Very excited for the next book in the series! It was a fantastic dark romantasy (romatic fantasy) with a smartass FMC and a morally grey villianous MMC that is somehow only kind to her, in his messed up way of course. I'm a fan ot this author's work in general, the worlds are often both immersive and simple (like easy to read and easy to understand world building that maintains enough complexity). Be prepared for the dark and potentially triggering content in this story.

- dark romantasy <3
- enemies to lovers
- steamy moments and spice
- quick fast paced read
- easy read
- plot that sucks you right in
- he's only nice to her
- slowburn romance
- morally grey mmc
- great tension and banter
- CWs

An absolute must read for anyone who likes dark romance, dark fantasy and romantasy. <3 I'm keen for the rest of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC

Loved this book - would give it an 8.5/10

Great MMC - found him very brooding and in turmoil

Had a good amount of humour - something that a lot of romance doesn't have

The one thing mainly that I was not keen on - the FMC was a little annoying in how she spoke. I think if she was a bit older this would have read much better

Overall though, loved the book, would recommend and will be looking out for the next installment!

I love a good fantasy where the FMC gets transported into another world. From the beginning this book was captivating. not only was this book hilarious but it was also so spicy!! The world-building in this book is fantastic and so descriptive. It was well-paced and I was invested the entire time. My favorite part of the book other than the romance definitely has to be the talking cat! The banter between him and our FMC was so funny I found myself laughing at all their interactions. I need book two to come out ASAP!!

Okay, wow. I was…not expecting any of what this book gave me! In a good way! A great way, actually! I wasn’t sure what exactly I expected going in, a fun villain gets the girl maybe? But it was so much more. To Charm A Dark Prince finds Gwen, a regular girl living in our world, pulled into the realm of Avalon. There, what is left of King Arthur’s knights are ruled over by Mordred, the Prince in Iron. He’s a tyrant who has locked up all the magic, all the elementals, and rules over a stagnant land. He is sure it is better than the war torn bloodbath that came before it. But he’s locked all those with magic into a giant crystal, and their screams can be heard when near it. Gwen is torn between her attraction and feelings for this dark prince, and what she knows to be right.

I wasn’t expecting a King Arthur twist here, and I absolutely loved it! I always love retellings, and this one of Mordred was fantastic! The ways the different knights we meet, Galahad, Lancelot, and Percival, were interpreted was fantastic. Mordred still has the villainous element and uncertain birth he has in the original tale, only he thinks he’s doing what is right. Lancelot is still trying to steal someone’s girl, smarmy flirt that he is. But there’s a good guy underneath that, a true knight. Galahad is like a fatherly figure, and has come to terms with the loss of his love to the crystal, believing it’s the best way forward. While Percival is just, badly seeking a way out. Their interactions are so interesting. They are forced to serve Mordred after betraying him, and each deals with things in different ways. And deal with Gwen in very different ways for that matter!

Gwen being from our normal world I wasn’t expecting either. I don’t usually like the mix between reality and fantasy, but in this case, I actually really enjoyed it. Seeing a normal girl with anxiety dropped into this fantasy world was delightful. We get some great anxiety rep, which I definitely appreciated! But we also get a lot of complex thoughts and issues. Gwen gains magic when she arrives, and by rights, Mordred should stick her in the crystal. But right from the beginning, he is drawn to her and makes his own excuses about why he isn’t putting her in it.

The complex question of what is better, a stagnant world, or a war torn one, is really interesting. Gwen spends a lot of very reasonable time going back and forth on this issue. She’s drawn to Mordred herself, and finding out a lot of new things about herself and what she likes sexually as a result. So she doesn’t want to just declare him the villain because everyone else says he is. His explanations are reasonable, and she finds herself agreeing with him at times, and not at others. She finds herself enjoying her time in Avalon much more than she expected, but she sees the desolate world and can’t help but wonder if it’s worth it. If everyone is unhappy, is this a life worth living? If everyone is suffering in the crystal, can she just ignore that? But can she really let them out if all they’ll do is war with one another, killing innocents in the crossfire? If they’ll kill Mordred?

I loved seeing these complex issues dealt with and the real deliberation gone into them. But I also loved the relationship between Gwen and Mordred. I couldn’t help the feeling of doom making me incredibly anxious as they grew closer, knowing this may go very badly. I actually had to stop reading several times and take a break to get my own anxiety under control! Mordred has been betrayed so many times. It’s heartbreaking to hear him speak of it. He expects Gwen to betray him. He expects everyone to betray him, and it’s become something of a self fulfilling prophecy because of that fact. You want nothing more than for Gwen to prove she won’t betray him as well, while also realizing…the world doesn’t work this way. It’s fundamentally broken.

Seeing the tough, villainous Prince in Iron, the rightful King of Avalon, fall for this little human girl was delightful and heartbreaking. He has only had his metal creations and a few knights forced to serve him for so long, and his loneliness is very clear. Gwen is also lonely. She wasn’t able to go to college and she was left in backwater Kansas as her friends and boyfriend went to school, only for him to cheat on her immediately. The two find a kind of solace in one another.

The ending broke my heart as much as it broke both of theirs…I’m really, really looking forward to book 2! I need to know what happens next. Everything is going to change. Both in Avalon, and for Gwen and Mordred. I’m interested in seeing how new characters are going to shape things. How Avalon itself will change. Will Mordred change his mind? Will the others be forced to recognize him eventually? Will Gwen keep her powers? Can the two find their way back to one another? So many questions! I can’t wait to find out the answers!

The writing is a bit immature but I overall enjoyed the story. It’s very unique. I look forward to the next in the series

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did: I thought it would be your standard fantasy romance book, but oh is it so much more. This is an Arthurian Beauty & the Beast retelling, packed full of fire, forbidden romance and a sprinkle of Stockholm Syndrome ;)

Gwen suddenly after a traumatic turn of events finds herself in Avalon. She learns of the horrible Prince who rules the land and is on the run in this brand new world. But… she gets captured.

It’s dark, smoky and downright frustrating at times; on a whole it's an exciting and enticing read. I really enjoyed it. At times the MC can get slightly annoying, but the plot and everything else makes up for it.

To Charm a Dark Prince was such a great read but to be fair you had me at a talking cat and a morally grey character! The plot moves at a good pace and the momentum is kept throughout. I really enjoyed the spin on the Arthurian legend. It was a fun twist and I thought it worked well.

The characters were interesting and I thought that Gwen at times was hilarious. I loved her inner thoughts and some of the things she came out with, I couldn’t help but smile. Gwen finds herself in quite the tricky situation and I felt for her especially as she had such a dilemma over what to do. It’s safe to say she is caught between a rock and a hard place, unsure about what to do for the best.

The romance aspect to this story worked well, it was a slow burn and an enemies to lovers. So you not only had tension with the situation they are in but also a romantic, simmering tension. All in all a great introduction to characters that I can’t wait to see more of.

To Charm a Dark Prince was an adventure filled fantasy that was so much fun to read. I loved the characters, even the minor characters brought something special too. I’m eager to catch up with them again especially after THAT ending!

2.5 / 5.0

I really wanted to like this book, because the premise was interesting and holds great potential for more books in the series, but the writing wasn’t very good and the characters were bothersome.

The MMC opens with throwing a hissy fit of the Kylo-Ren variety and there is a considerable age gap, which is not one of my favored tropes. The FMC is a changeling of some sort and she is sucked into the alternate realm by a malicious force hiding as a cat but who is tied to her life-force. For something that depends on her survival for its survival, one would expect it to be manipulative and spouting false endearments, but this mean old Tom is just that; a nasty, unhelpful, aggressively mean “guide” to the FMC.

There is a romance in this though the two characters seem to stumble into it rather than developing believable feelings. When they consummate their feelings, the scene is extremely dissonant and disturbing. It is not tender and left me wondering if the author hadn’t intended to write the scene and believed it was needed to sell the story.

Overall, I won’t be reading the next book. From where this book ends there isn’t enough plot to pull me back into this world and the characters aren’t strong enough to hold my interest.

Until Next Time
MC

I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Gripping and intense

When she is transported to the magical realm of Avalon, Gwen is in the hands of its ruler: Mordred, the Prince of Iron. Ruthless and dangerous, Mordred trapped magical users in crystals to keep his power. The only way for Gwen to escape is to seduce him so she can betray him. But when passion and trust tangle in the mix, Gwen isn't sure of what she's supposed to do.

I really enjoyed this book. The intrigue was very unique and interesting and I liked how the author took the Arthurian legends and twisted them her way to create this amazing story. The plot was very fascinating, full of twists and turns, and the classic enemies to lovers romance had me swooning. Even if it took me some time to really like Mordred and I didn't always understand what he wanted, I liked the romance and how it developped. The spice was surprising but overall good and well added into the rest. The side characters were intriguing as well and I never knew what to expect from them, which kept me on my toes and added some mystery and intensity to the story. But what I liked most really was the world and how complex but familiar and exciting it was. I'm excited to learn more about it in the rest of the series. The ending was extra intense and it made me gasp in the best way. I can't wait for the sequel!

I recommend if you like fantasy romance with an interesting world and plot!

"The answer would spell his downfall."

TW: violence, assault, abuse, murder, death, blood, torture, sexual content, kidnapping

Rating: 4.75
My Thoughts; This was my first time reading a book with or about King Arthur and love all of it. This is about a girl who magically imported into this world that she has only read about in books. Now has to find out how to get back home and try to get killed by the male lead in the book, The best part of the book is the characters and how they talk to each that makes up a good part of the book. the female lead and male lead love the funny banners and rough ones too and do give me some vibes of From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout I do wish there were more world-building and deeper parts of the book but can't wait to read the next book.

This book was not what I was expecting. Unfortunately I did not connect with the FMC as much as I would have liked and I did not like the cat character’s personality at all or how it treated her. I liked the MMC a lot but I found that my dislike for the other characters overshadowed this at several points which was a shame. I think that this book has a lot of potential and I found the overall story enjoyable.

I like the premise of the book, and I love the chemistry between the main characters. I wish Gwen had a bit stronger backstory, but I look forward to the next installment.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and this is my honest review!:

4⭐️
I’m not a big fantasy girlie but damn I’m beginning to understand the hype around romantasy books because this had me giggling and kicking my feet!!!!🤭 I mean com’on he was WHIPPED from the moment he saw her, he THAUGHT her how to fight AND we had MULTIPLE “him pushing her against a wall” scenes?!😫😫😫😫The tension between Gwen and Mordred was *chefs kiss* and the slow burn was the slowest slow burn I’ve ever read but I loved every second of it🫡

The fantasy aspects were very beginner friendly and weren’t overwhelming but made the plot interesting and it kept me hooked till the last page!😮‍💨

Okay talking about last page… I didn’t like the ending.. cus apparently this is NOT a standalone🥲 (but that is on me for not checking first) this book has no HEA and it ends on a cliffhanger that left me standing there like this: 🧍‍♀️“wtf man, u kidding right? this can’t be the ending?”

Overall it was a great read! The book was romance and plot wise very good I just didn’t like the ending! :)

Okay that was my review for To charm a dark prince by Kathryn Ann Kingsley🫶

I think dark fantasies inspired by the Legend of King Arthur are my new favourite thing 🤠

To Charm a Dark Prince it the first in the Iron Crystal series, a YA fantasy retelling of the Arthurian legend. Our FMC Gwen is a literally dropped into the magical world of Avalon after a series of unforunate events (queue heartbreak, fire, mystery cat). Here, we meet Mordred, the broody Prince with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

💗 Slow Burn
🗡️ Chosen One
💗 Romantasy
🗡️ Tension
💗 Forced Proximity
🗡️ Betrayal
💗 Morally Grey MMC

Gwen, your capable, overpowered FMC, started off feeling a bit like she was trying to hard to be relatable, and her decisions felt so rushed and not thought through (like why is she trusting the big bad dude after literally EVERYONE said he was evil?!?). As the story progressed, her character grew, and started to show a bit more maturity and critical thinking - which IMO saved her. Unlike Gwen, Mordred comes across as a bit of a whiney

[I also HATED the triangle between Gwen, Mordred and Lancelot]

The world building in this was fun, and enchanting and I enjoyed the magical unique twists and magical elements the author introduced to the Arthurian legend, such as the foundations Mordred set to control the Knights & magic of the realm.
Book 1 finished off with such a JUICY cliffhanger, which was weirdly out of character for the MMC, but goddamn am I keen for book 2!

To Charm a Dark Prince has set up the Iron Crystal series as a slow burn, medium paced romantasy, and i'm all here for it!

3.5 upped to 4
Mordred is the villain par excellence in the Arthurian saga and he's also the bad guy in this romantic fantasy that is inspired by the matter of Britain using some elements.
I wasn't a huge fan of this story as I think that some more character and world building development would have helped
Mordred is not a villain, a bit moody and temperamental. Merlin the cat is lovely and I liked Gwen.
I want to read the next in this series as I'm sure there's a lot potential and it will be very entertaining.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’ve read Kathryn Ann Kingsley before and I love her books. While this is a new favourite of mine from her it was still very enjoyable and solid read. Would recommend to previous readers if her work and new readers who love a swoony romantic fantasy.

A good start to a new series. I always feel like I need book two or three before I can really enjoy the storyline.
A good intro to the world, characters, and dilemma.
Not to mention I love all things Camelot- Avalon was a huge draw for me.

I have to admit that I did not overly like the FL in this book. She was really naive and just jumped into trouble right and left. The world-building was interesting, but it was hard to really connect with her or Mordred. I probably will not be continuing this series. I give it 2.5/5 stars.

I have mixed feelings regarding this title. I really enjoyed the world-building/lore elements which created an Arthurian atmosphere. I also enjoyed the banter between the main characters, though I didn't quite get the 'enemies-to-lovers' from them that I was hoping for. I enjoyed Modred, but at times I felt that Gwen seemed a bit too young/naive/childish and I think I may have enjoyed this had she been written a bit older with more maturity to offer this plot and the dynamics between the characters. Despite these flaws, I did still enjoy reading the book and therefore I felt 3 stars was a fair rating.

"To Charm a Dark Prince" by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a captivating start to "The Iron Crystal" series. This dark fantasy romance weaves a mesmerizing tale of forbidden love and intricate magical realms. The author's skillful storytelling paints a vivid picture of a world where tensions between light and darkness crackle with intensity. The characters are richly developed, each with their own secrets and motivations that keep the reader engaged. The chemistry between the protagonists is electric, and their journey is fraught with challenges that add depth to the plot. Kingsley's lyrical prose and imaginative world-building make this book a page-turner for fans of fantasy and romance alike. However, be prepared for some darker themes and mature content that adds to the complexity of the narrative. Overall, "To Charm a Dark Prince" is a compelling blend of romance and fantasy that sets the stage for an enthralling series.