𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 (The Fireborne Blade #2) by Charlotte Bond
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The plot felt a bit more simple compared to the first book, but I remain in love with Charlotte’s world building.

🤍 The after-life worlds she created were so magical to me and I found it hard to put the book down when the characters were exploring the world.

🤍 Instead of the academic records of the first book, this book alternates between the main story and different folklores and legends, which were very interesting to read.

🤍 One of the main character is a dragon-cat. You heard me right! A dragon-cat! The cover was also very well done.

🤍 Charlotte Bond is an author that excels at world-building. This duology would be a perfect quick fall read.

"The Bloodless Princes" is a gripping fantasy novel that deftly combines intrigue, magic, and political machinations in a richly imagined world. The characters, from the enigmatic prince to the resilient allies he gathers, are complex and compelling, each with their own motivations and flaws. As tensions escalate and mysteries deepen, "The Bloodless Princes" unfolds with twists that keep readers eagerly turning pages. Bond's storytelling prowess shines in this exhilarating tale of power, betrayal, and the quest for redemption in a world where magic and danger collide. I really enjoyed the vivid world building while reading this story.

The book was exactly what i wanted. The story conținued from where i was left in the previous volume. And i was part in a great adventure. So many ups and downs, suspance and mysteries. The worldbuilding was very good written, captivating me again and again. For the characters i have so many good words. I can't choose which one i like the most. Each of them was interesting and for sure many readers will fall in love with them.

The Bloodless Princes is a fantastic sequel to The Fireborne Blade! It’s the perfect quick read with a subtle sapphic romance, a dragon who transforms into an adorable cat, and a journey through the underworld. If you love fantasy, dragons, fairytales, or mythology (or like me, all of the above), you will love this!

I was SUPER excited to read more from this world and by this author, so I jumped at the chance to get an ARC. And while it was fine, I didn't love it as much as the first book. I did really like that we got to see more from the White Lady, and I thought the world building was really fun.

But for some reason it didn't hold me as captivated as the first one. The plot unfolded in a way that felt too easy to me. It also doesn't have the time shifts from past to present that the first novella did, which makes this new novella lack the tension its prequel had. Somehow the stakes seemed so much lower in this one, even though ostensibly they're just as high.

Overall, a fun little novella, even if I felt disappointed in comparison to its prequel. I will definitely check out further books by this author!

This is a really engaging fantasy novella, sequel to The Fireborne Blade. Maddileh and Saralene are encountering issues with their resurrections, including frightening dreams and uncontrollable actions while asleep. To remedy this, they need to travel into the land of the dead, ruled over by the Bloodless Princes. They rely on some unlikely allies including a shapeshifting dragon to work through the different parts of their quest. Like the first book, the narrative is interspersed with folklore, chronicles, and histories, adding context to the world. This is shaping up to be a great fantasy series!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

If you loved the Fireborn Blade you will also love The Bloodless Princes. We see the continuation of the two lead characters stories and the wonderful way Charlotte Bond world builds, this time with mythology. I adore this style of writing.

It's great to have a fantasy series that are novellas. So far this series has been enjoyable and quick to read. I really like the way the story is told with the main plot interspersed with legends and tales. I also didn't know I needed a dragon cat in my life but I loved that edition.

Absolutely gorgeous writing - I ate it up and am still hungry for more! So easy to get sucked into this world and fall in love with the characters. Will definitely be reading more from this author!

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Charlotte Bond’s The Fireborne Blade, which turned out to be one of my favourite fantasy read of the past few years. When this follow-up was announced, it immediately went onto my must-read list. I’m very happy to report that it lived up to my expectations, and does everything that one wants from a sequel.

Before I start, a comment bout the synopsis, above: it makes The Bloodless Princes sound like a lighter fantasy story than it is — that final paragraph, in particular, gives off cosy vibes, which I don’t think is reflective of the story within. Just so you know. There are some lighter moments, sure (mainly in the form characters’ of quips), but this is a pretty dark novella.

The Bloodless Princes picks up the story a short while after the end of The Fireborne Blade. Saralene is now the High Mage, and Maddileh is her champion. They discover that a certain ritual at the end of the first book has some pretty awful, lasting side-effects. The prospect of its undoing (yes, this is vague, but I’m trying to avoid spoilers) is quite dire, so Saralene and Maddileh set out on a daring, dangerous mission to undo it. They are mostly successful, but the side-effect of dealing with the side-effects (magic is not for the faint-of-heart…) means our heroes are off to the afterlife.

Bond does a really good job of weaving her world’s mythology into the story — specifically, and what I especially liked, was the contrast between “reality” and what society has come to believe and accept. Things are, of course, not really what they think. The author’s afterlife was very well developed, and there are a few twists to it that are nicely revealed and explained/described. There’s also some truly horrific stuff going on down there…

Much of what I liked in The Fireborne Blade returns in The Bloodless Princes. Bond’s prose is great, the story is well-paced and never feels rushed. The characters are well-realized on the page, and it never felt like the author used world-building/info-dumping as a crutch or space-filler. The growing relationship between Saralene and Maddileh is nicely and tenderly written. I was really rooting for them from the start. And, yes, the cat-dragon (dragon-cat?) on the cover is excellent.

Definitely recommended for all fans of fantasy — it’s a modern take on classic fantasy, skillfully executed. I really hope there are more novellas set in this world on the way.

I had such a great time reading these books! The audiobook of the first book just sucked me in, and I was just lucky enough to already have gotten the 2nd book (though I didn't know they were connected when I requested them, funnily enough) and I just had to dive in, and they were both so good!

I loved the way that these were told, with these two characters, but then also having some tales and recounting, the first of knights killing various dragons, and the second, various legends It really helped build out this world, and were so interesting to read!

The twists and turns of Fireborne Blade, oh, they were so delightful to read! That we had the different timelines, and when they came together with that reveal, that was so shocking to read! I utterly loved how that all played out, it was just so clever!

But that ending of Bloodless Princes? That was so good and unexpected! Though did they leave the sword behind or bring it with them? Either way, their future afterlife prospects don't look good as is right now! Honestly, here's hoping that the Allfather and Allmother find someone new to rule over the underworld, or I'm pretty sure they're going to be in trouble!

I'm not sure if there's going to be more in this series. I mean, I would love for there to be, and so far each story has wrapped up pretty nicely. But I want to spend more time in this world, so I really hope we get more stories!

Loved reading these stories and I would love to have more!

Came for the dragon cat, stayed for the dragon cat, would go to Hell for the dragon cat. I loved the finale of THE BLOODLESS PRINCES!

So so so good. I rated this book 5 stars. The feels I got during this book were just immaculate. I recommend everyone to read this book.

Orpheus meets A Natural History of Dragons in this story about death, honor, and romance. When High Mage Saralene is cursed and has to visit the underworld to get help from the blood Princes, she finds herself discovering old stories and falling for her champion/companion, Maddileh. Along the way they meet a dragon and must find a way to break the curse before it's too late and their romance is destroyed. This was such an interesting short and fast read. I liked the way the story was built and the ending wrapped up everything nicely as well.

*Thanks Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tordotcom for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*