Unfortunately I had to DNF this. I made it 16% in, but it wasn’t grabbing me.

The world building was too confusing. The characters were unremarkable. I was just bored and had no desire to continue it.

4.5 stars!
The beginning of this book was a little slow for me, so l actually put it down for a few weeks and came back to it. And I'm so glad I continued it! After 30% it picked up with the action and the two main characters really meeting.
I loved the dual POV in this.
I loved both the characters! Their tragic backstories were interesting and the surprises were so good!
I love that there was a wonderful cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next book.

4.5 stars
strong language
moderate spice

Mention two rival assassins and I immediately think of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, one of my favorite movies. Of course I immediately requested this book after reading the description.

I loved the setting of this novel. With the vivid imagery, it was easy to picture the city of Fantome as Sera and Ransom traversed its cobbled streets on their quests to kill each other. As with the characters in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the snarky comments and witty quips between Sera and Ransom had me smirking numerous times.

Both characters come from tragic circumstances. Sera’s mother was murdered, and she’s alone in the world with the exception of her dog, Pippin (a total scene-stealer). Initially I was afraid Sera would depend on others to take care of her, but I was proven wrong almost immediately. She learns what’s needed to survive as a Cloak, works hard to attain those skills, and makes loyal friends along the way. Although it isn’t always the best decision, she dives headfirst into dangerous situations almost fearlessly. Ransom, his sister, and mother were abused by their father/husband when he was a child. After helping his mother and sister escape, he’s a nine-year-old orphan living on the streets. Soon he’s taken in by the leader of the Daggers, a man who becomes a father figure to Ransom. Becoming assassins isn’t something they’d planned, but their only option for survival at the time.

With Sera and Ransom in rival gangs and told to kill each other, the conflict makes for a compelling read. Characterization is a strong point – even the supporting characters are well-drawn and multi-layered. I’m not a big romance fan, but the enemies to lovers trope is done well, and there are some very quotable lines that might leave some readers swooning.

After that ending, the sequel is one of my most anticipated reads for next year. Recommended for fans who enjoy lots of snark (it was fantastic), morally gray characters, and found family.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.5 stars The story was a bit predictable and while it was aimed at an older audience in the YA category, read like it was for a younger audience in most of the story. It was a bit drawn out in some plot points which messed with the pacing but enjoyable.

While the plot and pacing dragged a bit in the middle, this was a really fun read! The enemies felt like enemies, the romance was built up pretty well (I'm nothing if not an instalove hater), and the characters were definitely the overall highlight.

this might be my top YA of the year. i loved the plot, i loved the characters and i loved the romance. it was super fast paced and the magic system is really unique. i also really enjoyed the waring gangs vibes. Dual POV books will always be superior imo.

Tiktok/ IG review coming soon

I saw that this book was recommended for fans of Caraval so I had to give it a chance. And I am so glad I did! This was a wonderfully written fantasy read. So perfect for fall/winter time if you enjoy that genre during this time of year.

This book was so good! The journey from enemies to lovers was compelling, and I loved the banter between Seraphine and Ransom. However, the pining was top-tier!

I received the ebook as an Arc from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley!!

This was an enjoyable read with a fast moving plot line. There are the usual players - strong willed FMC with a tragic back story, the brooding morally gray MMC who can be redeemed, the quirky sidekicks (including a dog - always a good idea), and the rigid authority figures that have been doing things wrong for years. The magic system is interesting - a drug that can make you one with the shadows which makes it very easy to steal and kill but come with a personal cost. I was not ready for the monsters but guessed their origin when they were introduced. The banter was fun however I don’t think I would be that hospitable to someone who is actively trying to kill me.

Overall, I’m giving the book a 4 and would recommend it if the above scenario is something you enjoy!!

after her mother is murdered, seraphine runs for her life. she finds sanctuary with the cloaks, but her heart is truly set on revenge. but no amount of training with the cloaks can prepare her for her eventual encounter with ransom, heir to the order of daggers.

this book was so interesting! first, we have the whole cloaks vs. daggers thing going on. the way these were set up was so interesting, and i’m glad we got to see the inner workings of both through the dual pov. there were also so many plot twists, and though a few were predictable, so many of them weren’t, and the execution was done well!

the romance aspect was also lovely. i love a good, angsty enemies-to-lovers arc, and sera and ransom delivered!

i would recommend this to any YA fantasy reader, and i can’t wait for book two!

Thanks to Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy!

This book sounded really fun, and had an exciting premise. I still enjoyed the book enough, but it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. I think the fantasy world was well done. I feel like the characters were a little flat, and the romance was very insta-love. I do think it was a fun read, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a enemies-to-lovers fantasy or a Romeo and Juliet retelling.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

There's banter and then there's this story. It felt like every time Sera and Ransom crossed paths that it was just one witty quip at each other after the next. They'd have like two instances of normal dialogue and then they'd start fighting and saying things like "you couldn't hurt me if you tried" "Guess I'll try harder" (That's not an actual line but there were many bad examples of this in the story). The story was also just plain BORING and the timing of everything felt odd. I thought that Sera's house burning down and her mom dying happened a year ago because we didn't see that happen so I assumed it was in the past and she'd been running/hiding from the Daggers ever since but that wasn't the case. The first chapter where she is running is the SAME NIGHT that her mother dies but we only learn that several chapters later. It made no sense with me to start with her already on the run. It would have made more sense to me if the story began with her coming home and seeing the Dagger burning down her house and killing her mom. It would have made the story more interesting for me. Instead we got Sera and Pippin running from some unseen entity. Knowing why she was running from danger would have made more sense in the beginning.

The writing was incredible, but I could not get into the storyline, the world building, or the characters. I inched my way through this over a span of almost a month, but I never fell in love with it like I thought I should.

In this true enemies to lovers, two rival assassins come together to help solve the mystery of darkness and monsters in the city of Fantome.
It’s not often you get a true enemies to lovers relationship, but Seraphine and Ransom’s story was just that! I loved their characters, relationships, the magic and world building.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for this Arc.

It has a New Orleans/ French Quarter vibe and I liked it. The magic system was definitely unique and different than most books I’ve read lately. I wish I could have visualized the monsters better. Maybe more descriptive details, but overall solid read!

“The Dagger and the Flame” by Catherine Doyle was one of my most anticipated reads, and it did not disappoint. The magic system and world-building are fantastic, and the tension between the main characters, Seraphine and Ransom, is electric. Their banter and chemistry are exactly what I look for in fantasy romance. The plot twist at the end was unexpected and left me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I did wish for more interactions between Sera and Ransom. Some pacing issues and underdeveloped characters, like Madame Cordelia, were a bit disappointing. However, the found family aspect and the character growth were heartwarming. Overall, “The Dagger and the Flame” is a captivating read with a satisfying ending that leaves you wanting more.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing-Margaret K. McElderry Books, and NetGalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest reviews.
Publication Date: October 1, 2024

3 STARS

The Dagger and The Flame is a New Adult romantasy set in the streets of the city of Fantome, where two star-crossed would-be lovers from rival groups catch feelings as they try to save the city and deal with magic.

The romance here is nothing mind-blowing or super spicy, but it is sweet love-on-the-go (think Han and Leia). There is some depth to the characters. The FMC newly-minted "cloak" (thief) and the MMC "dagger" (assassin) come together with different agendas in mind but stay together for the common good and to mutual personal advantage. Besides the attraction, they also find in one another someone else who can relate to wounds =of loss and powerlessness.

The plot was a mixed bag for me. The book has some stunning revelations spread throughout the book, as well as creative uses of magic. I loved the element of "shade", basically something of a magical drug that both the cloaks and the daggers use to aid and/or fuel their jobs. Of course, the magical substance comes with a corruptive and ultimately destructive cost. I did find that the book suffered some in the area of plotting, in that the book did not feel like moved in a smooth arc but an up-down journey.

Overall, I think a romantasy reader or YA fantasy reader might have a fun adventure diving into the world of dazzling magic, manipulative adults, and an ill-fated romance.

The Dagger and the Flame was one of my most anticipated reads, and it did not disappoint.

I love the magic system and world building in this book. I especially love the tension between the two main characters, Seraphine and Ransom. They both are from two different houses and are considered enemies. But sparks fly and they are drawn to each other because of the magic they both possess. Their banter was also *chef's kiss* and what I look forward to between couples in fantasy romance books.

I know after the way the book ended, I cannot wait for book two to see what happens next. That was a twist I definitely did not see coming.

I’m giving this book a solid 4/5 stars. I genuinely loved it and can’t wait to read the second book in ‘The City of Fantome’ series. I particularly enjoyed the plot twist—I usually can predict them, but this one almost caught me off guard and that was refreshing. Books frustrate me a bit when I figure out the whole plot right from the start. The complexities in Seraphine’s relationship with her parents were also intriguing. I adored Sera’s growth and the development of her relationships and friendships. Her “found family” played a significant role in the story, and I found it heartwarming.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I couldn’t help but wish for more banter between Sera and Ransom. Their interactions were delightful, and I was rooting for them. I did enjoy the banter we did get, though. I was also quite confused by the lack of appearances from Madame Cordelia Mercure. She wasn’t a prominent character for most of the book, and I had high expectations for her.

Overall, I highly recommend “The Dagger and The Flame” and eagerly anticipate the next chapter in this captivating series. The book concludes with a tantalizing quote: “With Pippin guiding the way, Sera passed through the gates of Halbracht and beheld a sprawling mountain village radiating the promise of magic. Her palm crackled, the lightning within her surging to life. Prepared for this new adventure, this new destiny, she smiled and opened her fist, letting the sparks dance.” The ending was satisfying and left me yearning for more.

***I would like to thank Simon and Schuster as well as NetGalley for my free advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Dagger and the Flame, by Catherine Doyle, is the first installment in the author's City of Fantome series. In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love. Key Characters: Seraphine Marchant, and Ransom Hale. On the night of her mother’s murder by an assassin, Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary within House Armand & the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers; the thieves and the assassins. The Daggers consumed shade magic turning bodies into deadly weapons. Daggers are lead by Gaspard Dufort who, for some reason, wanted Sera and her mother, who was a smuggler, dead. Cloaks wear shade magic to blend in with the night. Cloaks are led by Madame Cordelia.

Cordelia grudgingly agrees to allow Sera to stay until she can learn how to be a Cloak. What Sera doesn't know is that Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers, has been told that he must kill Sera. Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom and she stabs him. Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before and soon begins a game of cat and mouse with Sera. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, there is trouble brewing when people start turning up dead, and it appears the city is being overrun by monsters of some sort.

There are, obviously, issues that I had while reading this book thus the rating like the discombobulated pacing. There was a particular scene where they are battling monsters who have been infected with corrupted shade and instead of focusing on the battle, Sera and Ransom waste time doing other things. One of the other things is that Sera joins the Cloaks and then does basically nothing for them despite getting paid to be there. What's that all about? Also, there is a surprise which you can pretty much figure out yourself once a certain character is told that he must kill Sera if Ransom can't. This book is obviously setting the stage for what is to come next.