Veyka is tasked with keeping her kingdom safe from the darkness. Will Aran wake up to be the person he once was?

This is the third installment in be series. I must say I missed Arran but it made me love their relationship even more. That cliffhanger leaves me wanting the next book now.

Thank you to Emberly Ash, NetGalley, and Victory Editing to providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I genuinely thought this was a complete series. Imagine my shock and horror to learn that this book ends on a cliffhanger and I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE CHARACTERS!!!! I NEEDS TO KNOW!! I cannot wait for the next installment of this series and the author is incredibly gifted at creating a world you want to be part of. I want to be Veyka and her best friend.

This was a great 3rd installment to the series. This one tugs at the heartstrings. Our FMC is going through it and there’s angst galore. I definitely recommend you read this and finish out the series. I’m so ready to start book 4! Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the book!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Oh I am pretty sure this book made me go bald. The amount of times I was pulling at my hair in frustration... I can't even begin to count them.

This book in the series was an absolutely WILD RIDE to say the least!
I don't think I've been this stressed out for characters in a good while. I seriously felt the pain and emotional blows while reading.

I could not put this book down, no matter how hard I tried. It is a soul gripping story that just demands your attention at all times.

I'm a sucker for world building and this series has that down to a T. If you love the depth of Throne of Glass, this seriously runs parallel in all aspects. Well f*cking done, Emberly. Slow. Damn. Clap.

Just stab me with one of Veyka's daggers and consider me DONE. I don't know how I'm going to survive this cliffhanger... But I'll try.
Gods above, I'll try.

Veyka continues to grow but she still has those wobbles where her self loathing and grief try to take over. But fate really hasn't finished with Veyka and Arran and i had a tear or too again reading this.

Veyka calls upon an a neutral party to save the one she literally cannot and will not live without. But what will the magical cost be? Can Veyka live with the outcome? I loved reading more about Arran's parents and how he lost his brother. The stakes just keep climbing for Veyka, Arran and all of Annwyn.

I'm not sure how Veyka will react when news of Parys reaches her - I feel there may be an epic meltdown to come!

Now to wait on the concluding part of the story and a very hard won HEA I hope!

Overall thoughts:
4.5⭐️
3.5 🌶️

‘The thread around my heart was so bright, so hot inside of me that it burned. My fingers tingles, my muscles tightened. I was burning from the inside out. Burning for her. Veyka.’ - Aaran

‘My lover. My king. My mate.’ - Veyka


Tropes: Fae, Magic, Harpies, Multiple POV, Forced Proximity, Touch Her You 💀, Shifters, Badass FMC, Nickname, He Falls First, Fated Mates, Second Chance Romance

Lovers finding their way back to each other, whilst trying to destroyed a deadly threat. More love, more politics, more deceit!

This series is a must read for anyone who loves Throne of Glass & Game of Thrones!

Where do I start? Emberly has done it AGAIN! I’m screaming, crying, all the things! 😂
This series is lushful high fantasy & I love it!

The story, the characters, the spice - it all hits! I’m so invested in this series & I can’t wait to see where Emberly takes it! I feel like we’re just starting the journey & I’m all in.

*Please see my other reviews for the series on my page.*

Thank you to Emberly Ash & NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good addition to the series. Veyka finally really grows up here and is determined to be a good queen, and a devoted mate. I was very happy with her character this time around. Admittedly, the synopsis had me a little concerned that she would somehow become almost a bad person, but that is definitely not the case. And that twist with Arran!? I did not see that coming at all.

We pick up right where we left off with Arran mortally wounded and taken by the lady of the lake. Veyka vows to never leave him despite the others trying to convince her she has to. After weeks of her sister not telling her anything of Arran's condition, she finally says screw it, and jumps there to see him herself. And it's then that she finally finds the resolve to do what has to be done even if he's not by her side.

It's not an easy trip, but Veyka and her companions make their way to Arran's home. When they get there Veyka immediately feels right there. Unfortunately, things are not as safe there as she was expecting. At least she was able to come clean to Arran's mother about what has happened and maybe even trust her. Not long after Veyka arrives, so does Arran. And nobody was expecting what that would mean.

Wow, was the whole thing with Arran incredibly frustrating. And it's so hard not give it away here as I go on. But it was amazing to see Veyka not run away from the incredibly difficult situation she finds herself in now, and in fact, actually trying to be the mate that Arran deserves and fell in love with.

Despite this situation, Arran and Veyka still have a world to save and a war to win. And to do that they need the right materials. But because of what happened, these two are not really on the same page anymore so trying to work together and appear as a united pair is not going well. Which also was frustrating because we would get moments when you think they are getting closer....but then NOPE. In the end though, they do manage to work together beautifully in order to obtain the mineral needed to ward off the succubus and to also kill them.

In the end, the succubus come to them and Veyka can no longer pretend that war isn't an option. Which leads to her making another big decision. I will say that I was thrilled that something got fixed by the end of the book, but the way it happened was kind of meh. Like, it just didn't seem like it was something that would have that kind of power. But whatever. I'm so ready for the next book.

We almost didn't get anything at all about the elemental court this time around, but when we do...boy is it bad. That was a great way to show us what's happening. I've been wondering this whole book what Veyka would do when she found out about Parys and it looks like we still have to wait. And wait I shall.

This is the 3rd installment in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown and again we pick up right where we left off. Veyka is now facing the unexpected, Arran mortally injured, all but lost to her. She has to continue forward to find answers to the darkness spreading and to save her kingdom. More about the Prophecy comes to light as well as information about Veyka's powers. Arran battles to be who he once was but its a long journey back. Grief, and mistrust leaves them at odds with each other. Veyka's only concern now is to save her kingdom no matter what the personal cost is.

I have taken a minute to process this book because I was speechless. The end of book 2 had me in complete shambles I was so happy to have this book waiting for me. This book broke me and healed me all at the same time. Veyka continues to grow into a true Queen. Arran is lost to his injuries and trying to recover. He lost a part of himself, and is constantly at odds with his inner beast as well as Veyka. This book had me so anxious about if they would find their way back to each other and so incredibly heartbroken for Veyka. She grieves for a person who isn't dead.

The balance between politics, healing and romance is so wonderfully done. The pacing was again perfect. You can feel the pain and anguish in our characters. You are immersed in their traumas and get to know them on a completely deeper level. I love the concept of magic has a price. I was absolutely on the edge of my seat this entire book. The spice is like the last book quality over quantity. Spice is a 5/5. I enjoyed their indifferent attitudes it felt like book one all over again, but it also came with the emotional scarring, which really connected me to Veyka on a deeper level.

I am not sure how I will recover from all that we learned, and that dang cliffhanger. I need the next one like last week. Thank you Emberly Ash for delivering another emotionally charged and traumatizing installment.

Thank you NetGalley and Emberly Ash for the e-book in exchange for an honest review. This was a 5/5 for me.

I was really looking forward to book 3 answering some questions and advancing the plot but was disappointed. Not much happens in this book and when things do start to happen the book ends. We spend most of this book setting up for the next book and I really needed something to happen here. I like a lot about this series but it feels too drawn out already.

Who do I send my therapy bill to?

The third installment of the Secrets of the Faerie Crown was by far the most emotional one so far. Veyka goes through a lot of internal turmoil in this one. On one hand, her mate’s fate is hanging in the unknown, and then on the other, she practically has save the world and be the Queen that she needs to be.

Strap yourself in because this one felt like deaths by a thousand paper cuts. Emberly did an amazing job really diving into character development, and building on the relationships between the characters. Emotional? Yes. Messy? Yes. Heart-breaking? Yes. Will you need a chocolate croissant, and a stiff drink? Yes.

Without revealing too much. If you already read the first two in the series, this third one is good on an emotional level.

If this is the first time hearing of this series. You will love this if you like Arthurian retelling with a twist, found family, shifters, plus sized FMC representation, female rage, prophecy, slow- burn, heavy character development, then you will really enjoy this series.

Thank you Emberly Ash and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

"Court of Vines and Vipers by Emberly Ash is a standout novel that weaves a dark and intricate tale within the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series. The book’s rich world-building and the fresh take on Arthurian legends captivated me, while the emotional depth and character arcs were both profound and relatable.

The narrative skillfully combines dark fantasy elements with a high-steam romance, set against a backdrop of fae mythology and power struggles. The protagonist, Veyka Pendragon, is a symbol of resilience, and her journey is a testament to the strength found in vulnerability.

For lovers of dark, high-fantasy romance, this book is a compelling read. Its complex characters and thrilling plot twists make it a memorable addition to the genre, and a novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned."

Court of Vines and Vipers is the third book in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series by Emberly Ash - after the heartbreaking ending of book 2, our main characters press on with their quest to save the kingdom from an evil force that threatens all of Anwynn.

Friends, this book is EMOTIONAL. I would definitely recommend this series - it starts out fun and spicy, but then you get attached to the characters and feel all the things. I enjoyed reading this book and was surprised by the twist in the FMC’s personal growth journey because usually book 3 is when the couple is apart, and the FMC is finding her own strength, but CoVaV has Veyka experiencing this in the most torturous way.

I would recommend being in a good headspace for this book. Veyka’s trauma haunts her and she is struggling. She’s angry, depressed, and guilty, but most of all, she feels like she won’t be enough to save her kingdom. The anguish and grief in this book is heavy, but the path towards healing is never an easy one. Fear not, there are still steamy scenes!

We learn more about the prophecy surrounding Veyka and Arran, and the stakes seem to get higher. I am soooo looking forward to book 4 and rooting for this couple to have their happy ending. Will my heart continue to be broken along the way? Probably.

I've enjoyed this series so far, but by book 3 I had been hoping it would be all thriller no filler & this was really repetitive & dragged for me, to the point that I've had to DNF. I've been reading this for over a week & only got about 20% in because I didn't want to pick it up.

I've seen from other reviews that it's a very slow start & then gets going, but I've also seen that two of my least favourite tropes are incoming so I think it's time to walk away from this series.

I know I'm in the minority on this one & I may go back to it at some point in the future (especially if I hear amazing things about book 4, which I really hope is a brilliant end to the series).

Okay, so overall I liked this book a lot. That said, I did have somewhat mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand, it took me a while to get into. The pacing in this book was slower than the first two. The first 20% dragged for me to the point that it wasn’t holding my attention and I was losing motivation to read. The main couple was separated for about 35% of the book which I didn’t love and then only to be met with an amnesia trope that they deal with for the majority of the book…which, again, I didn’t love. It was definitely a more emotional book and they are dealing with some heavy stuff, but Veyka’s inner monologue got a bit tiresome for me because it became so repetitive. I didn’t find Cyara’s POV to be very necessary to the storytelling, but I didn’t mind having it in included.

On the other hand, I think this one may have been the strongest book in the series so far. It was a more emotionally impactful book (which is something I appreciate because I love a book that makes you feel). I definitely teared up a few times. I felt myself more invested in the story and the relationship once things picked up around the halfway mark. The world-building and plot continued to expand and develop and we learned more about the prophecy. While Veyka’s inner monologue got a bit tedious at times, her character didn’t annoy me as much in this one! I liked that the main couple wasn’t as hyper-sexualized in this book because it allowed me to focus more on the actual story rather than having the spice be distracting from the plot as it had been in the first two books. It felt like there was a better balance in this book between plot, romance, and spice. While I don’t love the amnesia trope, I did appreciate that it kept the romance from getting stale (as many fictional couples tend to do after being mated/married, etc.).

Similarly to the last book(s), I still rolled my eyes with some of the lustful comments/thinking, but it wasn’t as frequent or distracting in this book. I still cringed with the use of “p*ssy” and “c*nt” which generally just aren’t my preferred word choices for those types of scenes. That’s not really a critique of the writing, more just a misalignment between the writing style and my personal preferences.

Again, there were numerous typos and grammatical errors throughout the book which didn’t bother me too much, but I know that’s the type of thing that would bother some readers so hopefully those got ironed out by the final released copy.

Despite my critiques, I will point out again that this book was probably my favorite in the series so far! I’m interested to see how the story will conclude when the next book releases in the Fall!

Thank you to Emberly Ash, NetGalley, and Victory Editing to providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

supper happy I'm late to the party on these so I don't have to wait for the nest one! this was just as good as the first!!!!

You're telling me I have to wait until November to get more of this delicious world and these stunning characters and this colosal heartache I volunteered for??? That is simply unfair.
Where do I even begin? The writing is gorgeous and evocative. I felt what Veyka was feeling the whole way. So much so that I was taking anger and despair that were not my own out on my innocent loved ones (who thankfully know me well enough to understand). And Arran's constant inner turmoil broke me, especially towards the end. I'm so glad that part ended the way it did because my heart could not take any more. Each book gets better and better. The world that Ash has built feels tangible, and I feel like I know these characters personally. I laughed with them, cried with them (and for Veyka, often for them), and was desperate and holding my breath for the Big Thing to be resolved. And I adored getting some Cyara POVs in there. This group and their dedication to one another, they have my whole heart. I don't know what else to say. I love this series, I love this author, I'm dreading the months I have to wait for the finale, but I so know it will be worth it.

This was my favourite book in the series so far. It was a bit darker as Veyka tries to deal with everything that happened at the end of book two (no spoilers). It was really sad to experience her heartbreak and loneliness through not only her eyes, but of those around her too.

As always it left me wanting more of this world and to know what happens next.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book.

Genre: Romance/Fantasy MF
Format: Digital
POV: Multiple
Tropes: fated mates, “zombie” hoards, embracing the void, lost love, badass female knights of the round table, Arthur retelling.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ /5
Age suggestion: 18+

Book 3.
I understand why this book has been given the title that it has.

🐍 Lost love
🐍 Heartbreak
🐍 Acceptance
🐍 Found family
🐍 Hidden truths

There are so many moving parts in it and it is hard to differentiate the vipers from the vines. Veyka uncovers one truth just for more secrets to surface. She also discovers who she is deep down. She fought for so long against her destiny but eventually takes ownership of who she was meant to be.

There is one quote from the book that I understand wholeheartedly:
“But I did lose him. I inhaled slowly through the tender membranes of my nostrils. Past my throat, sore from sobbing, into my lungs, somehow still functioning alongside my broken heart.“
I know what heartbreak feels like. I know what it means to go through something that rips you apart, all while having to live life like my world hasn’t come crashing down.
The author put into words what I’ve felt and, in turn, could feel what Veyka was feeling.
I wanted to reach into those pages, hug Veyka and let her know that she wasn’t alone.

I don’t know if I can wait until November for the fourth book in this story. I need to know what happens.

Special thanks to #NetGalley, #CaraMaxwellRomance, and Emberly Ash for the #ARC to review.

Okay but seriously Emberly Ash, are any of my emotions safe in this series? I cannot get enough and I wish I already had the 4th book so I could just keep reading.

I'm so obsessed with Veyka and her character development throughout the series so far, she's literally such a badass FMC. And the romance 🥵🥵🥵🥵, so spicy. It's not just the spice that makes this series an amazing read though, it's the plot, the characters, and the expert story telling. I cannot wait for more.

The 3rd books in a series of 4 is always a tough one due to the setup up of the finale. I didn’t feel that as much with this book because there’s so much going on. Arrans injury forces Veyka to further overcome self doubt and fulfill her role as Queen, I have really enjoyed her character growth from the bitter grief stricken girl to the woman she is becoming.

It was also fun to get another POV from Cyara. She is one of my favorite side characters. The found family and the love between Veyka and Arran are the best part of returning to this world and I can’t wait until the final installment to see all of them finally get a HEA!