4 stars.

This novella takes place immediately following the events of The Fireborne Blade so I don't want to say too much as these books are so short. I was a little disappointed that we were much less focused on the awesome dragon lore we got a glimpse of in book 1 and instead pivoted to a more Greek-inspired vibe, but I just really enjoy the characters. And even though I wanted more dragons, this was still a really fun sequel and the series just is not getting the hype it deserves.

Thank you to Tordotcom for providing me a review copy via NetGalley.

I liked The Bloodless Princess a lot more than The Fireborne Blade even though it took me much longer to finish both of these books than usual (because fantasy!). Anyway, it was an intriguing read. The author’s writing was descriptive and immersive, which made it so easy to visualize the settings and characters.

The story delves into a world of political intrigue (which was done well) and explores the myth behind the creation of dragons and the world as we know it in the book (one of my favorite parts). It's a classic fantasy, and I mean it in the best way, with supernatural elements (my another favourite thing about this book). However the pacing was uneven at times, some sections felt like such a drag while others were slightly rushed to my taste.

Overall, it was a solid read with an interesting plot and strong main characters, totally worth a read if you fancy sapphic fantasy with a touch of political drama. As for me personally... I'm not much into political intrigue (enough of this bs in real life), but add dragons, women, magic, and myths... and voila, a powerful concoction to infuse my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.

What's the oddest way you got a job? Well unless it was by hijacking your murderer's body, and his boss, after dealing with a dragon than you probably have it easy. "Bloodless Princes" by Charlotte Bond is out October 29,2024.

The world is a better place. The High Mage was replaced by Saralene and Maddileh is her champion. Sounds good right? Except the old High Mage had somethings in place that are going over poorly with Saralene replacing his body... When the human lore runs out of answers they have to turn to a source that is going to be a bit awkward to communicate with. The White Lady, who they are rather glad is only mostly dead.

Reasons to read:
-More of this world!
-Deeper world building with stories of how the gods and the afterlife work here
-And the dragon's place in things
-That's not a bad deal
-Great team up time

Cons:
-I would take a longer book, but always appreciate a total package that doesn't overstay it's welcome. But if more is coming I'm only kinda feral for it.

I love a good story involving an underworld, and this was no exception! With good characters and an interesting plot, it was a quick but fun read!

I'm so excited about Bond's writing! This was a solid follow-up to Fireborne Blade, and I'm not sure if there's more coming, but I would LOVE anything else set in this world. Her worldbuilding has been so well-thought out and entertaining, and her characters and their dynamics are so fun. I thought the pacing of the dual narrative here was enjoyable and easy to follow. The excerpts of stories and scholarship about dragons and their legends were such a nice touch. I adore fantasy narratives where the dragons are important companions - this really hit that spot for me.

A delightful follow-up to what was one of my favorite fantasies this year. The writing and worldbuilding are both strong, but my favorite parts were the folktale interludes that spoke to ever-changing nature of oral storytelling. I’ll be on the lookout for this author’s future work.

🐉 THE BLOODLESS PRINCES by Charlotte Bond 🐉
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕

In a world inundated with movie-esque, thick and sometimes bloated fantasy books, The Fireborne Blade series by Charlotte Bond is giving me the short, punchy TV serial interludes I need.

Despite its length (clocking in at a full 8 pages shorter than The Fireborne Blade), the second in the series The Bloodless Princes provides more depth and worldbuilding than its predecessor, giving the reader a better insight into the wider fourteen realms, its under and over worlds and its beginnings.

This increased attention to the world and its inhabitants does mean that this entry is lighter on plot than the first one, but that does not mean the plot suffers. Another quest, this time the stakes are even higher for our main character Maddileh and her new found friend and lover Saralene. With a climax as sudden as as satisfying as the first book, I do not feel like it was rushed or that I was cheated.

What Bond manages to do with the characters with such a compact story is remarkable, told through the same means as before, oral tradition interwoven seamlessly with entries into a different book this time around, one centred around tales chronicling the formation of the world as we know it. Stories that seem unconnected but are just as important to our protagonists as ever.

To summarise, this is a short punchy novel, dealing with themes of both love and loss in a way that does not belie its length, experienced by characters who have grown on me. There’s also a dragon cat, so…

4.5 stars rounded up

This was a great conclusion to this fantasy novella duology! I love how it played with format and included in-world folktales from different perspectives. It explores how history looks quite different depending on who gets to frame it. But we're following our two heroines from the last book, this time into the underworld along with a smart and snarky dragon companion. It's fun, queer, and adventurous. What more could you want? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.

A fascinating world with characters you absolutely root for, especially Mienylyth the dragon who is also an adorable cat. The myths and anthropological documents interspersed were a great look into a world with conflicting mythologies which is not something you see as often as I'd like in fantasy novels. My only big issue was with the timeline and pacing which sometimes felt weirdly slow given the urgency of the plot but at other times felt like everything was just jammed together.

This was adorable! A sweet, short fantasy with lovely worldbuilding and the feeling of a fairy tale.

Nice story overall! I liked the setting, characters and plot. Short, but interesting and funny. Loved the dragon/mythology tales. I would recommend the book!

An audacious plan to break a deadly curse leads Maddileh and Saralene into the underworld, alongside a talking cat that is far more than it appears.

I liked the first novella in this series, The Fireborne Blade, and hoped to see more adventures with our two heroines. I did not suspect I would get my wish quite so soon!

Saralene is now the High Mage, but the former holder of the title (recently deceased) has other plans for her. With her trusted companion, the brave knight Sir Maddileh, she must travel to the domain of the eponymous princes and find some way to prevent her imminent demise. Along the journey, the two will also face a perhaps greater challenge—their feelings for each other.

Instead of the faux academic papers about dragons we had last time, this book breaks up the narrative with some short folk tales from the perspectives of both the humans and the dragons. The same events are seen quite differently, and the fun juxtaposition of the two feeds neatly into the story.

Despite the high stakes, this book feels slightly lighter in tone to the first one, particularly with the running commentary of their new feline companion. Which is not a complaint by any means!

If this is all we get with these characters, the book provides a satisfying conclusion to the tale, but I certainly wouldn’t complain if we got more of these bite-sized tales every now and again, much like a fantasy equivalent of the Murderbot novellas by Martha Wells.

Recommended, alongside the first one.

Thanks to Tor Publishing for the early review copy.

Thank you for this ARC, I feel so lucky to have read it so early!

I loved this! I am a sucker for a tale of powerful women, especially with DRAGONS!
THIS is what should be the most popular Dragon book at the moment and not the ACOTAR copy and paste knock-off that is Fourth Wing!
Bond write her protagonists as believable women within her sprawling fantasy backdrop, which I love, as I often find most women in fantasy book today seem to be exact replicas of themselves. I'd gotten to a point in fantasy where I was considering giving up the genre after every book I've read recently has been exactly the same. This book series/duo has brought me out of that slump! I would have loved to have had more pages as it is a lot shorter than the first but I'm very grateful to have a continuation of the story before the next full length novel (please write another).
I hadn't read the first one before receiving this copy so I promptly purchased on amazon and binged in one sitting!

I urge anyone who loves REAL fantasy books but is sick of always reading about men, to buy this book and live your powerful lady fantasy!

The was a fantastic sequel and I would have willing read a lot more pages! The pace is less breakneck than the first one but I’m totally fine with a slower pace. I like the direction of the plot and the character development in this.

3.75/5

This was a better book that the rating shows, but I feel like this story would have been better as a standalone or having this sequel being longer. This felt rushed, some things you just have to go along with.

The cat dragon with wings was entirely fan service, but I'm that type of fan and it was so fucking cute.

This book felt like the end of a series, but so did book 1 so I'll just wait to see if a sequel pops up.

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!