Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this book didn't get off to the best start for me, I found the beginning quite forced and it felt like a rushed device to get the FMC to where the author wanted her to be - in the Kingdom of Onyx, with minimal backstory and world-building.

The writing is very simple and almost read like a children's book, which was surprising for a book that is marketed as 'New Adult', and I found some of the descriptions of the characters to be contradictory - for example I found the scene where Ryder returns home to be very confusing as what Arwen was saying about his disposition didn't seem to match up with what he was saying.

All of this was jarring and made me very aware I was reading a book rather than being lost in it, and I should say that at this early point, if I hadn't received this to review I would have put this book down as not for me.

As it is, I continued reading and unfortunately the contradictory nature of the characters continued on throughout the book, for example with Arwen not knowing whether to trust another character but then going on to tell all of her secrets, and the way that Kane acts didn't match up with the supposed king who rules with an iron fist. I enjoyed the romance but ultimately felt like the characters lacked substance so I wasn't rooting for them as much as I would have liked. The plot was fairly predictable.

Overall I think this was an interesting premise that needed better execution, and I also think that this should have been marketing to a YA audience rather than New Adult. I did like the ending and think that the series has potential - this wouldn't be the first series to start with a book that could use some improvement. I would give this 2.5, rounded up to 3 here.

This book was just so much fun, I loved everything about it from beginning to end!

The tension between Kane and Arwen was amazing, I loved their enemies to lovers to enemies relationship. It was very much a one step forward, two steps back relationship that was executed perfectly. So often, you can get annoyed at that type of relationship, but I never felt any frustration here, instead it made me more excited to keep reading.

I also really enjoyed the slow trickle of information & truth & how their relationship changes with every reveal.

I laughed, gasped, swooned & shouted NOOO all while reading this, not just for Arwen & Kane but also for the side characters who I loved just as much as the MCs!

The end POV from Kane was also a wonderful touch! Oh, and the light spice. I hope there’s more of that coming!

I honestly have not enjoyed a book this much in a while & I cannot wait to continue with this series!

I have wished for A Promise of Peridot via Netgalley, and I really hope I get the opportunity to read it as an ARC because I just want to jump back in & continue reading! If, not, however, I will be ordering this book when it's released!

Thank you to the author, publishers & Netgalley for approving my request to read a Dawn of Onyx!


Goodreads review: Will be posted 09/01/23
Instagram: By the end of 12/01/23

This book was so addictive and hard to put down. All the twists, action, romance and revenge in this book was amazing. The characters were so unique and love that he called her bird 🥰

Wow I really enjoyed this! It was quite different from other fantasy books I have read recently. The world building was brilliant whilst still maintaining a fast placed plot. I loved the slow burn romance element and can’t wait for the second instalment!

I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend to anyone who loves
fantasy, adventure, secrets, mythical creatures and slow burn romance.
honestly one of my top reads for 2023

For me it was meh at best. The plot didn't engaged me much however the description was interesting. I couldn't relate to any of the characters, not that I ever wanted to be taken as prisoner etc. The writing was pretty good though it was an easy read.

i loved this book. the world building sucked me in but wasn’t too complex as to leave me confused for the first half of the book. really interesting layers of unanswered questions throughout. i loved the mcs and their banter and all the twists (many i saw coning but still loved them). the tension was brilliant <spoiler>(albeit slightly annoy as there was no release in the book) but it should make the eventual completion of a spice scene very rewarding.</spoiler> i loved the beauty of the world, as well as the mythology. thoroughly enjoyed, but not sure what i’m supposed to do with myself now whilst i wait for the next book.

I really enjoyed this book, I would recommend it to anyone who loves a romantic fantasy with enemies to lovers, touch her and I'll unalive you energy, secret prophecies and hidden identities.

It has all the great tropes and plot devices that I enjoy in romantic fantasy stories, with great world building and sets the scene really well without dumping loads of information on you right off the bat.

I sometimes found the main character a little annoying and shallow, but this felt quite accurate to her age and naivety. I loved how fleshed out the side characters were, they had depth and not just used to serve the plot.

Kane was everything I love in an MMC and I can't wait for book two to see where the story leads!

The ending !!!
Immediately preordered book 2 and can not wait to read it.

If you are looking for a new romantasy series with a slow burn enemies to lovers trope then look no further.

The pacing was perfect, starts off slow and steadily picks up the pace so it never feels dragged out or rushed.

I was provided an arc of this book by netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I'll be posting my review on goodreads and my Facebook bookclub group

Set in a world divided into the names of precious gems, Arwen is a healer from the region of Amber with a gift to mend those in her care with some unknown magical skill. After her brother returns unexpectedly from war, she is pushed into trading places for him in captivity and ends up moving to the Onyx Kingdom. There's nothing original or shocking in this book but I really enjoyed it! The main character is likeable and the decisions she makes (that of course place herself at risk) are based on understandable reasons such as attempting to protect her family. It was similar to other books centring around fae love interests but it was an engaging read that didn't require too much deep thinking to understand the story.

Despite a couple of discrepancies and inconsistencies early on I had a great time with this. The pace really picks up and although it felt slower at times once all the characters had met and intermingled, I raced through it. There are some great characters, Arwen our fmc did bug me initially but I soon warmed to her and was fully routing for her in the end. We gets lots of lore and fantasy creatures, an epic war building and a cast to love and despise heartily, oh and lots of mystery and heart. I adored the tension between Arwen and Kane their chemistry was great. There's a lot going on and at times I wished it had slowed down and given more depth. A lot of info and reveals are thrown in relentlessly that hurtled you to the end. And what an ending! The fairly surprising events leave you a bit whiplashed and slightly agonised but craving more. I'll definitely continue with the series.

A great start to what is going to be an epic tale. I loved this romantasy and cannot wait to read more!

Unfortunately, reading this book didn't go as I hoped!

Unfortunately I found everything very banal, excessively predictable.

Even the characters failed to win me over.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

5 stars

This was just... so good. The characters were well fleshed out, the world-building was done really well, and the tropes were done to perfection. A true enemies-to-lovers full of swoonworthy moments. I'd say this is one for fans of Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc copy of this book.

Brilliant! This the first book in the trilogy by Kate Golden. The story centres around Arwen, who is our FMC, and her journey to kick ass and hopefully not fall head first for her captor.

Overall, it was an interesting read. I enjoyed the banter and relationship between the characters. I look forward to seeing what development occurs in the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was a very enjoyable fantasy romp that left me wanting more. Excellent pacing and a gripping story made this book a great read for me. If you like dragons, magic and romance (of the slow burn variety) definitely give this book a go. I am very excited to read the sequel.

I'd heard great things on this from New Adult reviewers so gave it a shot and it was fine, but didn't quite keep my interest all the time.
Many Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will start with the positives on this- So the main thing i loved about this was the writing style. It was fresh,clean and i did find it flowed very well. The pacing was spot on and the worldbuilding was minimal, but was fine for the story being told.
I didn't mind the characters but i didn't particularly love any of them either.

okay so now to my potential slight rant on the plot- The market at the minute for fantasy enemies to lovers books is at an all time high so making books kind of stand out, especially when you read a lot, can be daunting and overwhelming to authors which i massively get and appreciate. However when you pick up a book expecting something different and come out of it based on the premise but recently seem to read new books that come with a close to carbon copy of quite a lot of other books just released it's kind of difficult to enjoy as you sit and swear you have read this story before and question your sanity. I did this for about half of this book and it was absolutely distracting to the point i debated a DNF. I feel bad, but also i'm seeing this more and more across all genres but this is the most pronounced example i have seen in a long time.

The romance also felt....forced. Like i had no moments of chemistry fizzle on the page for me where i was like"ah there, thats the moment" but it never came.

Overall if you want a fantasy romance then yes this is a solid book, but it's just not standing out to me in any way that makes it more than 2 stars.

somehow found this book in a store and it was incredible! my first venture into kate goldens writing and it certainly won’t be the last, her writing is everything i look for in a fast paced read that emotionally connects with you and it felt like these characters saw into my soul as i felt myself relating to them at points and the journey this book took me on was one of my favourites of the year!

Engaging, fast-paced action. The world is slowly explored through the eyes of the heroine, so various secrets are revealed until the last pages. It feels like this is just the beginning of the story, it doesn't look like an epic fantasy yet, but a nice story with which we can spend an afternoon and root for the characters.
There is some brutality, a delicate romantic thread, war, fighting, healing, magic, fae.
It feels like we've only seen the surface of the story, I'm waiting for the next part, maybe the story will gain more dimension there 👑🦎🗡
In places I felt the atmosphere and inspiration of ACOTAR

4/5⭐️

• A dawn of a new favourite •
What a wonderful first instalment of the new romantasy trilogy ‘The sacred Stones’ by debuting author Kate Golden.
The story flowed effortlessly with thrilling plot twists and turns. The world-building was rich and imaginative, but perfectly balanced and easy to picture and grasp. The characters, especially the MCs, Arwen and Kane, drew me in and held me captivated throughout from the first to the final chapter. I can’t wait to see how their story will unfold. I loved the informative and revealing bonus chapter from Kane’s POV with his realisation: “Oh Gods. I was fucked.” And it’s kind of the same sentiment you have as a reader finishing A Dawn of Onyx, knowing you’ll have to wait until April 9th 2024 for the sequel. I look forward to follow Arwen, Kane and friends on their journey in A Promise of Peridot.
Thanks to Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and Netgalley for the eARC of A Dawn of Onyx.