INCREDIBLE sequel to A Dawn of Onyx. It had everything that I hoped for and more. The story was always moving, a lot of character development, and had an abundance of action and romance! My jaw was on the floor through the last chapter and epilogue. My heart breaks that we have to wait till October for book #3!

This book picks up right where A Dawn of Onyx ended. Kane, Arwen, and their friends are traveling to the Kingdom of Citrine in the hopes of escaping Lazarus’ army. There is a lot of tension between Arwen and Kane after the shocking secrets Arwen learned at the battle of Siren’s Cove, but being forced to work and travel with Kane makes it hard for Arwen to remain angry at him and to keep hating him.

There is an expansion of the world-building in this sequel, as the characters visit the Kingdom of Citrine, and also have to travel back to Peridot and Onyx in their quest to locate the Blade of the Sun. We learn a little more about the inter-kingdom politics too, and some of the alliances or conflicts between the royals, but I feel that there is potential for a lot more politics in this series, and I hope to see more of it in the final book.

Arwen’s growth and character development take up most of the first half of the book, and while I read many reviews stating that it was harder to get involved in her and Kane’s journey because their romance took the backseat in this sequel, I loved that choice from the author. Arwen’s life got turned upside down and it makes sense to me that she would need some time to focus on herself, and not on her romantic life, especially if she feels betrayed by Kane. It’s true that I missed the banter and sweet romance between Kane and Arwen in this book, but it would have annoyed me if she’d decided to just jump back into bed with him after a few days.

We finally have some chapters from Kane’s point of view in this book! It’s something I wanted since he was introduced in A Dawn of Onyx.

Kane still has his flirty attitude when he interacts with Arwen, but he also lets himself be vulnerable with her, so she can see his raw emotions, and how much he loves her. I find that he is a very well-balanced character with his cockiness, selflessness, and more mature side, but he can also be vindictive and mean when he feels threatened or jealous because Arwen spends time with other dashing men. He can be very kind and considerate but also burn the world to ashes for the ones he loves and for his kingdom, and I can’t wait to see how the next confrontation between his father and him will go.

The romance between Arwen and Kane in this sequel is a mix of angst, and longing, as Arwen struggles with her emotions toward Kane in the light of all the revelations that happened at the end of A Dawn of Onyx. I love that there was tension (and sexual tension) between them, but she didn’t just forgive and forget right away because he apologized and was miserable. She took the time she needed to process everything that happened and to try to figure out how she felt about it, but while there was some unease between them, it was not an all-out war either, as they were forced to travel together and work together to find the blade.

I like that the author also spent some time developing Mari and Griffin’s characters, but also their budding romance (even though they still have a lot of work to do), and their relationships with the rest of the group. I liked seeing Griffin slowly warm up to Arwen, and seeing Kane and Mari form the beginning of a friendship. I am still desperately waiting for Mari and Griffin to finally admit their feelings to each other though.

One thing that I enjoyed less, is the use of the typical “dashing and funny prince as a potential second love interest” trope. Just think about Nikolai in Shadow and Bone, Prince Franco in the Fair Isle trilogy, or Kai in the Frostblood saga. Every time, I fall in love with this amazing new character, and I am not complaining about that at all, it’s the “will they won’t they” dance that slightly annoys me, because it is always obvious that the main character will not renounce her one true love for the new cute guy. I would have loved it if Arwen’s relationship with Fedrik was simply a beautiful friendship, without any hints of him wanting more, because it is obvious that Kane loves her and that she’s pinning after him. There was never any doubt in my mind, and I feel that it was used mostly as a way to create more jealousy and drama in Arwen and Kane’s relationship. That being said, I love Fedrik, and I really hope that he will be present in the next book because he was a great friend to Arwen.

This is a great sequel to A Dawn of Onyx. The pace is good and the plot moves forward, there is action, tension, and some romance, and the ending almost makes me regret not waiting until all three books of the series were released before reading it. I do want Arwen and Kane to have their HEA, but is it bad that I am also hoping for some angst and darker moments in the final book?

HOLY COW, I don’t even know where to start! That ending 🤯 Going to be honest, I had completely forgot what happened in the first book, so I went back and did a reread. I was immediately thrown back into this amazing world and fell in love with the characters. This was an amazing follow up, and I loved all the adventure and new places our characters traveled.

I NEED book three asap. This is a must read for all fantasy lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC of A Promise of Peridot in exchange for my honest review!!

I had such a good time with this one! It has the right formula for all romantasy lovers and I was a sucker for it. Fun storyline, great characters, and good writing.

Can’t wait to read the third book!!

Wowza. Alright. 4.5⭐️
This was an awesome second installment to the Sacred Stones series. It read like I was watching a movie, and I was enthralled from beginning to end.

This had so many of my favorite things. Extensive groveling, boy absolutely (DEMENTEDLY) obsessed, self-growth arc for FMC that lasts longer than a chapter, quality side characters with their own compelling subplots, NEW swoonworthy characters thrown into the mix, gasp-inducing betrayals and an action-packed ADVENTURE throughout.

I feel like we got a much deeper development of the world and lore, which was nice. Plus, there is a way more full-fleshed development of the characters' mindsets as it pertains to the specific crisis we left the last book on, and that really helped to understand motivations and reactions . All important!!

And my oh my, that cliff hanger is something I could not have guessed even though I should have. Absolutely panting for the 3rd one. This was so good!

Thank you so much to Berkley for providing me with this ARC via Netgalley!

I just finished A Promise of Peridot, and I AM NOT OKAY but in the BEST possible way! I adored A Dawn of Onyx when I read it last year, and I had high hopes for this book. I'm so excited to say it defied my expectations. I LOVED it! The action, the suspense, the world-building, backstories, and lore, the characters, THE ROMANCE. It's a fantastic sequel, and I devoured every word!

The story picks up where A Dawn of Onyx leaves off, and Arwen is grappling with everything she learned. The story is told from both her and Kane's perspectives as they search for a way to change the tragic future that haunts them. The dual narration is fantastic, as you really get to understand both of them. Arwen's growth is fantastic. She goes on such a journey, as she faces her conflicting feelings and the future that awaits her. Her character is well-crafted and layered, and I sympathized with her, especially when she struggled with anxiety. And Kane is the only one who really understands what to do to help her when she has panic attacks. He calms her and never makes her feel less than because of it. Just another reason to love him! And I love that we get more of Kane's backstory. It was heartbreaking, but it made me love him even more than I already did.

Kane is definitely a contender for top-tier, Rhysand-level book boyfriend. I love me a morally grey, swoon-worthy MMC, and Kane does not disappoint! He and Arwen have a strained relationship after what happened at the end, but the chemistry is still off the charts, and their slow-burn love story is everything. And seeing Kane's feelings for Arwen and the self-sacrificing way he thinks of her happiness, even if it leads to his misery, broke my heart at the same time it melted it. I need more Kane's in my romances because WHEW!

There's another love story blooming with two of the secondary characters, and I am here for it. I'm hoping both characters and their love story continue in the next book because the only thing better than one romance is two! We also have old and new secondary characters with compelling stories, and I enjoyed seeing how they formed this little found family (one of my favorite tropes).

The plot and world-building balance the character development well, and the way the author expands the world - its magic system, political turmoil, cultures, and creatures - is so immersive and fascinating. I also love the author's use of imagery and symbolism throughout the story. It's positively captivating, and I found it impossible to put the book down. And that ending!! My word, it's an intense and stunning (and horrifying) shocker! I might have had to pick my jaw up off the floor, and I definitely shed a few tears before the story ended. This is my favorite read of the month and a contender for the best romantasy of the year!

Special thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Books, and Kate Golden for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

i sadly couldn’t get into this one as much as the first one. it kept my interest towards the end but it wasn’t a book i would be binge reading like typical. 3.5 stars for me. if there’s another one in the series, i may read it to see how it concludes.

This will contain spoilers*****
Thank you for the advance copy in exchange for a review!

Dawn of Onyx snuck up on me and surprised me with how just fantastic it was.

A Promise of Peridot did not fail as a sequel. It came in exactly where we left off (thank you for that) and stayed flowing and paced really well.

I have to be honest, I was flagging on fantasy when reading this, so sometimes I wouldn't be in the mood but this kept pulling me back because new info was revealed, or more action happened. I know I would have enjoyed this even more if I had given myself a break BUT even without doing that this came in at 4.5 for me, so what a fantastic book to still pull that when I admittedly wasn't fully in a fantasy mood.

I'm not 100% sure I'd call this a slow burn, it was anxiety inducing but captivating and keeping me turning those pages to get more info (while also screaming at these idiots to just love each other before they die)

Kate I'm looking at you, do NOT actually kill them, thank you so much.

The world building in this series is really phenomenal I can picture it like a movie and I think that's a wonderful talent.

Now I"m going to fast forward to the freaking end of this book so beware of spoilers.

That ending was VILE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN HEIRS, KATE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BETROTHED. I thought he wanted her DEAD. but NOOOO Ol' daddio over here wants to MARRY HER AND HAVE CHILDREN WITH HER!!! VILE SICK UNBELIEVABLE. AND OUR POOR KING THINKS SHES DEAD. THIS IS CRUEL MEAN AND DISTURBING.

Can't wait for book 3 you evil author.

Oh what a roller coaster ride this book was. The story picks up after the events from Dawn of Onyx and it has a slow start to it. Arwen struggles to come to term with a lot and not that much happens at first. However don't worry because the adventure awaits and we get to plunge into around 25-30% into the book. There was so many twists and turns I could not stop reading. I have to admit I had a hard time with some of the characters (sorry Arwen) BUT the intrigue was so good I got over it pretty quickly. We get to have a dual POV for this one and I really loved having Kane's thoughts. And talk about the tension between Mari and Griffin. I hope we get to see more of them in the upcoming book. A Promise of Peridot does end on a cliffhanger and goodness I can't believe I have to hang onto this before I can read what's next. I have so many theories and thoughts I can't wait to read the next book.

The dual POV in this one 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾 right away being in Kane’s POV hit with a BANGER. I enjoyed this one even more than the first, it redeemed the series for me. All the characters were going through it and will continue to go through it, but it’s just the right three book series pacing.

I felt that A Dawn of Onyx, not much was going on as the world was building and felt a little like House (to be honest here) but this one really was action pack with a lot of discoveries and a well thought out plot. If you love a man obsessed, falls first, and what you love to get from a fantasy romance MC - Kane gives that to you. The steam in this!! Kate Golden you surprised me (thank you so much). This ending too? Again, another shock factor.

“You asked me once if I thought love was a weakness,” he said, too low, “You, Arwen. You are my weakness.”

I really enjoyed this follow up from Kate Golden! I had read book one before it was picked up for traditional publishing and am so excited for KG that this series was picked up by Berkeley.

This is a great romantasy, and I loved that we got to extend the world out further and visit more of the various parts of this world. I also enjoyed getting to know more characters and getting some past lore about our current favorites. I was really surprised when a certain prince ended up being such a supportive friend and am hopeful for him to play a role in book three as well.

It didn’t feel like we meandered too much and this book was moving the plot forward rather than treading a lot of the same ground. We had character growth, even when they were at times dealing with the same issue - it didn’t feel like it was standing still. I liked the characters’ explorations of their emotions and having to deal with what it meant not just for them but those around them. I don’t think that this book suffered from second book in a series where it feels like not much is happening so that we can get to the action in the final book.

This is a fun romantasy series that I would recommend for those that are interested in the genre. This book does have some spice but not a lot of it. I am so looking forward to book 3 in this trilogy!

Thank you to Kate Golden for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

I really liked the first book, so while this one was just as entertaining, I also feel like it was a bit more rushed, maybe even slightly overwhelming with the amount of scene changes, new characters and information.

I think most of what threw me off was the relationship between our main characters, they suffered so much, maybe to much. And I definitely understand she was depressed, she had just been told life-changing news, but it took so long for us to get to a healthy place where they were able to speak, process and heal.

I still think the world we have here is incredible, and I am so curious to see how everything is going to wrap up with this trilogy. I did not expect that ending... and it was maybe a little disturbing hearing his father's plans, but I hope everything works out!

Overall a little weaker than the first book, but just as fun to read, and we definitely need to know how this all ends.

(3.5 stars)

This book was even better than I thought it would be. I loved A Dawn of Onyx but I think I love a Promise of Peridot even more. I read this book in one sitting...that is how hooked I was to this book. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The cave, the fighting scenes, the END - I can't even put into words how engrossed I was into this world.

I. Swear. To. The. Stones.

KATE YOU’RE ON MY HIT LIST GIRL.

Thrown back into crushing sorrow, to slow acceptance, AND THE SPICE! Just to be thrown off that cliff?!

I literally cannot wait for the next book. It needs to get here. Right. Now.

This was a great sequel to Dawn of Onyx! I am in love with Kane and Arwen and I cannot wait to get back to them in book 3. That ending was mind blowing!!!

4.5 stars. the ENDING?

This was an excellent sequel to A Dawn of Onyx, one of my favorite romantasy reads. This book picks up immediately where book one left off and never stops moving. This book is fast paced, action packed, romantic, spicy, and jaw dropping. The amount of times I said “WHAT” with my jaw hanging open is absurd (in the best way).

We get some more answers from questions raised in book one and more depth and background into the main characters. Arwen’s character growth is excellent and exactly what I needed from her. Kane is my morally gray swoony king and I loved getting his backstory, no matter how heart wrenching it was.

This book constantly had me on the edge of my seat wanting more and it delivered. I really felt like it never stopped moving with the action and drama and I was so invested. Kane and Arwen broke my heart so many times and then put it back together.

The last 40 pages literally had me sweating and the epilogue? Jail! I loved this sequel so much and cannot wait for book 3.

You know how sometimes you start a new fantasy book and you're immediately thrown into the world so hard that it feels like you're right there beside the characters? And as they're making choices and dealing with challenges you couldn't even scratch the surface of in your *real life* you're so immersed that you start gasping and going "wait what?" "Oh no!" "NO THEY DID NOT." "OH MY GODOHMYGODOHMYGOD" and squealing?

Then suddenly the book is over and your mind is spinning and your soul is just drifting deep inside the husk of the person you were while you were still reading it?

That's me right now after finishing this book. Please allow 3-5 business days for me to process.

When I started A Dawn of Onyx I didn't know what to expect.
Some readers had previously said that they weren't sure where it fell as YA or NA because of spice levels, and I try not to spoil new books for myself by over researching so I dove in without context and was shocked by how dark and deep that book delved. I was never more grateful to have received an advanced copy of a book in my life than I was to be able to sink my teeth into book two the moment book one was finished.

A Promise of Peridot stays true to the depth and shadows of the first installment, while building upon the romance, the action, and the adventure. What you end up with is a delicious mix of one of my all-time favorite shadow daddies (seriously, message me and I'll send you a list of my favorite quotes from Kane where he thre@tens people within an inch of their life for his sweet little baby bird), an exasperated, intelligent, and fiesty heroine, and a plot that doesn't let you go from start to finish.

Genuinely a phenomenal dark romantasy done right. Spice that will make your head spin. Banter for days. Pure joy in book form. Ten out of ten recommend. This book has me in an absolute chokehold and I have no idea if or when I might recover.

I had high hopes for the follow up to A Dawn of Onyx and I'll say that it mostly lived up to it.

Big spoilers ahead, so stop reading if you haven't read it yet.

Overall, I liked the book. It was entertaining that took the reader through some fun adventures. I did, however, feel that the pacing was very slow and felt that there were huge sections that dragged on. The only thing that really kept me engaged was reading Kane's POV and any scenes with Griffin in it - I liked him in this book.

A big reason I adored A Dawn of Onyx was the slow progression of Arwen and Kane's relationship. However, their relationship in A Promise of Peridot lacked a lot of what I adored in the first book. I get it, Kane lied to Arwen so she needed to get over that. But, wow, it took forever for her to get over it. It felt like I was reading a young adult book because of how petty Arwen was being. It made little sense and I found myself getting very annoyed.

With that said, I'm still looking forward to the next one in the series especially after the cliffhanger of an ending. I just hope the next one is a bit more fast paced.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Yep. I'm still obsessed with Kane Ravenwood. I absolutely loved this sequel and let out an embarrassing gasp when it ended. Kate Golden knows how to do a cliffhanger and now I'm eager to get my hands on the next book!

Such a great start to Kate Goldens 2nd book A Promise to Peridot. Great book, fast paced , keeps you engaged . I love Arwen and Kane they’re great characters. I can’t wait for the 3rd finale book in this series . You don’t want to miss this .