Lisette Marshall and enjoyed her writing. I also loved the unique magic system. The MMC was by far my favorite and the FMC had some great qualities but was a little frustrating at times. Overall, I think this will be a great series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisette Marshall, and the publisher for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought the magic system was unique and interesting. The first 150 pages were slow due to not much happening. But after that things started to pick up and I couldn’t put it down. I am intrigued to see where this story goes in book 2.

I would recommend it!

Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I DEVOURED this book. It was so well-written. There wasn't a single thing I would change; the characters were very relatable ( I loved the use of sign language to communicate), the magic system was something I had never read before, and the world building was done at a reasonable pace. The built up tension between the two love interests is what captivated me. Each scene you feel like you're holding your breath with them and Creon's inability to speak does not hold him back from expressing his emotions. The main character Emelin really went on such a journey of transformation throughout the novel and I loved the power and confidence she embraced in the end. The spice 10/10. I can't wait to see what's next!!



Review to be published today 10/07/24

I loved so many things about this book. The magic system is so well thought out and unique. It's what originally interested me, magic is based on wielding colors. Red for destruction, blue for healing, and yellow for change. The world and history is so interesting and finding out more kept me turning pages. The pacing in the first half was a bit slow and it's definitely slowburn romance. I really wanted our couple happy and working together. And with that cliffhanger I am off to read the sequel.

I couldn't get into this story, despite the interesting premise of a mute assassin and potentially new type of magic that initially drew me to the book.
Creon seemed broody and interesting enough but Emelin just was a bland cardboard character. Whiney, bratty, and while I understood why she had to play stupid sometimes, it was just too often.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this story but it really didn't do much to keep my attention. I wouldn't recommend this personally, because after reading it I already forgot what happened. Rounding up to 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for access to a copy!

I absolutely loved this!! The plot, the magic system, the method of communication with the MMC, it all felt so fresh and unique! I can’t wait to dive into the next book and continue their story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC

A dark and delicious romantasy novel. I highly enjoyed the romance and found the push and pull greatly written. The worldbuilding was fantastic and I will say it was an amazing start to the series. Can't wait for the next novel.

This was a rough read for me. I just felt like the entire book was super choppy and awkward.
I think what really made me not fall in love with this book was that from the very beginning I did not like Emelin. In the first chapter you started to relate to her and feel bad for her but then her complaints and whining just kept going... and going. It felt like that went on for at least 50% of the book.
It had a lot of bulky breaks between sentences and had awkwardly placed curse words to try to fluff it up to make it more "badass".
The magic system did not draw me in the way I hoped it would either. It's not that it was hard to understand, it's just that it wasn't interesting to me.
But the very best part of this book was definitely the romance, I really liked how the author slowly built there unique romance and communication.
But unfortunately, the bittersweet romance was not enough for me to like this book.
I won't be reading the next book but will definitely consider other books this author writes in the future.

“Perhaps even nostalgia required some vague sense that my old life had at least been real, rather than a dream that was already fading now that I had opened my eyes.”

“Court of Blood and Bindings,” by Lisette Marshall

I loved this book so much. I loved the lore and story with the Fae, gods, phoenixes and the peril of the main character being human with magic in the Fae land. I loved how she was kidnapped by a winged fae man who cannot speak, it was actually sweet when they communicated with each other because he could talk to her. The color magic aspect was very interesting, my brain cannot let it go about how it all works. There was a ton of banter between the two main characters. Creon’s childhood trauma was so sad and really made me love him so much. With the way it ended I need to read the next book so bad! 5 out of 5 stars, perfect.

-Fae, gods, phoenix
-Magic
-Kidnapped
-Mute
-Enemies To Lovers
-Winged MMC

Thank you for the free copy, Netgalley.

“…if someone doesn’t know there is a choice in the first place, can you really blame him for what he ends up doing?”

The book felt a bit protracted at times, with long chapters, but I really enjoyed Emelin's story. The world building gives us everything the protagonist Emelin sees and witnesses while leaving enough mysteries for following books. The magic system is one of the engaging parts, simple to understand and left me wondering about using other colours than primaries and hope this becomes part of the plot. While sometimes a bit trope heavy, I am a sucker for them and they served the book well including fake dating in a fantasy world, to only one bed and forced proximity.

Emelin as our protagonist has giant mood swings, yes she's in a 'chosen one' situation, but sometimes her rationale was difficult to stomach. But the book excels during her moments with The Silent Death. Creon is mute and communicates through sign language and notes, which is a fresh change. I was worried that the dialogue would lean on Emelin too much, but it is balanced very well. The Mother is a suitably good villain but I would like to get a bit deeper into her backstory to understand her motivations other than her love for blood and death. Maybe this part was lost on me?

The book has some nice twists, all of which make Creon more compelling as a character. The book really picks up its pace in the mid point and continues until the end. His relationship with Emelin is well crafted and believable. I also appreciated that Emelin was given true agency and purpose and this was built up through the climax. It is a SPICY book!! My favourite character was actually the Labyrinth, the best ally to Emelin! I loved the multicoloured jewels and how it just wanted a kind word. There's a cute relatability in just wanting some praise.

I agree with other reviewers that the title doesn't sell the book well. It feels like a book that will be darker than it actually is and doesn't reflect the plot's key points. 'Unbound' would be a better title, or even leaning on the often quoted line 'Red is for Destruction'. But I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and see what happens next to Emelin and Creon.

"A Court of Blood and Bindings" is a mesmerizing fantasy that sweeps you off your feet from the very first page! Emelin's journey, from a human caught using forbidden magic to navigating the dark, dangerous Crimson Court, is packed with tension, high stakes, and unexpected twists. The dynamic between her and the Silent Death is pure fire—full of secrets, slow-burn chemistry, and a dangerous game of trust that keeps you glued to the pages. The world-building is absolutely stunning, with the treacherous fae politics and the ominous beauty of the Fae Isles pulling you deeper into this captivating world.

What truly makes this book stand out is the perfect balance of heart-pounding action, gripping plot twists, and a romance that simmers beneath the surface. Every chapter left me wanting more, and the Silent Death's enigmatic character, with his hidden depths and sharp edges, adds an irresistible layer to the story. If you're a fan of thrilling fantasy with unforgettable characters and a plot that keeps you on your toes, this is a must-read!

⭐️ 6/5... yes, you read that right.
🌶 3/5
❤️ 3/5
⚔️ 3/5

Don't ask me how many times I have read this book. This entire series owns its own place on my bookshelf.

This series is on my Roman Empire God Tier list.

Emelin and Creon.... far out. WHERE DO I START WITHOUT DOING THIS VERBATIM?!🤔

👉 So Emelin is a human girl who is living in the human world, wanting the midnight train going anywhere... she also has some accidental magic and can totally change the colour of items around the house, and explodes some things - total inconvenience to her parents 🤷‍♀️

👉 She wakes up one night, and her house is burning down, and her useless POS parents are no where to be found - total inconvenience. In her panic, she runs outside into the arms of death - no wait - the Silent Death 💀 (otherwise known as the scary evil murderous fae male sent by the evil queen... often used to scare children into submission, but also actually kills loads of innocent people).

👉 Anyway, I digress. Emelin now goes with the Silent Death back to his house, because, why not 🥲 He proceeds to make her pancakes, lots of tea, makes her read books, yells at her with paper because he can't actually talk - yes he is mute, hence the SILENT part, moving on - he shares his ONE bed, ONE couch, and ONE beach 🤔 Yer, so he is slightly ✨️dramatic✨️ and hates sharing his beach.

He eventually admits to his name - Creon, swoooooon 🥵 He has BIG wings *cough* and a BIG bed, and BIG.... heart? Yes. That. And he has scars 🥹

They make a bargain (fae bargain of course) to kill the evil queen, and then a whole bunch of learning soke really unique colour based magic systems happens, LOTS of letters, and some cute love languages, and compromises.

There is SO MUCH more I could share, but I withold to keep those beautiful and chaotic moments a surprise.

I will forever obsess over this series.

Series complete:
❤️ Books 1 to 4 are about Emelin & Creon.
❤️ Book 0.5 is about a very specific couple in the series (READ AFTER book 2)
❤️ Book 4.5 and 5 are on their way to releasing soon.

TROPES:
💙 Morally Grey Dramatic Fae Prince
💙 Mute MMC
💙 Clumsy Human FMC
💙 Fae bargains
💙 Found Family
💙 Some Spice
💙 Unique Magic System (a favourite)
💙 Heartbreak
💙 Sacrafice
💙 Personal Growth
💙 ROMAN EMPIRE