Whenever a book starts with “I should have died in the womb,” you just know it’s going to be good. I never knew I needed so many Arthurian legends in my life, but I’m not complaining.

Princess Veyka unexpectedly becomes queen whenever Arthur, her brother that is older only by minutes, is murdered. She begins to become a shadow of her former self. Arthur being the perfect king, but she is anything but the perfect queen. She becomes fuelled by rage and has the desire for revenge. However, due to their ancestors pact that a High King and High Queen must rule together as equals, one from the elemental fae and one from the terrestrial fae, she must now marry the brutal prince to join the realms,

Wow, I absolutely enjoyed this book! I found the writing so easy to consume due to it’s fast-pace and short chapters. It’s easy to read all in one sitting. It had me entirely absorbed and captivated with the story, unable to tear myself away from the pages. The world-building was really interesting. I’m not entirely familiar with the Arthurian legends, but I didn’t feel like I needed to be (I really should read it considering I’ve read a few re-tellings now). The plot is full of action, power games, court intrigues, betrayals and mysteries. All masterfully woven together making it effortless to imagine the story.

Veyka is a wonderful FMC, she has survived a lot and trained relentlessly to become a skilled fighter, although she is rather too trusting of those around her. Arran is much more than the Brutal Prince he is known as, and his initial lust for Veyka becomes a deeper and understanding love. Both of these characters coupled with a host of interesting side characters, creates such a great cast who I would love to learn more about. I enjoyed how all the characters interact with each other and grow through-out.

There is a few grammatical errors and continuity errors, but those are easy fixes!

Thank you NetGalley and Emberly Ash for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

AWESOME! I love the way you write and I need to read the sequel ASAP. I enjoy a lot your morally grey characters, and I know I will enjoy to read about the real villain behind it all. The plot was great... but I would love to see more points of view. Knowing how Gwen feels would be amazing, specially with the end of this book, I think she will have a more active part on the next one.

Actual rating 4.5/5 stars. This is the first instalment in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series.

Veyka Pendragon was never meant to rule. But after her brother's murder she finds herself betrothed to the Brutal Prince, forced to rule the fae kingdom she cares little for, and attempting to banish the images of her deceased brother, the only one she ever loved and trusted, at the same time. Which focus will take precedence?

This was a fae retelling of King Arthur and I loved the subtle nods to this classic tale that appearred throughout. This was also so much more than a simple re-imagining, however!

Politics dominated but never bogged down the storyline. A murder mystery was at the novel's heart and it allowed the reader easy access into understanding how this realm was governed and what those opposing it wanted altered. Veyka was in a position of power but, unlike her brother, she did not begin her life there and so her insights were endlessly intriguing, as she often saw more than just one side in any plot point covered.

Veyka herself was my favourite aspect about this story. I'm so sick of reading about wilting wallflowers and dainty ladies who swoon at every opportunity. Veyka described herself as "not a small female, not by any means. Not even a regular sized female. I was tall, wide, with a soft belly and an ass that wobbled when I walked, breasts that swung and enticed." We love to see the representation and also the pride in it! She took up space, demanded notice, and did not apologise for her differences. Her body was celebrated throughout by the male love interest and it healed me more than this author will ever know to see strength and size celebrated so beautifully.

On that note, a close second favourite aspect was the spice!! It begun early on in the book and appeared frequently throughout, so be warned if this isn't something you desire reading about! Lovers of A Court of Thorns and Roses series, however, will have just found their newest obsession!

One of my favorite authors recommended this book and I loved it. I loved the dual POV and wish there was a couple more POVs. The World building was a little confusing, but it picked up well. This book definitely did not hold back on spice and I wish there was just a tad more smidge of substance in character development rather than spice. Still would recommend and can't wait for the next book!

netgalley arc
crown of earth and sky
(4.5/5)
an addictive romantasy, the kind that you read in two days and still want more in the end. i loved the universe and the plot, i have to precise that the main trope is the enemies to lovers romance. the slow burn was pretty good and the chemistry between them >>
everything came crashing down towards the end and it was so surprising even though the plot twist wasn’t as crazy as i hoped! i hope the next book will be action packed… venka pendragon is such a cool character and badass character, i loved her evolution! i feel the characters were well constructed and logically built (if you get what i mean). this was inspired by the legend of arthur and i loved the elements integrated but then i didn’t feel like reading a rewriting at all. romantasy with faes are always something i’m excited to read and this one was the perfect book to get me out of my mini reading slump. if you want an addictive spicy fantasy go for it ! also, it’s two pov story which we loooove because of the marriage of convenience/enemies to lover/touch her and you’ll die tropes…

“I was built for weapons. Or rather, I’d built my body for weapons. I might have no magic, but I would not be powerless.”
léa

I received this book via NetGalley.

Spice: 4/5

I enjoyed the beginning of this book. The magic system (basically a magic v shifter v controlling plants dynamic) was unique and the author’s writing style is beautiful.

About 60% through, i started getting bored. I think about 20% of the middle of the book was filler, which resulted in a very short and abrupt climax. I think a lot of fantasy books can harp on how “petite” the MFC is, but this book did the opposite and focused on the MFC curvy figure to the point i was eyerolling.

The author has a lot of talent though. I may pick up the next book that comes out in December 2023.

I just finished reading the ARC of this book, Crown of Earth and Sky. It’s being released 10/1/23 and if you love a magical romantasy book, a morally grey MMC who will burn down the world for you, and a badass FMC I HIGHLY recommend you read this as soon as it comes out. I also have extra love for this book because the FMC is a plus size badass and she is proud of it. As a girl who has never been skinny I love when authors represent all different sizes of women, because they’re all beautiful, and should all be equally represented. Love this book, love the representation, and I already cannot wait for book 2, Secrets of the Faerie Crown, in December!

A very meh book. I was intrigued by the Arthurian legend premise because Arthurian legend, like, duuuuh but let's say that 1) the world building was VERY confused, the magic system didn't make much sense to me, 2) our MC, whatever her name is, I forgot it tbh, was just unlikable. I enjoyed that she wasn't written to be overly likable but you need some redeeming qualities to those characters for us readers to care. As a Queen, she sucked, as a sister, she sucked and just soooo immature. 3) the romance was borderline toxic and just very awkward. 4) it was a dark book, and you're warned from the very beginning but I need this darkness to mean something to the story, not just gore and violence for the sake of it. It served no purpose other than just being dark. Not for me at all, 1.5 stars.

This was a fun and fast read. I loved the Arthurian fae concept. The fae being tied to elemental powers was super fun and cool also. My only complaint is sometimes it felt like the world building was lackluster and left me wanting it to be more detailed. Overall I ate this book up and I’m looking forward to the next one!

I absolutely devoured this book! It was so amazing! I feel like it took a few chapters to really get set up in the world but once the initial worldbuilding happened it took off and I couldn't put the book down.

Ma'am, I'm going to need book 2 now. THAT CLIFFHANGER. WHAT?!!!

Ok, so Veyka & Arran are our MCs who fall in love, clearly. But holy hell that ride was WORTH IT.

This is a dark fantasy romance take on an Arthurian retelling.

Fighting, smut, adventure, chaos, intrigue and love.....with extreme heartache!

Thank you for this poece of art, and man I'm glad Briar Boleyn sent me your way.

There's a lot happening in this. Forced proximity, Arthurian fae, arranged marriage and more. The world-building fell short for me. However, the tension!!! and the cliffhanger!! An easy read with tons of spice.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC. I want to start by saying I was instantly intrigued by how beautifully this was written. I loved the Dark Romance Fantasy setting and themes, I couldn't put this book down. The way the spicy scenes were wrote in this book made them seem more intimate between Veyka and Arran. We had some of my favorite tropes such as Arranged Marriage and Enemies to Lovers. As well as Dual POV and Spicy scenes! I recommend this to anyone whose a fan of ACOTAR, FBAA, etc

I liked this book. Although it dragged in the middle and could have really benefited from cutting, it was a good story overall. I don’t feel like all of the Arthurian elements really added to the core of the original story. I think the author has a good mind for storytelling and that it would’ve been just as good if this didn’t incorporate Arthurian elements because the world building was so complex and interesting on its own. The romance was subpar for me because I’m into depth connections, not just physical connections. We know the FMC and MMC want to rip each other’s clothes off, but we want to know more about how they feel emotionally and see the connection from that side of things rather than just the spicy hate-you-but-not-really side because then it just feels a little cheap and dissatisfying. I would give a second installment to the series a read, overall.

A masterful retelling of the Arthurian tale with a fresh spin on magic. Our main characters are Veyka Pendragon and Arran Earthborn are pushed into roles that were never meant to be theirs to secure peace in Annway .

Emberly Ash, the author, does a great job with both character and world building. I loved the enemies to lovers trope, the different faes (elemental and terrestrial), and the plot is top notch! It is full of twists and turns as the MCs try to fulfill the ancient peace treaty of which the terrestrial and elemental fae will need to be bound by matrimony to bring more centuries of peace between their two kingdoms.

*Spoiler Alert moving forward*

Veyka is the sister of Arthur, king of elemental faes, and loves him dearly because he was the only one that showed her affection and consideration. By a sick twist of fate, Arthur doesn't make it to the ceremony and Veyka is thrown into being queen. However, she has no intention of being queen and is only seeking revenge for her brother's death.

Arron is a general of the terrestrial army and has been dubbed the Brutal Prince by others for his ruthlessness. All he wants is to bring peace and prosperity to all fae by upholding this union with the new elemental fae monarch, queen Veyka.

The chemistry between Veyka and Arron is magical and incandescent. I loved every interaction between the two betrothed, it's full of banter and sexual tension. They started out hating each other and by the end of it they cannot be apart. The author doesn't shy away from having our characters own their sexuality and from the beginning the story is filled with spicy scenes.

The cliffhanger was incredible and I cannot wait till book 2 is released. I highly recommend this book to all fantasy-romance fans!

*I received this book as an ARC and here is my honest review*

Spicy!!!
If you like that spice this is a good book for you! Emberly Ash goes into major detail throughout the book but those spicy scenes are very descriptive!
When Veyka Pendragon is forced to become queen of Anwynn due to her brother's murder, she finds herself recoiling into herself and satiating herself with sex and revenge. Her entire heart and soul is determined to find her brothers killer and all of those that may have been associated with his death.
When a new fae is taking the role as King or Queen of Anwynn it must be a union between an elemental and a terrestrial fae as it has been for centuries. Due to this agreement between them Veyka is forced into a union with Aaran Earthborn, the brutal prince. Upon meeting each other there is nothing but hatred between them. However, throughout the story, something starts to grow between them and they become the perfect pair.
If you like a spicy story with plenty of action, you will enjoy this read. I spent most of my free time reading it because I wanted to know what happened next. Give it a try!

i have … mixed feelings. The world itself is interesting and i liked learning about the fae and their powers. but that’s unfortunately about it :|

Veyka is an interesting character but was massively sexualised, as in her looks were what was talked about for a solid 85% of the book which did make me feel uncomfortable. I didn’t quite known what to expect going into this since it does have some darker themes, but the constant sexualisation just made it less enjoyable and genuinely uncomfortable at times. something will be going on and yet all Arran will talk about is her curves or boobs etc. I also didn’t like the very typical younger impressionable girl dating a 300 year old dude - i thought we were past this. Yes Veyka is 25 but for me this was still quite iffy.

I didn’t like Arran. I thought he was rude and so dismissive of Veyka, she lost her brother in a brutal attack and is forced to rule, and at the beginning all he does is fault her and state what’s wrong with her and how he considers her pathetic. Their relationship itself wasn’t great for me either, with nowhere near enough character development for the way their relationship is at the end. Only redeeming part about Arran is his beast, but even then we could have had so much more on him and his magic.

I liked the guards, but again feel like they could have had so much more depth and real personality. They all have backgrounds that could have been talked about so much more, as well as their actual friendships.

A lot of the book felt very surface level, including the sex scenes. Which for me, were not particularly well written and didn’t actually add much to the story and plot itself. There were also some sec scenes that were just ridiculous, i know this is a fantasy book but i was reading them and cringing

This book was fine - quite surface level and playing into some tropes and conventions that i didn’t like and i found myself slogging through certain scenes to get to better moments

Veyka Pendragon never expected to be queen - her brother Arthur was supposed to rule over the elemental fae with his terrestrial fae queen Guinevere. Everything changed when Arthur was beheaded by humans. Now Veyka, dead set on revenge for her brother wants nothing to do with the crown, her new betrothed, or the court scheming around her.

This was cute but I felt like I had no idea what was going on half the time. We get such little information doled out in tiny pieces. I do like that it wasn’t just a retelling of Arthurian legend and that it was its own story with hints of the original.

This was a delightful book based very loosely on King Arthur. There were characters/symbols from the legend, but that is where the similarities ended. Spicy Fae royalty, yes please. There were great twists and turns and it kept me on my toes. I've set reminders for book #2 already.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.