Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing me with an eARC of this book.

After reading the synopsis of A Dawn of Onyx, I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, the execution did not live up to the premise.

My main issue with this book is that it seemed to have been written around popular romantasy tropes, and many aspects felt like they had been plucked out of a few well known romantasy series. It felt very unoriginal, and therefore, predictable.

Although I found the idea of the various kingdoms being named after gemstones intriguing, the world building was lacking. There wasn’t enough differentiation between the kingdoms or explanation about the war. The plot suffered from pacing issues, and nothing really happened until right at the end.

The characters were one dimensional and had no personality or development. The FMC annoyed me with how naive and at times, stupid, she was. There were often contradictions with what she was thinking inside her head and her actions. The MMC is portrayed as wicked and cruel, but we never actually see any evidence of this. His character felt like a weak attempt at your typical dark, brooding, powerful, wicked (but not really) MMC. Frankly, I’m bored it.

Although this book wasn’t for me, I did enjoy Kate Golden’s writing style. I’d be interested to read more from her if she wrote something a bit more original.

Captivating. Kept me intrigued from cover to cover. I loved the characters and their love to hate you relationship. Steamy and funny all in one

such a fun fantasy book!! so sexy and so enjoyable!! i cannot wait to read the entire series and dive deeper into the characters!!

Something went wrong with the formatting of this when I sent it to my kindle. It made it really hard to read. Was super interested in the characters and story so powered through. Good writing!! Will maybe buy a physical edition in the future if I choose to reread.

5 star read. The romantasy paired with the mystery was so good. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone, as it wasn’t too heavy on the fantasy element.

I loved this one! It had me hooked from the get go, that slow burn enemies to lovers trope and mix of vivid characters made it totally bingable.

I loved how the author made us feel like we were physically in the world, everything felt relatable and real to me whilst reading making it easy to get lost in.

The cliffhanger ending left me wanting and needing that second book! Really looking forward to continuing with the series!

This was a really great book that once I fully got into and understood, felt like a whirlwind of romance and fantasy that kept me hooked.

Firstly, Thank you to NetGallery and the author Kate Golden, for providing me with the ARC of A Dawn of Onyx in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 stars

What an addictive enemies to lovers, Dawn of Onyx is a fantasy romance that hooked me from the start. To me, it felt more like an older than younger YA novel. But, it is the kind of story that pulls you in and doesn't let go. Following Arwen's journey through a world torn by war, the author did a great job at making it feel real and relatable. While there were moments where the plot stumbled a bit, the characters were so vivid and engaging that I couldn't put it down. Plus, the slow-burn romance had me eagerly turning pages, and that cliffhanger ending left me craving more. Overall, Dawn of Onyx is a promising start to what looks to be an exciting series.

I enjoyed this book. It did feel a little confusing to start with but as the story progressed I really started to appreciate the book. Most of the book was getting to know the main characters where the last parts felt it introduce the rest of the world and the plot. It has made me excited to see what comes next.

'I was furious with the man. So, so furious. But I also wanted o lick his neck . It was complicated.'

I loved this book. I basically inhaled it !
This slow burn romance is just delicious. and then it goes and adds in werewolves, fae and dragons.

If you love ACOTAR then this is for you. I now can't wait for the release of the second book.

My first ever Romantasy read. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I will be honest the first chapter I wasn't one over by. But from the second chapter onwards, the story moves quite fast and we encounter a new universe. The fantasy elements llwere fun, but if I'm being 100% honest, the main draw for me was the two main characters and their interactions and the push pull romance side of things.
There a few minor bits which I thought weren't logical given the reveals in the end but like I said they were minor.
The last few chapters of this novel was like an explosion. So much happened and there's so much to process and basically I can't wait for the next book.

I was one of the last few people to read Onyx, but I want to be one of the first few people to read Peridot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author and the publishers for my eARC.

A Dawn of Onyx was a really great read for me. It’s one of those books that once you start you just want to keep reading.
The plot was great and had a good steady pace to it.The world building was fantastic and richly descriptive through.
I really enjoyed the authors writing style and felt that it had a really nice flow to it. For a debut novel this book was really good.
The book follows Arwen who has a talent for healing which she tries to keep hidden. When her brother steals money from an enemy kingdom, Arwen ends up making a deal to be their healer. It’s not long before Arwen meets Kane who turns out to be King! I really enjoyed how their relationship develops and how it’s not all perfect but does have sweet moments.
If you enjoy a slow burn romance this one was perfect. I really enjoyed the characters and felt they had a good depth to them.
This book had plenty of good twist and turns and I can’t recommend this one enough.

I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the Publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a solid debut from Kate Golden and it hits all the usual romantasy beats; enemies to lovers, forced proximity, a chosen one with a mysterious past. The world building is not overly complicated and quite accessible; I liked the idea of the various kingdoms being named after precious stones as a concept however I would have liked more of the mythology as its not really touched on until much later.

This is a quick read and the pacing was fine; I am not usually a slower burn fan but I liked Arwen and Kane's relationship and how it develops throughout the story. Arwen was refreshingly normal to start with for a fantasy novel and I liked how she had to work on things like learning how to defend herself and was willing to make sacrifices for her family. However, as the story progressed and I struggled to connect with her a little. I didn't really feel that shift in Arwen when she realised she not be on the right team and instances like saying she doesn't trust people, then opening up to Mari instantly just seemed contradictory after being in Onyx for all of five minutes and she seemed to get over years of believing Onyx's bad reputation pretty quickly. I think if the conflict there had been touched on a bit more it would have just given the character a bit more depth.

That being said, I still enjoyed the story as a whole. There were moments of humour which genuinely made me laugh (Cardamom being the most attractive herb) and Arwen's relationship with her "biggest fan" Griffin. The ending swept me away completely and I will be picking up book two after those action packed final few chapters.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

I can't believe this is a debut novel. I was instantly immersed in Arwen's and Kane's story. The world building was so good that I wanted to reread it after mere minutes I finished it. Even though I hate slow burn it was done so beautifully that I actually wanted...more.

Really enjoyed following Kane and Arwens journey.

My first book of this author and I will absolutely pick up another. Can't wait for the next installment.

If you are in your fantasy era like me, you'll love it!

This was a really solid fantasy debut. I was instantly hooked with Arwen and Kanes story. The story had a good slow burn and I really enjoyed how it played out and the ending.... I need book 2 now, I need to know what's going to happen next. If you enjoy a book with fantasty, touch her and die vibes and a good plot development then check this one out.

A lot of my friends have been telling me to read this and it did not disappoint. While a slow start, it picked up about halfway through. I never guessed the plot twists, and that's always a good thing in my book!

"I wanted him. All of him. All the time. Preferably forever."

Rating: 4.5/5

- Fantasy
- Hate to love (to hate 😅)
- He falls first
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- "Who did this to you?"
- Single POV

I sometimes struggle with following fantasy storylines. But this wasn't the case with A Dawn of Onyx. Essentially, the Onyx kingdom captures Arwen when her brother steals their money. She makes a deal with the king – she'll work for him as a healer if he spares her brother. He agrees and quickly falls for her. Like next-level: "I did not want to live in a world without you in it."

So, what can you expect in A Dawn of Onyx?
- An easy-to-follow fantasy storyline.
- A+ banter: "I love to listen to you explain medicinal practices," he purred. "And I'd love to listen to you fall off a cliff." 😂
- Delicious tension with a slow burn.
- Great supporting characters. I need more Griffin and Mari time in book two!
- Lots of twists and turns. It starts slow, but then the last 40% or so is action-packed and very fast-paced. By the end, you'll be like... WTF just happened 🤯. Kate set the next book up perfectly, though, and I can't wait to see where she takes their story.

Thank you to Kate and Quercus Books for the early copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden. I had heard so many amazing things about this series and it did not disappoint! This is a fantasy romance which had me hooked from the first page all the way to the end and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. The slow burn romance was so good and the world was super immersive. There were a couple things that happened towards the end that frustrated me and lowered the rating but overall it was a great experience. Definitely picking up book two!

A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Secret Identity, Enemies to Lovers, Kingdoms at war, Who hurt you, Morallygray mmc

Many people have recommended this book to me so when I got the Audiobook Arc I was so excited! I enjoyed this book a lot and honestly it helped me get out of a really tough reading slump I have been in for about two months now. It’s easy to read, it’s exciting, the characters are good and the world is really interesting. There was a lot of world and plot building in this one as I do believe there is a sequel coming now in 2024 so it was lacking a little bit in action but I still enjoyed it a lot. The romance is a great slowburn enemies to lovers and I am here for it. The spice was great but not too much and I really appreciated it. I am absolutely looking forward to reading the next book in this series and I would absolutely recommend this if you love a good high fantasy romance!