An incredibly solid follow-up to The Fireborne Blade. Bond uses a similar writing style as before, weaving in educational literary excerpts between our narrative sections that follow both Maddileh AND Saralene this time on a new adventure.

I love Bond's world-building, which adds new twists and variations on the well-worn medieval-esque setting. She tells a fairly tight story that gives us high stakes while not feeling too rushed or adrenaline-heavy. And the best part is definitely the cat. The CAT yes the cat I love her so much I would read a whole book about her, a full length novel, a dissertation even.

I hope Bond continues to write in the world, because it feels like there are still so many stories to tell and I am fascinated by the glimpses we've gotten so far

This was a fantastic follow-up to book 1. Three years have passed, yet past memories still haunt Maddileh, and Saralene grapples with her newfound power. Their journey through the underworld is filled with twists, dualities, and an ominous dragon voice. Which I thought was a unique addition to the story. Charlotte Bond has crafted an epic world in these novellas, balancing depth and adventure into a small package.

I would definitely be interested in reading more books from this world and will gladly check out other books by Charlotte Bond.

Charlotte Bond's follow up to her excellent Fireborne Blade proves that there is staying power to this creative and fun fantasy world. The Bloodless Princes picks up shortly after where the first story ended, and deals with some rather unfortunate and unexpected complications that force our heroines Maddileh and Saralene to go off on a truly mythic adventure in the realm of the dead. As an added bonus, a familiar dragon (in cat form!) gets to come along for the ride.

A fun, short, and easily approachable novella that further develops characters, sets up terrifying stakes, and resolves in a satisfying way. Readers will want to have read the first story for the full experience.

This was a nice follow-up to book 1 as we continued the journey of Sir Maddileh and her love interest High Mage Sarlene. It's been three years since the timeframe of book 1's story, and their past enemies refuse to give up. Sir Maddileh continues to be haunted by the memories of some of her actions while Saralene is haunted for real. Their journey took them to some unexpected places and forced them to reconsider information and histories previously believed. I really enjoyed the journey through the underworld and the dualities it presented. Their is a new character that we meet that also adds another dimension and character 🐉 perspective to the story that was very enjoyable

I will say that I wished their had been more for the reader to experience the saphic partnership between the two FMCs, especially since they've had more time together off page between books. I also wanted to see more of the immediate benefits of the power Saralene had gained at the end of the previous book. All in all, this novella, just like the first packs a punch, and a lot more information. The author continues to show her skills in fantastic storytelling.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for providing an arc of this novella.

The Bloodless Princes takes the successful narration of the first novella and pushes the world building and characters into further heights. The skill Charlotte Bond has with weaving such rich characters and crisp storytelling in so little time is something that should be studied for future generations.

4.25 stars rounded up!

This was a fantastic conclusion to The Fireborne Blade duology! The Bloodless Princes is a sapphic fantasy novella that continues Sir Maddileh's story, along with that of the woman she serves, High Mage Saralene, who must both journey into the underworld and return unscathed. Oh, and there's dragons.

The book successfully plays with format, including folktales from within this world and interspersing them throughout the narrative. I love seeing the continuation of Maddileh's and Saralene's story and their relationship (which grows emotionally deeper), as well as their very snarky dragon companion.

The adventure plot in this book is also a lot of fun and full of emotional depth. Charlotte Bond paints a vivid image of the afterlife in this world, which is ruled by two brothers who represent the opposite poles of the same vision, showing us that nothing in the afterlife is simple, and perhaps it's even morally gray. This landscape forces Maddileh and Saralene to confront their own fears (especially of rejection) and insecurities, as well as the limitations of their respective roles in this world. The issues they grapple with feel very relatable, especially for queer folks and queer couples.

Overall, I very much recommend this book, especially if you've already read The Fireborne Blade!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and Charlotte Bond for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

There is something so particular about these books that I really enjoy. The lore of the dragons is so detailed and beautiful but told in a unique way through the folklore and stories of the fourteen realms. Bond does an incredible job of providing the lore in bitesize morsels at exactly the right time but also incorporating and element of an unreliable narrator to this because it is the stories that people tell as opposed to being the absolute truth and history.

I really enjoyed Saralene and Maddileh’s relationship and seeing their feelings blossom was a joy to read about. I also found Meinylyth to be so fun and her sense of humour had me bursting out laughing at multiple points as I was reading.

Whilst it feels as though Maddileh, Saralene, and Meinylyth’s stories are concluded for now, there is definitely room for more stories to be told of this world and I would gladly eat them up if Bond were to tell them.

These books are unlike anything that I have read before with so much attention to detail being paid to craft and exceptional character-work. I would highly recommend this series to all fantasy lovers and especially those who love dragons and sapphics with swords.

I loved diving back into this world! Three years have passed since the events of the first book, and life seems rosy – but we all know that's never a guarantee...
The author's approach changed notably in this book, transitioning from a character-driven narrative to a more symbolic and metaphorical exploration of societal issues. Utilizing the interplay between princes, historical narratives, and legendary lore the author reflected and critiqued the complexities of society at large. This novella masterfully ramps up the tension, expertly subverting my expectations and keeping me on the edge of my seat.

An adventurous continuation of The Fireborne Blade, this novella expands on the magic of that world.

I really enjoyed The Fireborne Blade and this book is equally enjoyable. Like the last time, the main story is interspersed with excerpts from books of the world with explanations as to myths or dragons. The theme of this book is how myths - like history - are often altered or adapted to suit who is telling them. This world has a misconception about the nature of dragons and magic, which in turn influences how people act. This is a book about people learning to overcome these misconceptions.

We don’t get a lot of time in the world proper, as most of this book takes place in the underworld, which has a really interesting worldbuilding. I don’t want to get into it because of spoilers, but I found that aspect very fun.

The story moves fast and has some really cool concepts and a new character that was definitely my favourite. I won’t say anything except that I love their snarkiness.

The book does suffer a little bit from what I call “novella syndrome" - it feels a bit too short at times. It didn’t need to be a novel, but this thing is only 160 pages, whereas another 40 or even 100 would have been fine by me. While the worldbuilding was great, certain scenes (like one in a labyrinth) could have been stretched out for tension, and the book could have used a bit more sexual tension between the two characters. Both profess their care for one another, but we don’t really get any pining, and I didn’t really feel the electric tension between them that I was hoping for. Again, I think there just wasn’t space. A minor detail, really.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. You do need to read the first book before this, but you totally should! Also, fantastic cover!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella! We pick up 3 years after the events for the end of the first book, and things seem to be going well....until they're not.

Saralene and Maddileh have grown very close during their time in their new positions, and maybe harbor some even deeper feelings. Unable to ignore or hide the curse left on Saralene any longer, and with strange dreams plaguing Maddileh - the pieces fall together and send the Mage and her Champion on a quest.

Things move quickly as Saralene an Maddileh set off to try and get rid of the curse. Their journey takes them to the underworld with the help of a cat-dragon, which was totally unexpected and also sounded too cute.

I really enjoyed the asides of folklore and snapshots from history books and journals. The way Bond demonstrated how different the same story can look depending on perspective was powerful, and I also just generally found them stories enjoyable. I liked the underworld, though I'd have loved even further worldbuilding there. It was very interesting!

Thank you Tordotcom for the ARC!

I apparently need to read better. This is the second book in the series, so don’t start with this book. However, with that said, it was excellent in terms of fantasy and description.

Two books in, and I am absolutely in love with Charlotte Bond’s fantasy. She takes the familiar tropes of myth, legend, and fairy tale and spins new life from them, evoking the same sense of awe, admiration, and affection in her readers. On the surface, they seem to be simple stories of straightforward quests, but beneath that surface she deconstructs and reinterprets those familiar tropes, creating something subtly meaningful.

In The Fireborne Blade, she used flashbacks to tell her story, weaving together past and present, sprinkling it with archive reports of other knights and their dragon encounters. Here, in The Bloodless Princes, she forgoes flashbacks in favor of folklore, sharing stories that often contradict one another, leaving us entirely uncertain as to what really happened to shape the underworld and its princes.

While the first book was largely Maddileh’s, with Saralene only coming into it through the backdoor of flashbacks, here the women are friends, allies, and an almost couple, carrying the narrative and its quest together. In place of Maddileh’s squire we get a very different kind of sidekick, one with wings and horns and fur and murder paws, but you’ll have to meet her for yourself. The entire concept of the underworld here, especially with its conflicting origin stories, is wonderful, so well thought out and carefully detailed that it felt as much a country as an afterlife.

Like any good fairy tale or myth, there are sacrifices to be made, riddles to be puzzled, promises to be examined, and bargains to be made. The Bloodless Princes is a fantastic story on its own, and even better as a sequel, and I truly hope we’ll get to encounter these ladies again.

This is a very solid continuation of the world that was built in the first book. Once again, we challenged Maddileh’s worldview and her understanding of her history (this is very much a case of paying attention to who it is recording the history and the legends, and who is benefiting from those records). This book was far less zoomed in on our characters and more a metaphor for larger society between the princes, the histories, and the legends.

Also very much did not feel like 3 whole years had passed since book one? We didn’t see enough of the impact of our main characters’ rise to power and the changes they made as part of that power.

Love love love sapphic romances and this was no exception. It was a fun, quick fantasy read! Novella length.

Novella length epic fantasy, with a sapphic romantic arc and the right touch of adventure. The sequel to The Fireborne Blade, Maddileh is concerned for how ragged High Mage Saralene is looking, and it turns out it has to do with a curse from the previous high mage. Another encounter with the dragon Maddileh thought she'd killed changes her entire perception on dragons. Rather than the beasts she'd assumed, Maddileh learns that they are intelligent and sensitive beasts, and that the one she knew as the White Lady is called Mienylyth. When Saralene ends up half alive in the Underworld, Maddileh and Mienylyth, in the guise of a cat with dragon tendencies, go to her rescue.

I've really enjoyed the Fireborne Blade novellas, and the world that Charlotte Bond has created. Longing and unrequited love between best friends, an Orpheus retelling, and a few bargains with the Bloodless Princes of the Underworld make for a perfect arc under 200 pages. For anyone interested in dabbling in high fantasy without wanting to commit to a lengthy series, I highly recommend these.

Like in the first book, Bond uses legends and folklore to do heavy worldbuilding in the background - those stories, rather than just descriptors, give us a strong sense of place and setting. Much of the other worldbuilding description is sparse enough that you can apply your own imagination to the realm.

I loved this sequel to the Fireborne Blade! I loved following Saralene's dreamy and magical journey through the Gravelands. Having the dragon front and center in this story in her varied form was a joy. I also loved the deepening of the relationship between Maddelieh and Saralene from friendship to love. I was a little worried that The Bloodless Princes would not capture the same magic that The Fireborne Blade did but I was so wrong! It was a great continuation and story in its own right.

Thank you Tor/Forge for an eARC in exchange for my review.

This new novella from Charlotte Bond is as magical as The Fireborne Blade, though it doesn’t quite succeed it as a sequel.

While I enjoyed being back with Maddileh and Saralene, I felt the plot of journeying to the afterlife was executed simply, without the same degree of quality. And the pacing of the narrative was rushed, making it impossible to sit back and relax into the reading experience.

I just couldn’t connect with what was happening. So, I didn’t really care. I probably needed to have read this right after finishing The Fireborne Blade in order to enjoy it. Because, there was more info-dumping this time around rather than story to savor. And the impact of the events from the first book was almost non-existent, making this follow-up seem like a detour from the grander tale I expected to continue here.

Of course, it still entertained me. I love Bond’s imaginative approach to dragons, and attention to details like their language and culture. I just wanted more present-tense content to read and time to explore the fantastical aspects previously introduced. Bond is truly a strong writer. It’s a shame this book didn’t impress.

Final rating: 2.5/5

This was a great continuation of The Fireborne Blade series! I loved seeing the world expand past what we saw in the first book. This one also further developed the relationship between Maddileh and Saralene, and one of the plot points reminded me a lot of Orpheus and Eurydice. Very excited for more from this author.

Cats on book covers, keep them coming because I am your target audience as a childless cat lady. This is the second book in this world by Charlotte Bond, the first one was called The Firebourne Blade. It’s a series dealing with female knights and dragons, magic, that classic medieval tale. This does continue the story from where book 1 ended. They are short books, just novella so easily bingeable. This one is taking us somewhere very different and that is the underworld which is ruled by the bloodless princes. So yeah look out for this one! Super fun!

I am in complete awe about how the author can create such a rich and complex world with a compelling story in under 200 pages.