Captivated by this dark fantasy romance read with folklore and gothic retelling vibes.

Binge read through this and was drawn in to the atmospheric world building and interesting characters.

The growth of characters and twists in this was awesome.

My only gripe is the ending. I wanted it to end differently but overall a great read.

"I hate you."
"So long as you are thinking of me, I do not care if it is with fondness or loathing."

Zerryn has faced death more than one, but never did she expect to have her life uprooted, from her loving yet poverty ridden house, to living with her grandmother, and he illustrious fables and mythologies. She soon finds out that she can commune with the dead as a result of her past experience with the Lord of the Underworld himself, Erlik. So, when her best friend and the love of her life is taken over by Erlik, as a way of flushing Zerryn out, she finds herself stuck in an impossible situation, to fight in a ruthless challenge of three brutal tasks, to win Erlik's hand in marriage, and save her best friend and their village from being overtaken by the dead and its vicious ruler.

Zerryn was an intriguing character, she's full of child-like wonder, and longs to keep everyone safe, but how can she when she can see someone's death before it befalls them? Warm-hearted and passionate, Zerryn fights for what she wants, and her tenacity and stubbornness (especially when it comes to Erlik) was hilarious and giddying to witness. I loved seeing her draw out the child-like and banterous side to this devious ruler, whereas opposingly, Erlik brings out the darker, more cunning and ruthless side she burrows deep within herself, they're two sides of the same coin, but the tension is fiery. I absolutely adored Zerryn, she's intelligent, quick-witted and sharp tongued, and knows how to play the games in her favour, she's a true match for Erlik in more ways than one.

Erlik is deliciously devious, and boy does he know it. He can't pass up a challenge, and Zerryn is the greatest and most thrilling one yet, with her unrelenting, stubborn attitude, and unflappable façade, she's the perfect pawn for his ruthless games. Erlik is a brooding and tortured MMC, whose spent his life chained to the Underworld, longing for some kind of companionship, whilst steadfastly maintaining his brutal and callous façade, as lord of death. Multi-layered and deeply complex, he's an absolute devilishly delightful character to dive deeper into.

"I do not desire you. Desire is fleeting, and it wanes like the moon. You are not a moment's thought. You are all my thoughts."

Disquieting, gothic and beautifully and vividly crafted, this story is rich with myths and folklore that adds a quiet and powerful component to the story. The characters were so vivid and full of personality, they're raw and unflinching, and I loved it. I do wish that Zerryn's childhood years were more fleshed out, as the small snippets we got about how her experiences during those years led her to be the person she is as we know her now were invaluable and compelling. Also the lack of history into her past also meant, to me at least, that there wasn't a massive amount of chemistry built up between her, and her best friend, Çelik, which meant I inevitably and immediately rooted for the morally black, and devilishly tantalising Erlik, over the quiet, demure and hard-working farmer boy.

Beyza though, she stole my heart completely, she's just as cunning and cutthroat as Erlik, but she finds a soft spot for our Zerryn, and quickly becomes an asset and true friend to her in this dangerous, and ruthless world she's fallen into. I loved her blunt demeanour and sharp-tongued responses, a side-kick we all desire to have (or be for those of us who aren't main character).

'The Bride of Death' is written in a way that is so seamlessly immersive and enrapturing, and allows you to feel swept away into this dark and medieveal-esque world where the lines between mythology and real-life blur. Brimming with lush and atmospheric worldbuilding, gorgeous lore, and some intense yet compelling plot twists, this is truly a unique and refreshing twist on the Underworld, with a treacherous, and sinister set of trials that are most definitely not for the faint of heart. Underneath it all though is a beautiful message about believing in yourself, and understanding your worth in a world intent on showing you your failures, a reminder that you are stronger, more resilient and powerful than you can ever imagine.

This is an adult debut that blend's fantasy, historical fiction, and romance, which makes sense because it’s a Hades and Persephone retelling with a twist of fairytale and folklore but some early reviewers have mentioned for those of us who like high fantasy, should check this one out so I did! We see our main character through her childhood of being death-touched and becoming a woman. And the fate of her village falls on her defeating some darkness. Lyrical prose, even some dark gothic vibes. It matched the cover well.

The Bride of Death by FM Aden didn't disappoint. I loved everything about it. Thank to you NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 Stars

Dark fantasy and a hint of romance are combined in this gripping story by F.M. Aden. The Bride of Death is an exciting voyage into a dangerous and fascinating world steeped in Turkic legend.

With each page, the reader is drawn more into the plot by the skillful pacing. It is really amazing how the author manages to combine tense scenes with moving character growth. I was kept guessing right up until the very end by the unexpected turns and twists.

The main character, Zerrin, is interesting and multifaceted. She travels through the Underworld in a terrifying yet hopeful manner. The plot is made richer and more complex by the equally well-developed supporting ensemble.

I can't wait to see what F.M. Aden has in store for us next.

A really unique fantasy romance that pulls from Turkish mythology.. A strong female lead and engaging writing style. Immersive world building. There is one element that detracts from the romance a bit that wasn't my favorite and I would like to have seen a bit more tension between the love interests. Overall, a solid read

This dark romantasy crossed with folk tales and mythology is reminiscent of both the Hades and Persephone stories and of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth.

I absolutely loved the folklorish early chapters and the later Underworld trials, and was mesmerised by the story, devouring it whole. I didn’t even mind the spicy bits, which is rare for me as I am usually somewhat uninterested in the romantic side of things no matter what ‘flavour’ or door status!

In fact, this was going to be an easy five star read for me until I got to the ending. I HATED the ending. Everything Zerryn learnt, everything she had grown to be just felt thrown away! How can it really be love for someone to fundamentally change the one they claim to love, to shape them to suit their needs? How could Zerryn throw away her birthright after the hard-won revelations of her younger self?

I had honestly thought they would find some loophole that would allow them to meet in the middle; that she might be saved by her own inner strength and magic, or the bonds she had made with others, and that Erlik’s grief for her during that hiatus would allow him to accept a compromise, so that they both ultimately learned, grew and sacrificed for their love. Then I could have bought into a HEA, knowing they came together as equals. Instead, both Çelik and Zerryn become suddenly unrecognisable in the final chapters, and Minay seemed to disappear altogether!

I almost loved this story so much! But the resolution felt like it belonged to a different story. Even Persephone got her six months in the sun, but I felt like I was leaving Zerryn in perpetual darkness. I just can’t stop wondering whether the author might revisit this story to reignite Zerryn’s saviour quest and redeem her love story with some concessions from the darker side, for balance, for justice and for the sake of true love…?

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Great debut novel. The premise is so interesting. And the writing was so easy to read. 3.5/5

I think I overhyped myself for this. I was expecting a gothic 'finding your own way' death and the maiden tale with a side of romance. Instead I got a romantasy complete with love triangle. And I am very hard to please with romantasy. Parts of this were very enjoyable but certain things - like depowering the MC for no real reason - really irked me. Overall I just was not the target audience for this.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and F.M. Aden for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had already read another ARC from the same author before, The Court Of The Undead. I ate it up and absolutely LOVED it, so I was super curious and super hyped for this one too!

And damn, man, it was SO GOOD. It even pained me a little to give it only 4 stars because it was SO CLOSE to being as perfect as Court, but, alas, it wasn't. We'll get there in a bit, wait a second.

To the good stuff: this is a gothic, enemies-to-lovers story. Don't come here expecting a cutesy little wholesome whatever. There is a romantic triangle, but unlike in Court, it's pretty obvious who is going to win, and it's not going to be the Nice Guy. In fact, Aden spins the nice-guyism BEAUTIFULLY, in a way that reminded me of how I myself write my stories too. I don't think it's necessary to spoil here how it happens, but it suffices to know that if you're looking for a heart-warming, cute, wholesome, Healthy™️representation of relationships, this ain't where you're going to find it. They are ENEMIES. Like, REAL enemies. There are MURDER ATTEMPTS. There's manipulation and humiliation. They HURT each other and do BAD THINGS and BETRAY each other. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED. Now if you come here reviewing this book negatively because "toxiiiiiiiiiiiiique problematiiiiiiiiiique 😠" go sit on a cactus, honestly.

There's a lot of hurt but there's also SO MUCH YEARNING AND PINING AND akjsjdhakjdshkajshdkashdkahsdkjashd oh GODS the amount of impactful quotes. The kinds of which will make you so frustrated because real life men don't bother to be 2% as appealing and poetic. This is even a segue to another point: there is a lot of hurt but make no mistake, these two characters would do EVERYTHING for each other, including throwing themselves into oblivion. They love each other deeply and want to make each other happy and it's the sweetest thing.

So you don't need to worry about the author getting all patronizing like "these silly little girls thirsting after the Bad Boy when the Nice Guy is right there". I think it bears mentioning here, as I did in my review of Court, that Aden is a fan of Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries and ships him with Elena. So you can rest assured that you won't find such nonsense here. This book is FOR US, the villainfuckers and the enemies-t0-lovers enjoyers. So rest easy and dive right in, my friend, the water is warm!

The characters are super compelling and interesting, and the prose, dear gods, THE PROSE, it's beautiful and poetic and it sucks you right in. You'll need some self-control in order not to binge read.

Now, to the bad part. There's unfortunately no way to discuss it without spoilers. Without spoilers all I can say is that the ending is imperfect, but not enough to ruin the book. Now I shall discuss a little bit why.

[SPOILER BEGINS]

I need to be very honest, I found it very unsatisfying, maybe even a little bit of bullshit, that the main character loses her powers. The whole book it's shown how SHE has HER OWN powers and abilities, how SHE can SAVE HERSELF, how her gifts are HER OWN, how she doesn't need either of her "knights" to rescue her because in fact SHE is the one doing the rescuing, how neither of them have power over her... Just so that in the end her powers are taken away by Erlik, and never to be recovered?! I found that super anticlimactic, unsatisfying, really antithetic to the story that was being told to us thus far. It wasn't enough to ruin the book like, for example, how The Rise Of Skywalker ruined Star Wars for me, or like how Game Of Thrones was ruined for many by its ending (it sucked since season 5 though but that's a conversation for another time). Ok, the bar may seem low, but what I'm saying is that, although really frustrating, this part of the ending doesn't ruin the whole story - especially because, despite it, our characters still get a happy-ever-after, unlike my two other examples. It's enough, however, for me to remove a star, unfortunately.

[SPOILERS END]

All in all this is an incredible book with an ending that is imperfect, but not enough to ruin the whole ride. It's still worth your time. If you're into gothic romance and enemies-to-lovers pairings, you will be well served with this book, and I will continue to watch F.M. Aden with great interest.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

“The villagers had always called her beautiful but strange. As if her beauty was tainted with something unnamable, twisted and crooked like a broken bone that had been set the wrong way.”


The Bride of Death is F.M. Aden’s fairytale-esque piece built around the Turkish myth of Erlik Khan, the Lord of Death and god of the Underworld. Zerryn Özdemir was encountered death as a young child and it lingered with her as she grew, not only in her two different colored eyes but in her ability to see the ghosts and spirits around her. Her oddities and frailness caused her to withdraw into herself while her family tried their best to sheild and protect her from the cruelity of others. Her only friend, Çelik, was the golden boy of the village and was loyal to Zerryn as they grew up together. Zerryn believed she was finally going to get the normal life she desired, a husband and family, until Erlik Khan himself possed Çelik. Now Zerryn will do everything she can to save him.

“She was afraid of the Underworld, of the barrenness and desolation, but she was not afraid of Death. The man in the billowing cloak with the many eyes.”


Aden has created an authentic feeling, adult, gothic fairytale with The Bride of Death. Her writing is reminiscent of the classics in its word choices, dialogue, and character attitudes. While it may seem a little different at first if you are used to reading mostly contemporary works, the farther you get into it the more accustomed or reaquainted to this traditional style of storytelling you become. Or if you have never indulged in fairytales this is your chance to get a taste of this time-tested and well-loved genre. But, while Aden adheres to many of the constructs of a fairytale she puts an interesting twist on a few of these common elements. Her incorporation of magic, three events, and a conflict that needs to be resolved is all quite standard, but her rags to riches, darkly gothic story blurs the line between good and evil with its grey characters, leaving you to wonder, until the very end, who is actually the hero and who is the villian.


“His head bent, and her palm lay on his ravaged cheek. Her sinner and supplicant. Her terror and madness. Her beautiful monster… An that, perphaps, was the crux of her problems. It was never a fear of changing him, it was a fear of him changing her.”

On the surface, The Bride of Death is about Zerryn’s quest to win the challenge put forth by the Lord of Death as a means to be chosen as his bride, and for her personally the ability to save Çelik and her village. However, it is that and so much more. It’s a layered reflection of life, love, and self-discovery. It’s an acknowledgement that where you start is not where you need to end up and that even if from the outside it looks like you don’t have what it takes to succeed, what you are on the inside is all that really matters. It’s an admonishment to choose people who see your strengths not your weaknesses and not to ever settle for normal. It’s an attestation that you “must never wait for someone to save you” but that you are actually your own greatest hero. It’s all these things, and a beautiful cover, that make The Bride of Death a book you must check out!

F.M. Aden’s The Bride of Death is a unique and intriguing blend of dark romance and suspense. Aden’s writing is atmospheric and rich, creating a compelling backdrop for a story filled with tension and intrigue. The characters are well-crafted, and their journeys offer a mix of mystery and emotional depth. While the novel's intricate plot and gothic elements are engaging, I found that it took a while for the story to fully captivate my attention. Despite this, Aden’s skillful prose and imaginative world-building make The Bride of Death a worthwhile read for fans of the genre.

Overall, The Bride of Death showcases Aden’s talent for weaving a darkly enchanting tale, offering a satisfying experience for those who enjoy a blend of romance and suspense.

This felt like it was trying to take from too many different stories and lore and it didn’t mesh well together. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood to read this one but it just didn’t work for me.

I really enjoyed all the twists in this book but the love triangle was irking me (hence the four stars) and I think it it was an amazing book with that exception of the love triangle. I would highly recommend reading this book. It is definitely worth the read.

This was an ARC read for Netgalley. Thank you to the Author and Netgalley for allowing me to be a part of this journey. This is my honest review and I was not paid for it.

F.M. Aden's The Bride of Death is a dark and captivating fantasy story that is similar to Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale and Naomi Novik's Uprooted. There are many supernatural obstacles and great risks in Zerryn's attempt to vanquish the formidable monster Erlik Khan. Although the world-building and idea are complex, there were moments when the pacing felt erratic, and several character developments lacked the impact I had hoped for. Zerryn's bravery is commendable, and the stakes are high, yet there were certain aspects of the story that I found tedious. Overall, a good book with a compelling subject, however there is still space for development.

It wasn't until I was immersed in the world, that I realised just how much I was going to adore this book. It is all the things I love, The dark gothic fairytale setting for one, from the very beginning I loved spending time getting lost in the bone forest among the dark creatures and spirits. It's also filled with mentions of folklore, such as the irshi, jinn, ubir and uylak. The main characters are very reminiscent of Hades & Persephone, with their warring magical energies of life and death, light and dark.

I really liked this book, just didn't love it. Think it was more the fact I was in a slump rather than the story. I would still recommend it to friends.

Meh. I found this entire tale a collection of unnecessary scenes. The romance induced eye-rolls. I wanted to enjoy the stylistic choices and writing, however, I found it felt uninspired. I'm sure some new to fantasy, new to retellings new to gothic style lit will find what they enjoy within, I personally found it too bland for enjoyment... sorry...

The cover is stunning. Loved the retelling, Although it had my attention in the begging then it was a bit more slow paced for my liking. Overall, decent read.