I found the second book of the Sacred Stones Trilogy was a good follow up to the first. I did think that there wasn't as much that I was expecting to happen. It was a bit slow going, but I did enjoy it. For me, the first book was much better, but I am interested to read the next one.

A Dawn of Onyx was one of my top fantasy reads in 2022 and A Promise of Peridot gave what I needed it to give! APOP picks up right where we left off, but this time we travel to different kingdoms, including one that gives Atlantis vibes, all while further unraveling what Arwen and Kane need to do in order to stop evil from spreading.

There's more spice, more adventure, more betrayal, just more of everything!!

Also if Kane is not your next book boyfriend, you're missing out.

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley, and Kate Golden for letting me read this book early!

This was a great sequel, everything I wanted & more! I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I won’t say much, but the plot twists, & the cliffhanger ending had me on the edge of my seat. Such a great fantasy romance series & I can’t wait to continue it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️️
🌶️🌶️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆:
- Action Packed Fantasy
- Slow Burn
- So Much Tension
- Teasing and Steamy Scenes

Ahhh, things are getting juicy and very very interesting with this one!

A Promise of Peridot picks up right where A Dawn of Onyx left off and there is never a lull in action. Arwen, Kane and the rest of the group visit new kingdoms and have more adventures that slowly expands on the world building/political landscape. The way you are slowly introduced to details of their world is absolutely perfect for anyone who is new to the fantasy genre. You won’t ever feel like you’re slogging through big info dumps!

Kane and Arwen have lots of issues to work out that stem from the first book which made me sad but it also lead to so much tension and the most satisfying slow burn so, thanks Kate Golden 😏

A Promise of Peridot was everything that I need in a sequel and has laid the groundwork for what I know will be one killer finale in book three.

The Sacred Stones series is overall a perfect mix of romance, fantasy, adventure and defying fate. Pick up A Dawn of Onyx today so that come April, you are ready for A Promise of Peridot!

I’m absolutely speechless. This was an INCREDIBLE follow up to A Dawn of Onyx! I somehow fell more in love with Arwen and her character development, and don’t even get me started on Kanes groveling. Also, can we talk about the tension??? I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book 🤣

The plot, action and worldbuilding was beautifully written. I genuinely feel like I’ll be dead inside until I get book 3 in my hands.

5/5 ✨ 2/5 🌶️

I liked this book even better than the first one. What really did it for me was getting Kane's point of view - the pining and inner conflict was beautifully heartbreaking.

The world building and magic system was amazing. Kate continues to paint the world for us and she also introduces us to new characters.

I found Arwens push against Kane to be frustrating at times, but I understood she needed growth. How can anyone feel they can be happy all while dealing with grief, guilt, loss and prophecy? I know that character growth is necessary. She eventually figures it out.

We all get THE SCENE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR 👌🏻
Hats off to you Queen Kate because those few chapters were phenomenal.

"That's what birds represent. Stranded sailors look to the sky to be led by them back to dry land. Birds soar through the dawn each morning, as sure as the sun rising in the east - the promise of something new, regardless of what came before." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Hope always has wings"

A Promise of Peridot starts off right where we left Kane, Arwen and crew. They're headed to the Kingdom of Citrine fleeing devastation in their wake. This journey has resulted in Arwen's mothers death and the realization that the prophecy and the hope for the whole world is in Arwen's hands and ultimately end with her death.

Non stop action fills these pages but also a comfortableness with how Ms. Golden has created this world. In Dawn of Onyx, the world building felt choppy and at times I was confused. In the second book in The Sacred Stones trilogy the world building takes a backseat and you're swept up in the relationships that were built in the first book. There is a freedom to explore those simple moments and as the reader you get to sit back and watch new revelations in awe.

Kane and Arwen are drawn together like to ends of a cord. He is dark and she is the light... I don't believe we're seen a limit to Arwen's Fae abilities, she has unlimited power and she seems to be the only person getting in it's way. I do wonder if we will ever see her take an animal form - like maybe a bird.

Griffin and Mari - this budding relationship is explored and we get several snippets into why Griffin is so standoffish to love and relationships. He's so committed to Kane and keeping him safe, that he's torn between who to protect. Mari with her beautiful red hair is another character that I believe is more powerful that she knows. Watching her grow and be more confident in her "witch" abilities was fun to read.

What I loved about A Promise of Peridot:

* Dual POV (Arwen and every few chapters, Kane)
* New Characters - Hey Prince Fredrik
* Arwen and Kane - night on the coast
* Griffin and Mari tension and angst
* Arwen following her heart and being so dang brave
* Slow burn but worth the wait
* non stop action

"You can live in my nook forever, Bird. "I love you" "I have always loved you."

I do believe that this book definitely suffered from "second book in a trilogy" syndrome, but I still found this books fun and enjoyable. I can and will readily admit that this series adds practically NOTHING new in the realm of romantasy. It's following the copy-paste format of the types of books that blow up in a big way on social media: fae people, smut, dark shadowy 'evil' love interest... DESPITE that, however, I think that it's okay to just have a book that's silly and magical and smutty and just easy to read. Sometimes you just want to read and silly sexy fantasy that doesn't also require an insane reader's guide to keep track of all the lore.

This book picks up right after A Dawn of Onyx, just after the tragic events of that first book. Arwen has discovered her fate and is angry with Kane for keeping it from her. They're fleeing to Citrine to find safety and then take on the immense task of recovering the Blade of the Sun from the prophecy.

A lot of the plot of this book is a string of bad shit happening, interwoven with Arwen and Kane being horny for each other but Arwen refusing to admit to being in love with him because she knows she's going to die. There's a bit of a random side plot semi-romance with a new character (it doesn't really mean much it's just to see jealous Kane lol) but the story doesn't seem to have much of a clear direction, hence the second book in a trilogy issue. Despite that, however, I do think this book gives the series a moment of breath. What I mean is, that despite this book being full of action, we do get some character detail and development that was a bit lacking in the first book. I would say this problem is not uncommon for the Romantasy I have read. The first book is usually in a rush to hook you as a reader in and introduces the sexy leads and their tension quickly rather than focusing on the stakes of the story. While this book focuses on the stakes of the story (the prophecy, some more world-building though minimal, and the reality that the couple is facing under the pressures of the story) that does make it a bit of a drag compared to the first. Though not a complete loss! Still a very silly fun and quick refreshing read.

and that cliffhanger!! holy shit!!!!

WOW! I finished this book a couple days ago and I cannot stop thinking about it! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this!! There were no boring moments in the book and I just love Kate’s writing.

Similar to the first book, there are so many scenes that incorporate humor and sarcasm and I live for it!!! The banter between the MCs is top tier and I don’t think I can get enough.

If you are a fan of romantasy this is a perfect series for you. A Promise of Peridot is full of adventure, emotions, and is definitely fast-paced. And I do not say this often, but I could not have predicted that ending …. AT ALLL! WOAH! The series as a whole is definitely a slow burn but don't worry we finally get some 🌶️🌶️🌶️ this time around so heads up.

If you enjoyed the first book, you will love this sequel. As much as I love Arwen and Kane, I started to fall in love with all the other side characters as well. I need some bonus chapters or a novella (or just a whole book!) for a specific pair (IYKYK).

2024 is not even here yet and I think this will be my top read of 2024! I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved this book and I cannot recommend it enough. Just pick up this series, you will not regret it!

I was so excited to be picked for an ARC copy! I loved the first book, A Dawn of Onyx, and couldn't wait to read A Promise of Peridot and it lived up to my expectations. Diving back into the world and expanding on it and the characters had me turning the pages quickly to see what was going to happen next. I can't wait to read the third book!

I was in love with the first book and the second one did not disappoint!! From the first chapter I was already hooked and excited to see what magical land they had to go to. The romance was top notch and I fell in love with the side characters. You know those books where you forget you’re reading and you get whisked away to another land? This is one of those. Loved the enemies to lovers. This is one of my top fantasies of the years and I can’t wait for more from Kate!!

This is an excellent follow up to Dawn of Onyx. The writing is solid and the pacing is really good. I feel like the last third of the book was over in an instant and I was left wanting the third book immediately. There was excellent character growth and it didn't feel forced or rushed whatsoever. The world building was really neat and I loved the new places that Arwen and Kane went to. All in all it was a another 5 star read for me and I'm ready for the third.

A Promise of Periodt by Kate Golden
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so thankful for the opportunity to have read this masterpiece early. I will be buying a copy and supporting SO MUCH when released. Kate deserves all the attention for her books, I adore them.

oh my god. I need the third one. This book was absolutely incredible and all the emotions that had been brought out of me and I was so captivated every second of this book that I kept wanting to read more and more and not stop reading. I read this so quickly and in a way I’m mad at myself for it because now I got to wait for the next one, but I am so happy to have got the chance to read this before release.

What to expect in this book:
Dual POV
Action packed
SLOW BURN AND TENSION (my favorite)
New characters and character developments from previous ones
Emotional damage for sure (I think I am just in shock right now since I just finished before writing this)

I loved how action packed this one was and the twists and the ending. Gah. Obsessed. I won’t give away much because it is the second of A Dawn of Onyx. But if you haven’t read A Dawn of Onyx, do so and prepare for this baby to come out in April.


A Promise of Periodt is out April 9th, 2024!! So excited for everyone to get the chance to read this masterpiece.

Oh my! It takes a lot for a story to make me emotional, and this one surely did the trick. I adore Arwen and Kane and their epic journey not only fighting for their lives, but also fighting for their hearts. Once again, Kate threw a twist at us that I never would have anticipated. The third book can’t come soon enough!

I’ve waited so long to continue this series and am so thankful to have received an arc! Since it has been over a year the first 30% was me trying to remember who was who, what happened etc. about 35% my brain caught up and I sailed through it! The lore goes deeper, the tension is stronger and many new characters enter into the fray on top of a whole new city! The love, forgiveness and more betrayal are so good. Can’t wait to read the next!

I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book! The follow-up to Dawn of Onyx did not disappoint! What a fantastic journey that Kane, Arwen and friends go on! This series is giving all the feels and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I don’t wanna spoil, so this review may be a bit vague but…

I freaking love this story! I devoured it so fast! The character growth, the action, the spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and the tension! Just… *chef kiss*!

Just when I think I get a handle on how I think this story will go…boom! No, I really do not. The twist and turns, and THAT FREAKIN ENDING! Oh god, I don’t think my heart can take the wait for the next one 😭.

Please, y’all just read these books. This is really a great story.

I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!!!! I cannot wait for book three because I am freaking HOOKED. Man, the cliffhanger is killing me

Excellent second installment in this series. The pacing and structure was even and well thought out and the character development was even better than the first book. Arwen and Kane’s story continued seamlessly and I really enjoyed delving more into their history. The banter and pining between the two was absolutely delicious and the slower buildup in their relationship was the cherry on top. The action and world building in this book is incredible. The political landscape is thoroughly explained in a way that seems organic and not forced, which is so important in fantasy books as it can often times come off boring. We get some fun new side characters and a few of the old favorites (and not so favorites) make a reappearance. The final few chapters kept me on the edge of my seat and that CLIFFHANGER! Gah. So very thankful to have received an ARC from Berkley and the author. This series is absolutely one of my most favorites.