This was so cool!! A little bit out of my comfort zone and I ended up loving it!! The political intrigue mixed the romance was a really great balance even though the fantasy element too me a minute to get used too. I was surprised how quickly I read this one too. It actually felt almost fairytale/game of thrones like with the alliance and kingdoms! It was a little slow in the beginning but I still read it quickly because the world was so captivating. The romance was obviously my favorite part, especially how Maddek would try to fight his feelings for Yvenne. Yvenne was so strong and so fierce, I loved the entire revenge plot!! It was very very cool! I’m looking forward to picking up book 2!

I am so committed to the series I can’t wait to see what else the other has a store. From start to finish the plot race is on and you can’t help but love each character’s journey.

A true romance after my own heart. An enemies to lovers like that I have never seen. Gut wrenching, heartless, cruel...heart warming, tender, STEAMY! A story I’ll remember for years and surely will reread again.
This book gave me all feels!
From sorrowful tears to bouts of laughter, from fits of rage to lusty swoons, A Heart of Blood and Ashes has it all!
There are simply not enough words for how much I adore this book. It was such a breath of fresh air! And how does a book about Barbarians turn out to be so amazingly feminist?! I was not expecting a that! I give this all the stars!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I've been putting this book off for a while since fantasy romance is a genre that can be tough for me to read. But towards the end of 2020, I made it a goal to push through fantasy romance reads. And it has remained a goal for the new year in 2021. A lot of my fellow bookish friends loved this one and despite my hot and cold feelings towards Maddek, I truly enjoyed this one.

I will say that Yvenne totally stole the show for me, I loved her character so much. The first few chapters were a little slow to get into, but that's where a bulk of the world-building begins. But once Yvenne and Maddek, that's when the story picks up and you're just eager to get through every chapter.

Slow burn romance hasn't been something that I've gravitated towards lately, but I just needed to know what would come of these two. Yvenne is a survivor and such a strong heroine, it felt like every time you get through any of her chapters, you feel the impact of what she's been through. And send all the glares to Maddek because he simply doesn't understand.

Maddek ... I have a love/hate relationship with him. He was quite the rollercoaster with sooooo many ups and down. Although, I understood a bit about why he was the he was towards Yvenne, I was just surprised with how long he kept it up. We'd make progress and then he'd say something to set it all back.

This book was a bit longer than it should have been, but really thought this was a decent start to this series.

What can be sexier than a group of ruthless medieval warriors seeking revenge for the murder of their leaders’ parents? Well, maybe just like that it can sound not so sexy but I have a thing for slightly blood thirsty and very alpha males. Maddek is certainly everything I was looking for. While he was leading his men in a battle, he gets called back to “court” to inform him that his parents were killed by one of the alliance Kings and it was all supposedly because of his parents uncharacteristically bad behavior. Told to take his title and stand down any revenge plans, doesn’t take long for Maddek and his dragon (a group of warriors who’ve pledged to protect him until the end) to embark on a mission to kill this King. And part of that plan is marrying his daughter. Little did he expect that she wants her own revenge against her father and they forge an alliance and a marriage of convenience.

There was something epic about this book…. the worldbuilding! I’m not usually one for big descriptions but Milla Vane made this world come alive. From the Kingdoms they travel, the people they meet along the way and the rules of this world. I loved every second of it. While this book is slow paced and the romance could be considered a slow burn, it also weaves in plenty of action, battle, danger and sizzling sexual chemistry. It’s not a short book, but I still didn’t want it to end. I’ll definitely be itching to be back in this world.

Yvenne reminded me a bit of Yennefer from The Witcher. Often seen as weak but with great hidden power and strength. I loved her character development and how she found her footing in a world she had never seen before. And of course Maddek, sexy medieval warrior. There’s much for him to learn and grow along the way. A lot of that in his perceptions of others. Yvenne was the perfect catalyst for that. I loved seeing them together.

And of course there’s the supporting cast, which is primarily the dragon. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment and I want to see them all get a happily ever after. Fans of fantasy romance, or fantasy in general ala The Witcher and Game of Thrones, you will want to pick this up. Rich worldbuilding, captivating characters and masterful writing will keep you turning the pages and getting lost in this book.

A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1). By Milla Vane. 2020. Berkley (ARC eBook).

A Heart of Blood and Ashes begins with Maddek, High Commander of the Army of the Great Alliance and Parsathean prince, returning to the Burning Plains of Parsathe to learn that his parents have fallen at the hands of an allied king. Ignoring the alliance council’s order to stay in Parsathe, Maddex and his dragon of sworn-warriors embark on a mission of vengeance. He will make the treacherous king, Zhalen, pay. Intercepting a carriage carrying Yvenne, daughter of Zhalen and reportedly the last in the bloodline of the a legendary warrior-queen, Maddek plans bloody retribution. He doesn’t expect Yvenne to be sickly and weak, but he is grudgingly willing to accept her proposal. Instead of her death at his hands, why not a marriage to usurp her father and unite two Kingdoms?

What a gloriously gritty fantasy! There are a multitude of reasons to love this book. A fierce and determined barbarian prince and his clever and equally vengeful princess. He with the destiny to become a great king and she with hidden strength and power. The adventure of Maddek, Yvenne and their dragon is full of loyalty, treachery, bloodthirsty action, and powerful passion as they dispatch enemies and begin an epic quest to prevent the return of the Destroyer.

I’ve been waiting for Milla Vane (aka Meljean Brook) to return to writing for years. When this book popped up on NetGalley, I actually squee’d out loud. Then I started it and…wasn’t in the mood. It had nothing to do with the book, I just wasn’t feeling a dark epic fantasy at that time. Fast forward to this month; I saw the audiobook and decided to purchase it. I’m really glad I did. I ended up loving the narrator.

Maddek is determined to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of a neighboring kingdom. When the traditional path is closed to him because of the alliance, he decides to take his revenge in another way…by killing the heir to their thrown. The problem? Yvenne is nothing like he expected. She’s small, weak and nothing like the warrior queen he expected. She’s also just as determined to bring her father down as Maddek is. Though he trusts her not at all, he agrees to take her as his wife if it means being able to kill her father and brothers.

The overall theme of this novel is very dark, and so are the actions of both characters. Maddek was bent on revenge and could see nothing else. Yvenne was determined to kill her father and claim her kingdom. She was also determined to make Maddek into a king, whether he wanted it or not. Yvenne was fierce, for all her physical frailty. I loved how she stood up for herself, and wielded her tongue like a weapon. I liked their dynamic, though his vow that he would rip her tongue out if she spoke of his mother was frustrating. I understood Maddek’s need for vengeance, but I didn’t love the way he treated Yvenne. I wish he’d have wised up a little sooner. In the end, I forgave him because Yvenne did.

I did think it moved a bit slow in parts and the world-building took some time, but I enjoyed the book as a whole.

3.75 out of 5

All the hype over A Heart of Blood and Ashes had me so excited to pick this book up, especially because fantasy romance isn't all that popular of a genre. I thought I'd love this one more but I don't think I was in the right mindset for it - it's fairly brutal and at times, gross. I loved Yvenne's character and her inner strength appealed so much to me. I continued to read the book just for her and to see her emerge as the absolute heroine that she was. Unfortunately, I never quite warmed up to Maddek. I also felt like the book was quite dense at times which led to me feeling like I was forcing myself to push through just to get to the romantic elements. Vane is an excellent writer though and I certainly see this book appealing to lots of romance readers.

Discussed in bimonthly Whatcha Reading post (link attached).

This series scratches the part of my id that is satiated by Old Skool romances. I do not deny the problematic aspects, but I’m self-aware enough to know when I love problematic shit. I cannot stop thinking about these books. Totally obsessed with the worldbuilding and overarching series conflict.

As I said in the novella review, A Gathering of Dragons is very dark and I would not recommend it to everyone. I also think book 2 is a better starting point to the series (especially if you have a low tolerance for infuriating/asshole heroes).

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There is so much I want to say about A Heart of Blood and Ashes that I really don't know where to start. I've tried so many times to sit down and write this review but my concentration is shot to pieces at the moment and I'm finding both reading and blogging really hard. What I can say is that this is without a doubt the best new series I've discovered in a long time. I've already read this book 3 times since January and I love it more every time I pick it back up. I grew up reading fantasy and developed a taste for romance in my teens but books that combine the two are pure joy to me, especially when they're written as well as this one.

I honestly can't think of a single thing that I disliked about this book, Milla Vane (aka Meljean Brook) has created a rich and detailed fantasy world full of barbarian warriors, vengeful gods and goddesses and an ongoing plot to destroy the realms. This is a dark world so I'll warn you now that the characters we love won't have an easy journey but I never felt that the author glorifies the violence or includes things unnecessarily.

I want to talk a little about our main characters. First we have Maddek, barbarian warrior and son of the king and queen of the Parsathians. Maddek has spent years fighting on the frontlines but when he learns of his parent's deaths he doesn't believe the story that the alliance council tells him so vows to find out the truth and to seek vengeance against whoever is responsible for their murders. Something happened when they travelled to Syssia to seek a bride for him and he blames King Zhalen. He initially abducts the king's daughter Yvenne planning on using her to seek his revenge but instead of an unwilling captive he finds himself an ally who hates her father even more than he does.

Yvenne has many reasons to hate her father, the fact that she's been kept imprisoned in a tower for her entire life is just one of them. Zhalen is to blame for so much of Yvenne's suffering but he's also the one keeping her from claiming her rightful place as the queen of Syssia. Yvenne has watched for years as her people have suffered under his rule and she wants Maddek to help her protect them all. I absolutely love Yvenne, she isn't the strongest character physically but she has a mental toughness that few others could match. She's smart, cunning and willing to play dirty to get what she needs and I have a huge amount of respect for her.

Maddek makes a lot of mistakes with Yvenne, there were multiple times when I wanted to shake some sense into him but even when I was so frustrated I could understand where he was coming from and I found it easy to root for them as a couple. The chemistry between them was instantly off the charts and they really had some of the sexiest foreplay scenes I've ever read long before they ever had full sex but it was the slow build of their romance that really pulled me in. Maddek was stubborn and refused to admit what we could all see happening but when he made mistakes he was man enough to admit them, apologise and try to make amends.

I feel like I could rave about this book for hours but I just want everyone to go out and read it for themselves. I knew back in January that this was going to be my favourite book of 2020 and two rereads later that hasn't changed. If you like fantasy romance this is hands down my top recommendation for you, so stop wasting your time reading reviews and just buy a copy already!

This was hard to get into. I love Meljean's world building but I always have trouble with the first book in the series. I am waiting to really get into the world and the story in the second book.

See link. for full review; my summation:

Caroline: I’ve been waiting for Milla Vane to return to this world since I DIK’d the novella The Beast of Blackmoor in the anthology Night Shift. It was worth every moment of waiting, and more. An absolute A from me.

Captivating! One of those books you don't want to put down! I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this story - the fantastic world building, the strong characters, the magic system, the development of the relationship between Maddek and Yvenne who start out as enemies. They become allies in the quest for Maddek to get revenge for the killing of his parents and Yvenne to enact the same as it's her father and brothers who did the deed and kept her imprisoned for years. Soon they become lovers, where a marriage of convenience will give them what they seek but also leads to a real heart-bound relationship. Lots of action, plenty of blood and guts violence, and sexy scenes make for a pulse pounding read and Maddek and Yvenne get an ending worthy of their story. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series!

What do you get if you combine fantasy + captive romance + angst + dinosaurs + singe-your-eyeballs sexiness into one book? Well, you get A Heart of Blood and Ashes of course!

This book had me from the very beginning until the end. The world building, the characters, the romance—every element I wanted in a fantasy romance is in this book. Maddek and Yvenne are characters I won't soon forget.

If you're a reader of fantasy, you would recognize some of the tropes that Milla Vane used & subverted in this book. Yvenne is the hidden heir. She's literally Rapunzel hidden in the tower but instead of waiting for the prince to rescue her, she schemed her way into getting kidnapped by him.

And then there's Maddek. The conquering barbarian king hell bent on revenge after his parents were brutally murdered by the Syssian king. He's just as compelling as Yvenne. His journey from warrior to king was Vane's answer to Martin's "Kill the boy, Jon Snow and let the man be born" and I loved it.

But what sets this book apart from other fantasy stories out there is the romance. One of my frustrations with fantasy is often how romantic elements or love stories were treated. This book did it justice. It's emotional, sexy, and satisfying. The alliance between Maddek and Yvenne is the heart of this book. Period.

Don't get wrong. I loved the dinosaurs and the battles and the magic and the political machinations but if the romance had failed, I probably wouldn't have loved it as much. The romance between Maddek and Yvenne was truly breathtaking and unforgettable.

Whether you're a fantasy fan or a romance fan, or both, I would highly recommend you check this book out. It's fantastic.

CONTENT WARNINGS: <spoiler>rape, not on page but it was a big part of the story. There's also sexual coercion/dub-con when the hero made the heroine jack him off when they first met.</spoiler>

It took me longer than normal to pick up this book because I wasn't sure I wanted to read something dark right now, but once I started I absolutely loved it. While it was dark and brutal, it was also funny and smart and heartfelt. The world-building and side characters are both so well done and I loved how strong Yvenne was despite (or because of) her past. I almost hate to compare this to anything else, but if you liked Game of Thrones, you'll love this.

Holy crap, I know I'm late to this party, but this book is so good! It's the feminist fantasy version of what Game of Thrones should have been. Maddek is the captain of the Parsatheans, a warrior-like people viewed as savages by much of the people around them. His parents are murdered, and so, to get even, he abducts Yvenne, the heir to a rival throne. They decide to marry for their own gains and to get revenge on the people who wronged them. Yvenne is physically weaker, crippled, and has been imprisoned most of her life, but she makes up for it through her cunning and scheming. Together, they're a power couple, but they have to get over their cultural differences and mistrust to make it work.
This book has TONS of worldbuilding, and it did get confusing at time. I could have used a list of characters/countries, and a map in the front of the book would have been great. There's so many powerful feminist moments in this, where Maddek knows to step back and let Yvenne use her power. Also, this book is SPICY. Overall, a really great read, and I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Holy amazeballs I think romantic fantasy might be my new favourite genre. A heart of Blood and Ashes has everything, fantastic world building, phenomenal characters, and the romance was superb. I do not usually like romance I love my fantasy and do not usually seek out those that have a prominent romantic inclination in its settings. I think I would have enjoyed A Heart of Blood and Ashes regardless, there is plenty of action and did I mention dinosaurs. Yah dinosaurs! But that is not all I loved Yvenne and Maddek. Yvenne heir in disguise and Maddek a King bent on revenge made for some exciting scenes.
Overall A Heart of Blood and Ashes is a fantastic romantic fantasy and I cannot wait for book two.

exceptional world-building, fabulous storytelling - I couldn't put it down!

A joint interview with Vane and Christine Feehan is coming to Frolic shortly

I’ve had so much hype ever since A Heart of Blood and Ashes got on my radar. I’m always on the looking for an epic fantasy romance, and this one sounded so promising. Plus, I’d read Milla Vane years ago not just under her pseudonym Meljean Brook (The Iron Duke is still one of my favorite fantasy romances!), but also when she published a novella under MV in an anthology. So I knew she could write incredible fantasy worlds – and she didn’t disappoint with this first A Gathering of Dragons book. It was a fantastic start to a new series that I already need more of!

An enemies to lovers romance, slow burn, political intrigue, spilled blood, and barbarian warriors – this fantasy romance has it all. AHoBaA kicks off with the murder of our hero Maddek’s parents, who were king and queen of their barbarian kingdom and part of an alliance council that formed out of a truce between all five kingdoms. Now Maddek is next in line for the throne, but first he wants revenge against the rival king he believed killed his parents… starting with their daughter. But Yvenne offers herself up as his bride instead, because the one thing she wants most in the world is her corrupt father’s death. Neither of them expects the insane amount of chemistry to build between them or that they would start falling for one another.

This book was SO FREAKING GOOD! It was a little slow to get into in the beginning, with all the world-building and info dumping we’re getting hit with straight off. There are a ton of characters and kingdoms to keep track of. But once I hit my reading stride I couldn’t put this book down. I’ve been wanting a new, epic fantasy (romance) to get obsessed with, and AHoBaA hit all the right buttons for me. Alpha, barbarian warrior; heroine who uses her words and brain to kick ass; a delicious, sexy slow burn in a marriage of convenience; and some epic world-building. The pacing is fairly slow but it’s never boring. I loved the amount of steam we got as well as a good dose of angst between our main characters. I was HOOKED onto the romance – I was so glad that despite everything going on, Milla Vane made the romance the main focus of the story.

I do have to say, sadly, there are no actual dragons in this book (they used to exist, but not anymore), but there are Dragons! They are basically Maddek’s bodyguard/friends. Other than that, I can’t wait to read more of this fantasy world. I’m so glad we don’t have to wait too long for the next book (only five months!). Even though this first book concludes Maddek and Yvenne’s romance and revenge subplot, there is still an over-arcing plot that deals with a dangerous, powerful being that’s about to wreak havoc. I’m so looking forward to where Milla Vane will take us next.