To Charm a Dark Prince is a loose retelling of King Arthur, which I thought was an interesting premise. I enjoyed the world-building but do think it can be expanded on throughout the next installments of the series. The characters are morally gray, especially the main male character. Gwen was honestly a bit of an annoying character, which is partly due to her age. The character is in her late teens but throughout a lot of the book she acts immaturely which I would expect on occasion from the character but not throughout the book. The romance in the book was fine, even though the timeline is quite short, I find it hard to believe that they were so into each other, especially with how annoying Gwen is. Overall, I enjoyed the book enough that I most likely will read the next book in the series and am hoping to see some more character development.

Thank you to Second Sky and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

To Charm a Dark Prince by Kathryn Ann Kingsley offers a tantalizing plunge into a world of enchantment and treachery, skillfully weaving elements of the King Arthur legend into her new fantasy romance series. Kingsley's knack for crafting intriguing villains shines in this tale, as we're introduced to the enigmatic Prince of Iron, Mordred, whose allure is impossible to resist.

Set in the magical realm of Avalon, the story follows Gwen, a headstrong protagonist, as she navigates a realm imprisoned in a lackluster stasis by Mordred. The concept of elemental imprisonment adds an intriguing layer to the narrative, promising a battle for both love and magic. However, while the premise holds great potential, the execution in terms of plot and world-building felt somewhat thin.

Kingsley's signature traits are present: a bold heroine and an unapologetically villainous love interest. However, in this case, certain aspects—such as character development and world-building—could have been more robust. As a reader, I found myself filling in gaps in understanding, and while this allowed for imaginative engagement, it also left me wishing for a more fully fleshed-out experience.

Despite the slight drawbacks, To Charm a Dark Prince remains an enjoyable read, brimming with Kingsley's distinct storytelling style. The chemistry between Gwen and Mordred is promising, and their dynamic will certainly add more intrigue to the series after what happened in the conclusion of book one - lovers to enemies anyone?

As the first installment in a new fantasy romance series, To Charm a Dark Prince offers a promising introduction, leaving readers curious and excited for what lies ahead and its premise lays a solid foundation for future developments in the series.

I had mixed feelings about this book, but I'll probably read the next one. Gwen is 19 and transported into an Arthurian world. I did love the multiverse travel. She finds herself wound up with Mordred who doesn't even pretend to be good. If you love a good villain love story, this is for you. Mordred gives off some Damon from the Vampire Diaries vibes.

⚔️ Arthurian
🔥 Elemental Magic
👑 Dark Prince
🗡️ Betrayal

Gwen is a normal teenager dealing with the heartbreak of betrayal when her cat sets fire to her house, and Gwen is forced to jump through a magical portal to save herself. This portal takes her to Avalon, which is ruled by an iron fist called Mordred. Magic has been sucked from Avalon, trapped away in an Iron Crystal that Mordred controls.

Gwen finds herself with new elemental powers, and she’s taken to the castle, where she must decide if Mordred’s decision was correct, or if magic should be let loose on the world again.

I loved Mordred. He’s the perfect broody MMC. I also loved the descriptions of how his armor shifts and moves around him.

I did have a few issues with this book, however. I’m getting a little weary of the trope that an ancient male ruler falls in love with a teenage girl who is suddenly transported to a new land. It just doesn’t make sense. Gwen is immature in her own right, waffling between decisions, fainting constantly. She’s supposed to have anxiety, but I found the fainting a bit much.

However, I did find myself tearing through this at a rapid pace (mainly because of Mordred), but it was still a fun read.

Firstly, I wanted to say that this was my first ARC through NetGalley and I felt extremely honored to be chosen to read this book. So here is my honest review. My rating is 3.5 stars.

What I will say about this story is that while I was entertained, I was confused about why Mordred came across as mentally young, but had been alive for over 1,000 years. With Gwen I expected a less mature take given that she is 19. This book definitely would fall in the realm of perhaps a young adult category. That being said, even though there was that small barrier due to the fact I am in my 30s, it kept my interest when it came to the plot in the long run.

A Spellbound journey: The Enigma of Gwen and Mordred

First of all, I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley, the publisher Second Sky and Kathryn Ann Kingsley, for generously providing me with a free advanced reader copy. This review is entirely voluntary, and I want to emphasize that it truly reflects my genuine emotions and thoughts about the story.

Star rating ⭐⭐⭐ Spice rating 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I've never read any of her works before, so I relished the opportunity to explore a new author. The captivating cover and intriguing blurb caught my attention immediately, and the overall premise seemed incredibly promising. I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to read her book early on, and I must say, I was thoroughly immersed in the story. The blend of King Arthur's background and the magic system was a delight to explore, and the author's worldbuilding skills provided an enriching reading experience. The potential of this world has me eagerly anticipating further exploration in the series. The first book lays a strong foundation, and I'm genuinely excited to see how the story unfolds in the sequels.

While the overall experience was positive, I must admit I had some reservations about the main character, Gwen. Connecting with her proved challenging, as she came across as overly juvenile and not particularly relatable. Her continuous stream of asking questions frequently interrupted the flow of the story. Although it's natural for characters to have moments of curiosity, Gwen's constant inquiries felt repetitive and unnecessary, hindering the momentum of the plot. Furthermore, her behavior often bordered on immaturity, making it challenging to empathize with her struggles and challenges. Greater depth in her character development could have strengthened the reader's emotional connection to her journey.

Mordred, on the other hand, initially appeared mysterious and flirty, but I found it difficult to immediately connect with his character as well. Their interactions felt somewhat forced and lacked the witty banter I hoped for. Mordred's constant laughter felt unnatural. Nevertheless, as the story progressed, and we delved deeper into Mordred's character, I began to appreciate him more. His backstory and hidden complexities added depth and intrigue to his personality, which helped to redeem some of the earlier shortcomings in his introduction. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Gwen.

Nonetheless, I still appreciated the author's storytelling and the development of the world, which managed to keep me engaged. Despite finding the writing style a bit juvenile and struggling to connect with Gwen, I'm still invested in continuing Mordred and Gwen's journey, including their romance. The world the author has created shows great promise, and with some adjustments to character development and dialogue, the subsequent books in the series have the potential to become even more captivating. I hope to witness Gwen's growth and maturity throughout the series. I’m eager to see how the author weaves together the magical elements and the complexities of the characters' relationships to create an enchanting and unforgettable story.

I had a few issues with the way this book played out. The dialogue didn’t feel authentic. The characters have all been done before. And while aspects of the plot might have been unique, I felt they could have been structured a little more soundly.

When listening to the characters speak to one another the men, especially Mordred, they felt really stilted. It felt really forced watching them interact and it wasn’t until scenes of high emotion did it seem like they sounded like people instead of creatures pretending to be human. Gwen is just as bad but in the opposite direction, she felt way too casual and the way she explained bits of her dialogue were a tad on the cringey side.

The characters were all ones I have read before. When trying to craft characters for an adult fantasy romance it’s important to have them be unique in their own ways, and unfortunately these ones fell flat and felt like a copy and paste of anything off of booktok. That being said, there’s a reason these books are so popular, people love reading books with a similar theme, especially when it’s full of tropes they enjoy. So just because I didn’t love it I’m sure most others will for the same reason.

Aspects of this plot have been done before. Girl with new power meets powerful man and has to decide if he’s the villain or the love interest. The twist here is the overt nod to King Arthur, which is definitely an interesting bit of story. So while I appreciated part of the plot, the rest was a but contrived.

All in all I’m sure this will be a very popular read with the “adult fantasy romance enemies to lovers booktok folks”. It has a lot of the tropes that are usually cherished within that subset of the community and I’m sure they will find the joy in this where I found it to be lacking.

Gwen...no self preservation instincts. The prologue pulled me in and then the story didn't really go anywhere.

While it wasn't great, I am curious where the story goes and hope that it gets better.

Thank you to Netgalley and Second Sky for sending me an ARC for an honest review.

To Charm a Dark Prince is set in a dystopian fantasy world and has some inspiration from Arthurian legend which was originally what hooked me on this story. Having recently read some other stories inspired by Arthurian legend the plot was a bit predictable and expected for me. The story wasn't really unique enough for me to feel like I was reading something special. I was not really able to connect with Gwen's character either, I found her to be a bit annoying and I just didn't find myself rooting for her.

I don't think I will be continuing with this series as it just wasn't for me. However, I have enjoyed some of Kingsley's other books in the past, so will still be checking out any new books she brings out.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️✨

Omg I found another Merlin/Arthur/etc inspired fantasy book, this one was so cool. This book is set in a sort of dystopian fantasy world? Magic and magic users are held captive by a supposedly tyrant king. It was a really cool first book in a series, and I can't wait to see how the story unfolds. This book was full of plotting and swooniness and betrayals and more plotting, and the twist at the end was expected but also unexpected.

TWs - violence, anxiety/panic attacks on page

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Loved the mix of Arthurian legend with supernatural time slips but wasn't too keen on the main characters. Gwen was a bit wishy-washy for me, could have been a bit stronger. Not a bad read though.

An Arthurian inspired story featuring a girl who falls into Avalon and discovers that she is an elemental and must find a way to sort her alliances between the handsome dark prince and the knights of the round table. Gwen has always suffered from severe anxiety and after her boyfriend cheats on her she suddenly finds herself falling into Avalon and that her cat is actually a talking being that is bound to her. Gwen also finds herself in the hands of the handsome but dark ruler, Mordred, the Prince of the Iron throne who has total power over Avalon but has taken a liking to Gwen. Gwen now must find a way to train her elemental powers and seduce Mordred with all of Avalon on the line. This was unfortunately... a really really not great time. Gwen read like she was a 16 year old girl who was constantly whining and honestly, felt insufferable. Also the romance was not there for me at all. The story itself felt lacking in holding an entertaining plot and felt like a really poor episode of a disney show. This read so much younger than young adult and I am actually surprised I made it to the end of this book. Despite this being the first book in the series I will not be picking up the rest of the books. I will say this, I do enjoy some of the author's other books and will continue to read from her but this one was just a big miss for me. If you enjoy arthurian inspired fantasy with a young adult touch then give this a go, maybe it'll work out better for you then it did for me.

*Thanks Netgalley and Second Sky for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

2.5
Gwendolyn is a 19 year old girl from rural Kansas. While having an awful day (finding her boyfriend cheating on her), she goes home to self soothe with some beer and pizza (of course asking her mom and dad first because she's a *good girl*). Unfortunately for her, the night in she had planned is foiled by her house catching on fire, a portal to another world, and a talking cat that wants her to overthrow the mystical world's current tyrant prince.

Gwen's character was written incredibly flat. In every instance that she feels anxious she passes out, and continually mentions her life in Kansas but other than that...there's not much to tell. She's meant to be the world heroine and has almost no redeeming qualities that would make me root for her. I did enjoy that it was hard to gauge what her heart was going to lead her to do until the end, however.

Mordred was a little more interesting, but there was no tangible connection between him and Gwen. We're just TOLD that there is, instead of being made to feel it. I honestly feel like if he had just killed her halfway through the book and continued the story I would've been wholly unaffected.

Overall, the story is written pretty juvenilely. There were a LOT of staggered thoughts, like when you have a friend who sends 50 texts instead of forming one full thought. It made it jarring to read at times. I love the idea of the world of Avalon, elementals, dragons, crafted guards, the whole nine yards. There was so much missed potential with this story.

This book was incredibly amazing!!! When I started reading it and I figured it was a fantasy inspired by the tales and legends of King Arthur, I was surprised by the thought that Mordred was the MMC!!! But then the magic, the plot, the tension, the morally grey character, the grumpy sunshine trope, the enemies to lovers … everything made this book absolutely amazing and wonderful and I loved it!!! As a first book in a brand new series, I’m more than a little bit intrigued by the story and the plot and the way the author uniquely described these characters!!! Gwen was absolutely amazing and I could relate to her so so much!!! Mordred on the other hand … was hot and brooding and morally grey and mysterious and villainous and wrong … and so so good in so many ways !!!! The figure of Merlin, spooky and weird figure that he is … it was so fun!!! And the tension and banter and spicy scenes … it made this fantasy romance so much better !!! And I think it can even considered as a bit dark … so bare that in mind!!!! But overall it was so so good!!! I’m so so grateful I had the chance to read it and I already can’t wait for the next one !!!

This book had me hooked from the beginning. Gwen was swept away into a world she knows nothing about and forced to chose a side. I was so torn about what the right decision was and I love these morally grey topics. By the end I was yelling at the book and the way it ends leaves me ready for the next book ASAP

3.5 Villains Do It Better ✨'s
To Charm A Dark Prince is an engaging Arthurian romantasy set in the world of Avalon, filled with morally gray characters, world-building, and magic. The story follows Gwen, a 19-year-old, who suddenly finds herself stuck in a new world with powers she can't control and a tyrant prince, Mordred, who wants to keep all magic at bay even at the cost of others' lives and happiness. Mordred is determined to figure out who brought Gwen to Avalon and is certain that she will betray him just like everyone in the past has done. With constant tellings of Mordred's cruel deeds, Gwen is unsure who to trust. She quickly finds herself struggling with her growing connection to Mordred and her desire to do what she thinks is best for everyone in Avalon even if it goes directly against him.
I think this was an amazing introduction to the start of the Iron Crystal series! I absolutely loved the Arthurian background and world, there is so much potential for magic and plot in the coming books. While I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, I think the characters and writing could use some work. I struggled to connect with Gwen, I really love a strong FMC in fantasy books and Gwen wasn't really that, she had some spunk but was kind of frail and would go around second-guessing herself. The almost juvenile tone of the book did not help with that, it definitely reflected Gwens' young age. I would have loved to see some character development from her but I think she is set up to grow in the next book. Overall, I'm not much of a fantasy reader but I will definitely be continuing with this series and can't wait for the next one; that cliffhanger had me on the edge of my seat and practically frothing at the mouth.

"To Charm a Dark Prince" is a captivating and addicting enemies-to-lovers fantasy story that takes readers on a journey to the magical land of Avalon. This book will enchant fans of both dark fantasy and romance. It has a dark and appealing bad guy, a slow-building romance, and a touch of fairy tale magic.

The story is about Gwen, who suddenly finds herself in Avalon, which is ruled by Mordred, the strong and mysterious Prince in Iron. Mordred rules over his enemies in Avalon by putting them in a magical crystal prison. But despite his fearsome image, Gwen finds that Mordred is surprisingly kind, and she starts to see that he is more complicated than he seems.

Gwen is determined to find a way back home, so she comes up with a risky plan to steal Mordred's heart and break his prized crystal in exchange for her freedom from his control. As she spends more time at Mordred's court, sparks fly between them and a strong desire grows. But with emotion comes danger, and as Mordred's temper and anger show, he warns Gwen that she is going down a dangerous road.

Kathryn Ann Kingsley tells a dark, twisty story full of a seductive dream romance that keeps readers interested from the beginning to the end. The way Gwen and Mordred go from being foes to falling in love is beautifully written and full of tension, angst, and hot chemistry. Their slow-burning desire to each other gives their relationship more depth and keeps readers interested in how it will develop.

The characters are well-rounded, and the way they talk to each other is both interesting and moving. Gwen is an interesting main character because she is smart and sassy, and Mordred's complexity as an evil hero adds depth to the story. As both characters try to figure out how their complicated lives are connected, readers will be drawn to them.

The world of Avalon is described in rich detail, which brings the magical parts of it to life. The author makes the setting interesting, which makes it a great place for romance and mystery to happen. The pace of the story is just right, giving us enough time to see how the characters' feelings change while keeping the plot interesting and moving quickly.

In the end, "To Charm a Dark Prince" is an exciting dark fantasy story that fans of Sarah J. Maas and other well-known fantasy authors will enjoy. Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a great storyteller, and her story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. This book is a must-read if you like romances where enemies become loves, baddies who are seductive, and magical, dangerous worlds.

3 -⭐⭐⭐

"Tell me, Gwen- what would you sacrifice to protect your world, even from itself?"

To Charm A Dark Prince is the first novel in the New Adult Dark Fantasy Romance series, The Iron Crystal, which follows 19 year old Gwen when she is, through a series of strange events, finds herself in Avalon, the mythical realm of King Arthur. In order for her to return to Earth, she is told she must find and break the power Crystal which holds all the magic of Avalon. The problem? A tall dark and handsome man known as the Prince of Iron stands her way, and Gwen knows the only way to get past him is to seduce him...

This book has a great deal of promise. There are tropes that definitely grab readers from grumpy sunshine, villain gets the girl, curses, enemies to lowers, and more.

Gwen plays into a very innocent role as she stumbles into a new world. She feels like she is quite cloistered and so she often makes decision to her detriment. I found her confusion allowed readers to enter the world more but I often questioned her instincts.

Mordred, our villain, is a tradition villain that we tend to love in our fantasies. His backstory is unravelled quite well and I enjoyed his aloofness. His POV helped balance things off as he is the one who knows so much while Gwen knows so little.

The spice in this novel is about a 2 spicy pepper out of 5 spicy peppers as it is a slow burn enemies to love. Spice is around the 80% mark but there is tension leading up to it Now I felt the romance struggled a bit for me. I never really felt a moment where they were falling in love so investing in their relationship was hard. There was some excellent tension and angst, and the spice was well written but because I wasn't feeling their love and connection it didn't resonate like it has in Kathryn's previous books.

"Teasing me is a very dangerous game to play, Gwendolyn Wright. A very dangerous game indeed."

The story itself has an engaging premise and mystery around the fate of Avalon. I liked the idea of the Crystal and the fate that each knight of round table had in here. I also felt it was opening things up for a greater world. At the same time, because I could not really connect with any of the characters I felt this story was a lot slower than it needed to be. It many ways I feel this should have been a prequel novella based on the ending. We get a lot more activity in the end and a fascinating start but the FMC kinda stumbles along with no real sense of focus other than to be reminded of her task...and then she doesn't really do anything.

Overall, if you are looking for a Dark Arthurian Fantasy with enemies to lovers, a unique world, and lots of tropes, this is something you may enjoy. I need a bit more romance.

Thank you to Second Sky and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

“𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫.“

To Charm A Dark Prince is the first book in the Iron Crystal Series and is an enemies to lovers fantasy romance. Gwen jumps into a portal to escape a house fire and ends up in the magical world of Avalon. After finding herself the prisoner of Modred, the Prince in Iron, Gwen is faced with a daunting choice. Betray Modred, even though she’s falling for him and restore Avalon to its former glory or trust Modred that Avalon is better off this way.

I have been a fan of Kathryn Ann Kingsley ever since reading her Harrow Faire and Maze of Shadows Series and if there’s one thing she excels at it’s creating a complex and villainous MMC that you can’t help but love every single time! Mordred was by far my favorite character in this. He’s so broody and untrusting and definitely his own worst enemy, but his chemistry with Gwen was undeniable. The ending was surprising and keeps you wanting more! 4⭐️

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
🗡️Enemies to lovers
🔥Arthurian legend
🗡️Broody MMC
🔥Slow burn
🗡️Betrayal

“𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐇𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.“

“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬? 𝐎𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐎𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬.“

“𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨, 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐲… 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

“𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫… 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞.“

I’ve liked other books by this author but unfortunately this just wasn’t for me. I didn’t connect with the story or the characters.