An enemies to lovers set in a world of beautiful named countries and a world of magic and mystery. The relationship between the main characters is great, and has good banter. As someone that suffers from panic attacks and anxiety, it is refreshing to see a main character deal with it and read about how they manage their attacks.

Also, this book has dragons, among other things, and it's a refreshing read. There is some spice, but it's not heavy which actually works well for the main plot line.

It's filled with twists and turns and provides and easy and enjoyable read. I really enjoyed it.

3.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the copy of this book.

TW: abuse, gore, threat of s/a.
A solid start to a fantasy trilogy. The general set up is simple but it does make for a nice and quick read.
The side characters (and the dragon - iykyk) like the swordmaster and commander were probably my favourite parts of the story.
My main issue was with Arwen’s flip flopping. One page she would be furious at Kane and on the next she would be flirting. I get that this was supposed to be enemies to lovers but some consistency would’ve been nice. There were also some writing clichés: “released a breath I didn’t know I was holding”, the “towering” man trope etc. Also, I’m sorry, but Barney is such a non-fantasy name.

All in all, a decent pick if you’re wanting to get your teeth into the fantasy romance genre (and don’t mind wanting to kill the FMC throughout the book). You will probably see some of the twists coming but you’ll enjoy the journey anyway.

Summary

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️ 1.5/5

Fluff rating: 💖💖 2/5


I genuinely loved this book. It had been sat on my TBR for too long and I regret putting it off so much now. Although at least it’s less time to wait for the sequel.

It was a stunning fantasy romance with some epic twists that had me reeling. When Arwen offers to pay for her brothers crimes against the King of Onyx to keep her family safe, she gets drawn in to a and becomes part of a world of more than she though possible with intrigue, adventure, betrayal, prophecies and new found family.

The characters were so dynamic and Arwen was surprisingly relatable (for someone riddle with power/magic)and has some excellent growth. Kane is brooding and mysterious and everything we love in a morally grey MMC. And it’s not just the main characters. Mari for example was so beautifully chaotic and entertaining, love love loved her.

The plot was gripping and the enemies to lovers element was really well played out. The reluctance, the tension, the angst, the pining, the slow burn. It was all just beautifully done.

Golden’s writing style is easy to follow and well descriptive without being overly so (which is a common problem in fantasy genres). The pace of this story was perfect. It was heartbreaking and emotional in all the right ways and it hey epic battle at the end of the book made it impossible to tear my eyes away!

Romantasy lovers this one is for you.

I cannot wait to read the next instalment of the sacred stones trilogy.

This was a great introductory book to the series, we’re provided some light background into the characters while also fed details along the way. The world building was great and I like how broad the world is with our many different kingdoms.

Our FMC was kind, compassionate, not a walk over but not overly defiant. I liked Arwen because she was surprising at points, she was driven in her need to be with her family, to help the kingdom, and save her mother. I think she suffered a lot though during this book and I see her coming back to us a little darker in book 2 which I’m totally here for.

The MMC is complex and has toooo many secrets to be a potential book boyfriend at this point in time. I was surprised with the turn of events with our FMC’s love life and who I anticipated being her love interest at first. There’s some delicious enemies to lovers vibes in this book which do not disappoint at all!

This book was great fantasy, magic, war and enemies to lovers. I lived for the secrets and betrayal even if the twists were a little heartbreaking for our FMC. I look forward to her growth in the next book and maybe a little more spice!

🗡️book review🗡️

📖a dawn of onyx
✍🏻Kate golden
⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a nice enemies to lovers fantasy! I went into this book with no set expectations, I hadn’t heard much about it but the premise intrigued me! I found this an entertaining read and I look forward to the next book!

Things I liked:
✨I thought the characters were written very well
✨Our fmc struggles with anxiety & our mmc helps her through that towards the start of the book
✨Enemies to lovers is always amazing, especially when teamed with a slow burn !

Things I didn’t like as much:
✨as much as it was a slow burn, it was almost too much of a slow burn & I feel like we didn’t get a lot out of it ! I’m hoping in the next book, we get more !
✨At the start, the dialogue was a bit basic, however, that definitely improved further into the book
✨I think I would have liked a bit more conflict to keep me more engaged !

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book & I recommend this to anyone who wants a nice enemies to lovers fantasy !

I like this, the plot was really good, and the characters had a lot of depth to them. Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

This book. This. Book. I’m in love and awe of it, it’s amazing! The pacing of the story, the tension, everything about this is amazing! After receiving a copy from NetGalley to read, I got to chapter 16 and had to purchase the physical copy to finish, never have I been so hooked by a book so quickly and I’m gonna need book two now please and thank you.

5 stars

As a mood reader, I was craving a good ol' fantasy romance with enemies to lovers, court drama, 'who did this to you' vibes with a broody morally grey love interest... and this book gave me all that and more. A Dawn of Onyx is a NA fantasy romance and the author's debut. Perfect for fans of fantasy romance who are looking for a fun enemies to lovers (captive/captor) storyline. The main characters have some great banter, a witty and caring FMC paired with the love interest who was real charming with a teasing nature which had me giggling, blushing, and kicking my feet.

I really enjoyed the side characters and desperately want more of them in a future book. It's always great to be made to care for the main character's other friendships and relationships rather than only between the main character and love interest. I thought the world building was interesting, but hope that the author delves into this a bit more in the future as it did feel a little lacking at times.

Overall I found this book addictive and I loved every second of reading it, it was well written and the story was nice and easy to follow. It is certainly a strong contender within the genre! I am excited to see where the series goes and am impatiently waiting for the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

For some reason I was expecting to not really enjoy A Dawn of Onyx but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself struggling to put it down.

This book follows 20 year old Arwen who has been raised by her mother in a small village in the kingdom of Amber. She has lived a fairly sheltered life with her step brother and sister until the King of Onyx started a war with her kingdom that forced her brother and his best friend to leave to join the fight. While they were gone she has cared for her mother who is dying slowly from a seemingly incurable illness, and her younger sister, spending her free time training as a healer. However, she has a secret up her sleeve, she has some magic that allows her to heal almost anything, except her mother.

After not hearing from her brother for a year the family is ready to accept that he is likely dead when he comes bursting through the front door with enough money for the to start a new life. The catch? He’s stolen the money from the onyx kingdom and guards are on his heels, they must leave now or face likely slaughter. In their haste to leave they forget their mothers medicine and being the fastest Arwen volunteers to run back and get it before meeting them again. However when she returns she finds the enemy in her home and strikes a deal to protect her family, in exchange for letting her brother go she’ll go to the onyx kingdom and act as their healer.

Now captured by the enemy, forced to work for the dark onyx king that she’s heard so many horrific rumours about, all she wants is to escape. But the castle is surrounded by a forest full of beasts she had never believed existed and she’s not foolish enough to think she can make it through them on her own. This means she must try and work with a fellow prisoner who seems to know a way to escape the castle. However, while he might only be her only chance he is infuriating, cunning, and undoubtedly the most handsome man she’s ever seen. While she knows she can’t trust him she finds herself fighting her own emotions between annoyance and attraction.

In the castle she finds that she is more than she has ever thought, that she doesn’t need protecting because she can do it herself and that the world is so much bigger and more magical than she could have ever imagined. The power that lies inside her runs deep and might just be the edge she needs to escape the dark kingdom with her life. But it seems it’s not just her life on the line, but also her heart.

Arwen must face the hardest choices of her life. Can she serve and heal the enemy? Can she open herself up and trust a stranger? Can she accept and be happy in this new life? But there are always more secrets lying right around the corner.

I throughly devoured this book and I cannot wait for the next. This was a sumptuous slow burn, character driven romantasy that had me hooked. The stakes are high, there are magical creatures, the MMC is a dark haired mystery, and there’s a sprinkling of spice. What’s not to like?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in return for an honest review.

If you're a fan of ACOTAR and/or These Hollow Vows, this is the new series for you.

A fun and easy-to-read enemies-to-lovers Fae fantasy that had me hooked from page one. It was everything I wanted it to be without being bogged down by heavy world building.

You get a great sense of the universe, the characters are brilliant and have so much life and the main character didn't annoy me at all. I didn't see the full reveal at the end coming and I'm so excited for the next book in the series now after practically inhaling this one in a couple of days.

The vibes of this book are spot on and it's definitely a 4.5-star read for me that I will happily pick up again in the future. It's going to be one if my top romantasy recommendations from now on.

I picked this book up from Netgalley and I'm really glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was a fun read, with the enemies to lovers trope, low level spice and a lot of surprising secrets being revealed throughout. I loved all the names of the kingdoms too!

When Arwen's brother returns home unexpectedly from the war he has been sent to fight in, Arwen, her sister Leigh, her mother and brother, Ryder, have to make a quick decision to run! They head off to catch a boat to another kingdom, one where there is no fighting at the minute with the hopes of being safe. But Arwen forgets something vital and has to return home and that is when all the trouble starts. She is soon captured by soldiers of the Onyx kingdom, the kingdom which is the sworn enemy in this war! She gets carted off to their stronghold and kept prisoner in the dungeons. If only she hadn't forgotten what she needed!

After a while, she is sent to work as a healer in an apothecary and soon settles in to this new weird way of life. She meets the feared Onyx king and while he may be easy on the eyes, she hates him instantly for everything that he has done to her home and her family. However, she soon begins to warm up to him the more time she spends around him, but can she fully trust him after the way he deceived her? He's not one to openly reveal himself and his secrets to a stranger, especially one from the enemy kingdom, but you know there is more going on here than just an instant attraction between the two of them. Why would a king waste his time and efforts on a prisoner like Arwen?

As their relationship develops, Arwen finds out a lot more about Kane and the reasons behind this war, but she is still very reluctant to blindly believe everything he tells her, especially when someone from her past makes a reappearance, which completely throws her. She's not sure what to believe any more!

I liked Arwen - she was a reluctant sort of heroine. Although she was snarky and determined to do what she thought was right, she didn't always make the right decisions. As a young adult, she is very inexperienced in the world and this shows very much so at times, but she was learning all the time. Learning how to use her powers, learning how to open up to others, learning how to stand up for herself a bit more, even if she did come across as immature at certain points. Only to be expected though! The constant swap between hating and falling for Kane got a little tedious though - just sort out how you feel, Arwen!

Kane was an intriguing character. he had such a bad reputation for being ruthless and dangerous, but he never really came across as that way with Arwen. There were times when a truly ruthless king would have punished her for things she had done, but he just blamed others. However when certain things are revealed at the end, the lack of punishments makes more sense!

This is definitely a series I want to read more of!

A Dawn of Onyx is a fae romantasy novel that does exactly what it says on the tin. Arwen finds herself a prisoner of the evil King of Onyx when she makes a deal to save her family. Arwen is a good character, who struggles to have faith in herself. She finds she's falling for King Ravenswood.
I enjoyed this as a fun, fae book. I generally saw all the plot twists coming, though the story and the love was still enough to keep me turning pages.
This was a good start to the series. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.
3.5 stars.

Look. I wanted to love this, I really did. the premise was great, I am ALWAYS down for enemies to lovers and i did adore the main character. But this was marketed as a spicy, enemies to lovers story and it simply isnt that. The minute Arwen goes willingly with her 'murderous oppressors' she's pretty much simping for kane, who is a massive simp right back. She accepted Onyx's truth and fits herself into their society with little to no resistance which, I get that WE know they aren't the bad guys but Arwen doesn't know that! These are the people that have supposedly taken everything form her, dragged her from her home and forced her to heal their army and she's surprisingly cool with that. There's also n0 spice - which is FINE but do not market the book on TikTok as spicy if there's no spice until book 2!
This wasn't a BAD book by any means it is just not what was advertised.

OMG OMG!

I haven't read a romantasy in ages and I really needed a good one to get me going and gosh this was beautiful. I loved the setting and the pace of the book, it was slow and steady with enough character building to feel like I wasn't dragging through it. I loved how the storyline was set and the history and really can't wait to find mor eout in the later instalments in the series.

ahem * ahem *

I just wanna say this book had a whole bunch of tropes and romantasy plots which I expected and was at times cheesy but still had me kicking my feet and stuff. But this is the author's first book and it doesn't have to be amazing considering its a debut and i hope the next book is better and the lines aren't so.... expected??

Kade was the typical fictional king bf you wld expect in a fantasy and was reallly hoping for some extra edge but he was too well-rounded and ticked too many of the basic bf requirements. I really enjoyed Griffin and I just know him and Mari are gonna be so cute.

Arwen was too childish and lonely and hugely insecure which pissed me off but those lessons with the swordmaster really helped me tolerate her better. i HOPE SHE'S NOT A PICK ME IN BOOK 2.

Also thank you Net galley for allowing me to review this book.

An engaging romantasy with danger and politics that left me wanting more. Arwen is thrown into a new world, in a foreign land but proves to be brave, clever and determined in the face of obstacles and new discoveries. I loved the world that was built inside and outside of the keep, with magical beasts and intimidating soldiers. There’s a lot that Arwen doesn’t understand about the war and the world but the secrets begin to unravel and it brings into question what Arwen thought she knew about her country and herself. A lot happens towards the end of the book and I can’t wait to see where this series goes next.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

"Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother's. Now she's been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King."

Fantasy romances are slowly becoming my favourite genre and this book did not fail either. The world building wasn't too complicated to follow but painted a good picture, and the slow burn romance was *chefs kiss*.

I really enjoyed the whole story of this and the twist at the end. Enjoyed it so much I couldn't put it down and finished in a day!

I was, very kindly, given the chance to read this through Netgalley and I am so so grateful for the opportunity

This book is high fantasy and romance all wrapped up in a very awesome story. It took me awhile to settle with it but once I
got to know Arwen I was sold. She was scared but she didn't let that fear rule her. She was kind, fun and very bold of heart.
I had to know if she would find her her family how the story would end . It was completely wonderful!

I look forward to seeing what happens next.

OMG! This book had me hooked.

The chemistry and tension between the FMC and the MMC was spicy, without there needing to be any real spice. I am officially obsessed and can't wait for book two to come out.

A Dawn of Onyx is the new and super exciting first book in a brand new romantasy series.

I absolutely devoured this one! I loved the worldbuilding and the characters especially!

With a lot of new fantasy books, the writing can be overwhelming and an "info dump" but this was done so well and in a way that you understood, even if you aren't a fantasy fan normally!

I cannot WAIT for the second book!!

A healer imprisoned in exchange for her family’s sins by the kingdom warring against her own...

Magic, intrigue, a hidden identity and origins unknown - this was a great romantasy read!

I found this book gripping and really enjoyed reading it - Arwen's development throughout the book, as she discovers more and more about herself and her determination.

Not to mention those five words that has ever morally grey mmc loving bookworm melting into a puddle:

"“Who did that to you?”

Eagerly awaiting the sequel to this great read.